BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL
REPORT TO CABINET
8 FEBRUARY 2011
REPORT OF THE CORPORATE DIRECTOR - CHILDREN
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S EMOTIONAL WELLBEING STRATEGY
1.
Purpose of Report.
This report is to inform Cabinet of the content of the draft Emotional Wellbeing
Strategy for children and young people and seek approval to proceed to
consultation.
2.
Connection to Corporate Improvement Plan / Other Corporate Priority.
The subject of this report relates closely to and seeks to progress several objectives
and priorities, and in particular:
 Bright Future: Young Voices
 Bright Future: Healthy Living
3.
Background.
3.1
The Bridgend Children and Young People’s Partnership aspires to deliver a range of
improved outcomes for all children and young people, one of which is emotional
wellbeing. ‘Further development of services that support the emotional health and
wellbeing of all children and young people’ is a priority within core aim 3 of the
Children and Young People’s Plan 2008-2011.
3.2
To take this priority forward and help co-ordinate existing provision, the Children and
Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing group was formed in 2008. The membership
consists of partners and service providers whose work includes addressing the
emotional wellbeing needs of children and young people across the county. The
group agreed to develop a local emotional wellbeing strategy to highlight and
promote the emotional wellbeing of children and young people and identify
appropriate actions to improve their outcomes.
3.3
This strategy incorporates the 4-5-6 Model which supports the development of
integrated working, and outlines the 4 tiers of need, the 5 dimensions of need and
the 6 outcomes. Emotional wellbeing is one of the dimensions of need and a key
component to achieving the overarching outcomes for all children and young
people to learn and achieve, be healthy and safe, caring and confident.
3.4
Links have been forged with the local Improving Futures Strategy and the Siaradwn
Ni Big Lottery funded project, both of which focus on suicide and self harm
reduction across the counties of Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot.
1
4.
Current situation / proposal.
4.1
The development and implementation of this strategy has become part of a wider
strategy to address one of the Local Service Board’s three priorities which is to
improve the emotional wellbeing of all citizens in Bridgend County. It has also
become an action within the Improving Futures, suicide and self harm reduction,
action plan.
4.2
The 4-5-6 Model has been piloted and has demonstrated positive outcomes in
identifying the needs of individual children and young people which, in turn, has
helped to deliver appropriate early interventions. The Model is due to be revised
and published in a final version in the Spring 2011.
4.3
The Emotional Wellbeing strategy has been developed by a multi-agency task and
finish group of the Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Group. It now needs to be
shared with partner agencies and stakeholders through a consultation process.
4.4
Following consultation, the Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing
Strategy will be revised as necessary and published.
4.5
The content of the strategy raises important issues for children and young people in
Bridgend and also for those services, public and voluntary, which endeavour to
meet the emotional needs of our young people. For this reason, approval is sought
for the draft content of the Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing
Strategy.
5.
Effect upon Policy Framework and Procedure Rules.
There is no effect on policy framework or procedure rules.
6.
Equality Impact Assessment
The strategy seeks ways to help meet the emotional needs of all children and
young people, without discrimination. An initial equality impact assessment
indicates that the research carried out to inform this strategy has been sufficiently
broad to embrace the views and interests of a wide range of children and young
people. Consultation has involved different age groups, those with different
disabilities, including physical disability and those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder,
and those with specific issues e.g. the effect of suicides on friends and family. As
part of the consultation, respondents will be asked to say if the strategy might have
any adverse effects by discriminating unfairly against themselves or others.
7.
Financial Implications.
As is evident from the services already set out in the strategy, resources are
already committed to this area of work. Activities which come under the banner of
the Siaradwn Ni project are funded for the life of the grant. A number of other
services are part of statutory provision and are resourced through core budgets,
though these may be subject to efficiency savings. Other services provided by the
voluntary sector and/or public bodies are mostly reliant on grant funding. One of the
purposes of this strategy is establish an agreed and co-ordinated approach to
tackling issues of emotional wellbeing and part of that agenda is to consider how,
2
through closer collaboration, best use might be made of the resources currently
committed by the relevant agencies.
8.
Recommendation.
Cabinet is recommended to:
8.1
approve for consultation the draft content of the Children and Young People’s
Emotional Wellbeing Strategy: and
8.2
request that a final version of the strategy is presented for Cabinet’s consideration
following the consultation.
Hilary Anthony
Corporate Director – Children
Date:
20 January 2011
Contact Officer:
Trevor Guy
Head of Strategy, Partnerships and Commissioning
Telephone:
(01656) 642617
e-mail:
trevor.guy@bridgend.gov.uk
Postal Address
Children’s Directorate, Sunnyside, Bridgend CF31 4AR
Background documents
Children and Young People’s Plan 2008-2011
3