ITEM NO 5.
REPORT OF THE LEAD MEMBER FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES
TO the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Committee
TITLE:
Transferring from a Children’s and Young Peoples Partnership Board to a
Children and Young People’s Trust
RECOMMENDATION: Members are asked to consider and comment on the current
position and work ongoing to develop the Children and Young Peoples Trust in
Salford
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009(ASCL) requires the
establishment of Children’s Trusts, including the creation of a Trust Board with effect from
1st April,2010 that would be clearly linked with the Local Safeguarding Children Boards
and other partnerships. The purpose of the change in regulation was to strengthen
accountability for the well-being and safeguarding of children and prepare a three year
delivery Children and Young People’s Plan from which activities / projects would be
commissioned by the Trust partners. Outcomes will be monitored against key priorities
agreed with partners thus ensuring that resources and workforce skills are targeted. It
also provides opportunities to create greater flexibility to redirect resources when required
to address changing priorities and new ways of working using one accountable body
which would report to the Salford Strategic partnership.
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
All partners are key to the successful implementation of the Trust but the Council has
to ensure the development of robust governance arrangements. The following
individuals therefore are key in this process:
The Director of Children’s Services (DCS) and the Lead Member for Children’s
Services have pinnacle roles. The DCS has the responsibility for improving
outcomes for children in the City. The DCS is a member of both the Trust and
SSCB.
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The Lead Member for Children’s Services
 is politically accountable for ensuring that the Local Authority fulfils its legal
responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and
young people.
 will provide the political leadership needed for the effective co-ordination of
work with other relevant agencies with safeguarding responsibilities (such as
the police and the health service and other key partners).
 will also take steps to assure themselves that effective quality assurance
systems for safeguarding are in place and functioning effectively across
service areas and levels of need.
 Is a member of the Trust and will be a participant observer of the SSCB
The Local Authority Chief Executive and Council Leader also have critical roles to
play. The Chief Executive is responsible for
 ensuring that that the DCS is fulfilling their managerial responsibilities for
safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. In
particular,
 ensuring that the relationship between the Trust and SSCB is working
effectively. This responsibility has been assigned within the Local Authority
and among Children’s Trust partners for improving services and outcomes;
and that targets for improving safeguarding and progress against those
targets are reported to the Local Strategic Partnership (SSP).
The wider public has an important role to play: The ECM outcomes are everyone’s
responsibility. Salford’s Trust will need to actively seek the views of the local
community and consult children and young people and their families when drawing
up the Children and Young People’s Plan
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S TRUST RESPONSIBILITIES
The Trust will
 develop a three year plan which will influence and determine the
commissioning of activities by partners to deliver the agreed outcomes for
children and young people. This 3 year plan will be consulted on widely
including the SSCB and the final document be approved and adopted by the
accountable bodies and the SSP.

publish a plan in the format in accordance with the agreed time scales as
detailed in the DCSF guidance published in 2010.

ensure that an annual review of the 3 year plan is carried out in accordance
with DCSF guidance. The SSP will make an assessment of the effectiveness
of partnership arrangements in supporting the best possible standards and
outcomes of the well-being and safeguarding of children.

support and facilitate the integration of commissioning, systems and
processes and the delivery of frontline services.

will liaise with appropriate Boards including the SSCB regarding any proposed
commissioning arrangements such as those which are linked to the factors
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which impact on safeguarding children, including compromised parenting.
These may include domestic abuse, parental mental health, alcohol and
substance misuse and adult criminality.
RELATIONSHIP WITH BOARDS
The Trust Board must have close relationships with all relevant Boards, especially
the SSCB.
Salford’s Children Trust and Salford Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB), will have
important but distinctive roles in keeping children safe. It is not a hierarchical
relationship. Salford’s Children’s Trust will be accountable for overseeing the
delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan, in progressing this plan it is
accountable for ensuring services deliver improved outcomes for Children and
Young People. The Trust will be held accountable thorough the SSCB for
safeguarding and the SSP for all ECM outcomes.
SSCB is responsible for challenging each relevant partner of the Trust through
Salford’s Children’s Trust Board, on their success in ensuring that children and
young people are kept safer in the City.
In order to ensure the complimentary roles of the two bodies – and the necessary
challenge of SSCB to the Trust, the two bodies are chaired by different people.
SSCB is chaired by a person independent of any of the member agencies
OPERATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Operational details are outlined in a draft Trust Board Handbook.
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