Children and Young People's Partnership

What is a Children and Young People's Partnership?

The RBWM Children and Young People's Partnership (formerly known as the Children's Trust) brings together all those involved in providing children's services locally, to design and deliver integrated services around the needs of children and young people. We know that stronger partnerships, greater integration of services and a shared purpose for all those working with and for children and families lead to better services, especially for the most vulnerable.

Partnership arrangements are well established in the Borough and there are many excellent examples of joint working. The Children and Young People's Partnership includes representatives from the Council (Education, Social Care and Community and Youth), Health Services, Schools and Colleges, Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, the Police, the Fire and Rescue Service, the local Probation Board and Job Centre Plus.

What does RBWM's Children and Young People's Partnership look like?

RBWM Children and Young People's Partnership is composed of:

• Children and Young People's Partnership Strategic Board
• Children and Young People's Partnership Commissioning Group
• Five Priority Groups, as defined in the Partnership Plan for Children and Young People
• Sounding Boards (parents and carers, children and young people, voluntary and community sector and Headteachers)
• Links to the Local Safeguarding Children Board

Please see structure chart below:

The Children and Young People's Partnership Strategic Board

The Children and Young People's Partnership Strategic Board is responsible for developing and monitoring the Partnership Plan for children and Young People. The Board identifies priorities for children and young people locally and any gaps in service provision, and is chaired by the Lead Member for Children's Services.

RBWM Children and Young People's Partnership (CYPP) functions as the 'Ambition Group' for children and young people within the local strategic partnership (the Community Partnership). The CYPP reports to the Community Partnership Board on the performance targets for children and young people and informs and influences the work of the Community Partnership as it relates to children, young people and families.

The Board has a responsibility to ensure that all stakeholders' views are represented at a strategic level and that there is clear communication between the Board and the groups that report to it.

Membership of the Children and Young People's Partnership Strategic Board is as follows:

Lead Member for Children's Services, RBWM (Chair)
Shadow Lead Member for Children's Services, RBWM
Director of Children's Services, RBWM
Head of Services for Families and Young People
Children and Young People's Partnership Manager
Head of Adult
Director, Family Friends
Service Manager, Bridge Trust, Thames Valley
CEO, Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People (BACYP)
Thames Valley Probation Service
NHS Berkshire East
Public Health
Primary Headteacher (South Ascot Village School Federation)
Secondary Headteacher
Principal of Berkshire College of Agriculture
Job Centre Plus
Chair of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB)
LSCB Business

The Children and Young People's Partnership Commissioning Group

The Partnership also has a Commissioning Group which ensures that available resources are directed towards the priority needs of children and young people and identifies opportunities for joint commissioning to reduce the risk of duplication and maximise the impact of available resources. Commissioning activities directly support the implementation of the Partnership Plan for Children and

Membership of the Children's Trust Commissioning Group is as follows:

Director of Children's Services, RBWM (Chair)
Head of Services for Families and Young People
Deputy Group Accountant
Children and Young People's Partnership Manager
Procurement
Voluntary Sector
NHS Berkshire East
Chair of the Schools' Forum
Invited on a Thematic/Needs basis:

• Health Provider - Post 16 Partnership
• Police
• Jobcentre Plus
• Housing

Priority Groups

There are five Priority Groups each of which has one or two lead officers who co-ordinate service developments and operational commitments to deliver the agreed priorities as laid out in the Partnership Plan. The Priority Groups develop the detailed annual action plan and monitor its implementation, providing regular progress updates to the Strategic Board on the impact of service developments and gaps in provision. Priority Groups monitor relevant targets, performance indicators and other outcomes data and report changes to the Board.

Sounding Boards

Sounding Boards ensure that local communities, service users and key stakeholders are effectively engaged in strategic decision-making. A variety of children and young people groups act as strategic sounding boards (such as young carers' group, school councils, youth groups, the Children in Care Council and service user groups). These are supported by special events and participation activities around specific themes.

The views of parents and carers are sought through schools, the Parents in Partnership Forum (for parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities), via the RBWM website and the Parents' and Carers' Sounding Board. The Parents' and Carers' Sounding Board is an electronic forum that involves parents and carers contributing their views via email on key pieces of Partnership work such as the development of the Partnership Plan for Children and Young People and service reviews. To register interest in joining the Parents' and Carers' Sounding Board, please email Childrenstrust@rbwm.gov.uk.

In addition to representation on the Board and sub-groups, schools are consulted and informed through the Headteachers' Policy Forum and the Schools' Forum.

A forum of voluntary and community sector organisations and faith representatives has been set up to ensure that the Partnership has an effective dialogue with all sections of the local community. If you are a Children's Services voluntary sector group or organisation and would like to join the Forum please e-mail childrenstrust@rbwm.gov.uk.

Links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board

The CYPP also has important links to the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The LSCB has a statutory responsibility to hold all organisations and partnerships to account for the extent to which their services adequately promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people. The LSCB works within the framework of the overall vision for children's services set out in the PPCYP and contributes to the achievement of this vision.

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