Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Plan 2010-13

Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Plan 2010-13 Our plan for all of our children and young people to be: happy, safe and healthy; and inspired and enabled to succeed

Reception area at Sandon High School The Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust has developed this plan and will deliver it over the next three years. The board of the Trust consists of the following statutory and voluntary representatives: Black and Minority Ethnic Forum Champion for Children Community sector Connexions Staffordshire General Practitioners JobCentre Plus NHS Stoke on Trent North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust Primary and secondary schools Safeguarding Children Board Sixth form and further education colleges Staffordshire Police Staffordshire Probation Stoke-on-Trent City Council University Hospital of North Staffordshire Trust Voluntary sector Youth Offending Service The Trust would like to extend its thanks to all of our partners including children, young people, parents and carers for their contributions to the development of the plan and for allowing us to use the wonderful photographs throughout this document. 1 Front cover image: Love Music Hate Racism concert

Supervising a child at play Contents Engagement in action at Primary Congress 1 Introduction 3 2 Be Healthy 8 3 Stay Safe 12 4 Enjoy and Achieve 16 5 Make a Positive Contribution 22 6 Achieve Economic Well-being 26 7 Delivering Our Plan 30 8 Monitoring Our Progress 33 9 Resourcing Our Plan 34 10 Review of 2009-10 35 11 Linking to Other Plans 36 12 Glossary 37 2

A vision for Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent is a city with a rich history and a bright future. Our population of 240,100 is increasingly diverse, especially amongst our 59,000 children and young people where a fifth of the school age population are from black and minority ethnic communities. The city remains one of the most deprived authorities in the country, ranked 16th out of 354 for overall deprivation in 2007, and 29th out of 354 for deprivation affecting children. However, an extensive regeneration programme encompassing everything from housing and culture to education and enterprise is ensuring that our children, young people and their families have more opportunities than ever to succeed. There are clearly still obstacles to overcome, not least the challenging economic circumstances which have emerged nationally since our first Children and Young People s Plan in 2006. Nevertheless, there are many achievements to be celebrated in recent years including increases in breastfeeding rates and reductions in childhood obesity; the opening of 13 children s centres; improved exam results, especially at GCSE; the continuing Building Schools for the Future programme; more young people in education, employment and training; and more opportunities than ever for children and young people to participate and engage in positive activities. All partners in the Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust are wholly committed to building on these achievements. In 2010-13 we will work to achieve our vision for all of our children and young people to be: happy, safe and healthy; and inspired and enabled to succeed in all aspects of their life. How far we ve come Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust has achieved a great deal since we produced our first Children and Young People s Plan in 2006. We worked hard to get the basics right before focusing on strategies to identify and target specific local and priority issues. In 2006 we put in place clear procedures and delivery plans to address the fundamentals of safeguarding arrangements, outcomes for children in care and improving attainment. We also focused on improvements which would impact on children with learning difficulties and disabilities, teenage pregnancy rates and the number of young people not in employment, education or training. In 2008-09 we remained focused on these priorities. We began to see improvements in our outcomes and inspections recognised our achievements in safeguarding practices and procedures. 3

1 Introduction By 2009-10 our service planning and delivery was more integrated and we demonstrated improving outcomes. We were able to use detailed intelligence to better target priority issues and narrow the gap between those who do well and those who do not. We also maintained our focus on safeguarding by embracing the wider responsibilities of the Safeguarding Children Board. The strength of this board had already been recognised and it continues to make great strides in putting the safeguarding of children and young people high on everyone's agenda. More information about the work of the Safeguarding Children Board is available at www.safeguardingchildren.stoke.gov.uk A new plan Our new Children and Young People s Plan sets out how the Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust will continue to work together to improve the lives of children, young people and families in the city. The issues and priorities for 2010-13 have been influenced by national guidance and legislation plus the latest local intelligence and engagement. In developing this plan, the Trust carried out a detailed analysis of the needs of children and young people in Stoke-on-Trent, available on the Trust website. Led by a multi-agency team, the approach has been inclusive and has involved active engagement with children, young people, parents, carers and staff. Through their attendance at planning events, participation in workshops and completion of questionnaires we have been able to identify the key priorities and strategic actions detailed within this plan. Our plan has a key role in achieving the vision contained within the national children s plan: Building Brighter Futures. It also supports the Sustainable Community Strategy s vision for Stoke-on-Trent and the Local Area Agreement Framework. The plan sets the strategic commissioning framework within which Trust partners will ensure that services are delivered to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. To ensure we remain focused on our vision we will publish a review and update of this plan in April 2011. This plan outlines our priorities under each of the Every Child Matters Outcomes: Be Healthy; Stay Safe; Enjoy and Achieve; Make a Positive Contribution; and Achieve Economic Well-being. Each priority includes a range of actions which will contribute towards their achievement. These are not intended to be a complete list of everything we plan to do but they highlight some of the key activities which we will undertake over the next three years. Many of the actions will have an impact on more than one Every Child Matters Outcome. The priorities are supported by many plans and strategies and you will find links to these via the Trust website. The Trust s vision is for all children and young people to be: happy, safe and healthy; and inspired and enabled to succeed. Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust Board 4

In addition to our priorities for each outcome over the next three years, we have identified key strategic themes which tackle other important local needs. Symbols are used to easily identify these cross-cutting themes as they appear throughout this plan. Integration of services by working together to improve the well-being of children and young people. Early intervention and prevention to identify and support all children and young people who need additional help. Safeguarding arrangements that support the Safeguarding Children Board and promote the welfare of children. Resilience and sustainability enabling children, young people and families to achieve and maintain success. Narrowing the gap in outcomes by targeting support to vulnerable children, young people and parents. About the Trust Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust is a partnership of organisations working together to improve the lives of children and young people. All partners within the Trust are committed to delivering integrated services and taking joint responsibility for achieving the Trust s demanding targets. They take individual responsibility for implementing this plan and ensuring their operational plans are aligned to it. The direction of the Trust is set by its board which drives change throughout the partnership. The Board is also responsible for setting targets and monitoring performance as well as agreeing commissioning priorities and deciding how these are funded. A list of organisations that are represented on the Board can be found at the start of this plan. The Stoke-on-Trent Children and Young People s Trust Board has taken responsibility for preparing and publishing this plan for 2010-13. The Board is supported by a Multi-Agency Executive which manages the practical business of the Trust. This ensures the Board remains focused on its high level responsibilities. The Multi-Agency Executive also oversees the Implementing Change Groups. These groups develop strategies and plans to address significant areas of joint interest relating to need or services, or to underpinning issues such as workforce development or engagement. The arrangements are set out in the diagram opposite. 5

Our Trust governance arrangements Local Strategic Partnership Safeguarding Children Board Children and Young People s Trust Board Multi-Agency Executive Implementing Change Groups Integrated Working Implementing Change Groups Thematic Commissioning The Trust has recently reviewed its governance arrangements to take account of new statutory guidance. It continues to focus on ensuring all partners who have a duty to co-operate, particularly new partners such as schools and colleges, are fully engaged in the work of the Trust. The Trust also continues to develop strong relationships with other bodies including the Safeguarding Children Board and other groups within the Local Strategic Partnership. The developing relationship between the Trust and its service users is also of the greatest importance. The Trust has made a commitment to ensure that children, young people, parents and carers understand how they can contribute to service development in the city. This commitment is set out in more detail in our Engagement Strategy which, along with other information about the Trust, can be found on our website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust 6

7 Free swimming sessions for under-16s in the city s pools

2 Be Healthy The story so far Over the past three years there have been significant improvements in a number of health related areas, including: A steady increase in breastfeeding rates at six to eight weeks old from 26.5% in 2007-08 to 31.7% in 2008-09. There has also been an increase in the number of mothers continuing to breastfeed until their child is six months old. More effective Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) with a particular focus on services for 16 to 17 year olds and on the transition to adult mental health services. A significant reduction in teenage conceptions, from 329 in 2007 to 275 in 2008, and a marked reduction from 305 in 1998, our baseline year. Data received throughout 2009 has also shown fewer conceptions for the last 12 months. While celebrating these successes, we know there is still work to be done to continue to improve and modernise services and reduce health inequalities, particularly: Supporting children and young people to develop good emotional and mental health at all ages and identifying any difficulties as early as possible. Encouraging children, young people and their families to make healthier lifestyle choices. Ensuring parents and carers know where to go to get the right support and information for their families health. Making it happen The following are our priorities and key actions to ensure that children and young people are healthy. Priority 1: Ensure children, young people and their families are able to access a range of services that meet their needs. Families need to know what to expect from local services and how to access the support they need. By listening to children, young people, parents and carers and providing them with the right information, they will be better able to access appropriate services. To ensure this over the next three years we will: Support health services to meet the You re Welcome Quality Criteria. Ensure the views of children and young people are used to shape health services. Extend opportunities to enable young people to test out how well services respond to their queries. Increase awareness of appropriate use of health services to reduce unnecessary admissions. Ensure services are inclusive, flexible and accessible, particularly to vulnerable groups, and are of a high quality. Ensure our workforce has comprehensive knowledge and is able to signpost children, young people and their families to appropriate services at the right location. We are all eating so much better going to the centre has benefitted the whole family. Julie, a mother-of-two, discovered exciting and healthy recipes for all the family while attending Cook and Eat sessions at Fenton Children s Centre. 8 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

Priority 2: Enable children, young people and their families to make positive choices about healthy lifestyles. Our children and young people face many decisions about their lifestyles, from diet and exercise to sexual health and substance misuse. We must provide them and their families with access to high quality services, support and information to enable them to make informed choices about their health. Over the next three years we will: Improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and families through a range of programmes including the Healthy Start Scheme, breastfeeding initiatives and reducing smoking. Deliver the Healthy Child Programme for those aged 0 to 19 years. Further develop intensive support for vulnerable families through the Family Nurse Partnership. Reduce childhood obesity through a range of programmes to improve eating habits and promote physical activity. Provide swift and easy access to services and increased support and information for young people through the development of Integrated Youth Support Services. Continue to support schools to improve the health and well-being of children and young people through initiatives such as National Healthy Schools. Continue to develop education, prevention and treatment services for drug, alcohol and tobacco misuse. Priority 3: Support children and young people to be emotionally healthy and resilient. A significant number of children and young people will experience some form of emotional or mental health difficulty at some point in their life. We know it is vital to identify their needs early and provide accessible and appropriate support. To achieve this, over the next three years we will: Ensure that young people have access to age appropriate support, facilities and a choice of services which promote inclusion. Continue to develop access to emotional and mental health support at a universal level through targeted mental health services in schools. Implement the findings of the local and national CAMHS reviews to provide local comprehensive services, particularly improving access for children and young people with learning difficulties and dedicated services for children in care. Develop a co-ordinated trust-wide approach to the provision of parenting programmes and support for vulnerable families. Improve access to our CAMHS, including emergency and out of hours provision. Priority 4: Support children and young people with complex needs and their families through integrated services. Some children and young people, such as those with disabilities, life limiting or life threatening conditions or children in care, may need additional support to meet their needs. High quality services embrace a child-centred and co-ordinated approach which is accessible when families need it most. To support this over the next three years we will: Integrate services for children in care to reduce placement breakdown and improve health and educational outcomes. 9

Provide integrated care and support pathways which promote self care and care closer to home for children who have long term complex health needs. Increase the provision of short breaks for those children and young people with disabilities, life limiting and life threatening conditions. Continue to roll out the use of the Early Support Programme to ensure co-ordinated early intervention for families with a baby or young child with a disability. Continue to provide and develop improved joint working practices through our children s centres, schools and primary care services. Include a range of health related services for young people as part of the development of Integrated Youth Support Services. Measuring our progress The following are the key performance indicators we will use to measure our progress towards the priorities, set out in this section, over the next three years. Indicator NI 51: Effectiveness of CAMHS score out of 16 NI 53: Prevalence of breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks from birth (PSA 12) NI 54: Services for disabled children parents experience of services out of 100 NI 56: Obesity in primary school children in year 6 2009-10 Performance 2010-11 Target 2011-12 Target 2012-13 Target 12 13 15 16 31.7% (2008-09) 31% established by Department of Health established by Department of Health 61 63 65 67 21.8% (2008-09) 19.3% established by Department of Health established by Department of Health NI 112: Under-18 conception rate - change from 1998 baseline -10.6% Under negotiation Under negotiation Under negotiation NI 115: Substance Misuse by Young People 10.5% 10% established established Supporting plans There are a number of plans and strategies which detail how our priorities and actions will be delivered. These are available through the Trust website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust and include: Towards a healthier future: Strategic Plan 2009-14; Obesity Floor Target Action Plan; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Strategy; and Aiming High for Disabled Children Strategy and Delivery Plan. 10 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

11 Education and activities at a Staffordshire Fire Service open day

3 Stay Safe The story so far Our efforts to strengthen safeguarding arrangements in the city are having a positive impact on the well-being of children and young people. Successes in this area include: Our climb to the top 25% of local authorities for carrying out initial assessments within seven working days of referral. Stabilising the number of children in care to around 400 from a peak of 466 in July 2007. More of our children are fostered by relatives or friends than in other local authorities. We now have nine small group homes offering increased placement choice and stability for children in care. The introduction by the Safeguarding Children Board of a number of innovative methods to assist and encourage practitioners and managers learning. This work received national recognition from Lord Laming in his recent report evaluating good safeguarding practice across the country. However, there are some areas which have been identified for further improvement, such as: The extent to which children and young people feel safe and free from harm, discrimination and bullying in their homes, schools and communities. Ensuring parents and carers are supported to provide a safe, stable environment for children and young people. Continuing to develop a workforce that is well equipped and works together to protect children and young people. Making it happen The following are our priorities and key actions to ensure that children and young people stay safe. Priority 1: Strengthen our partnerships to keep children safe. We know that children and young people are kept safe when all services work together and communicate effectively. When everyone works together, families feel better supported and outcomes are improved. To achieve this, over the next three years we will: Continue to implement the Think Family approach with Trust partners working together to provide early support for families in their communities, developing clear pathways between services. Develop Safer Schools Partnerships to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour around schools. Continue to integrate work to prevent young people becoming a victim of crime or anti-social behaviour. Implement our strategy to reduce the number of children living with domestic abuse. He has done brilliantly... It s great we all work together. A mother sharing her thoughts on the progress her 15 year old son has made since being in foster care. 12 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

Develop strong links with adults health and social care services to ensure families receive early support and intervention. Strengthen our joint working with housing services to ensure the impacts of housing issues are fully understood and strategies to prevent and reduce homelessness and poor living conditions are implemented. Increase information and advice available to parents and carers regarding a range of safety issues including home safety, and travel to and from school. Maximise opportunities to co-locate services to improve joint working practices. Priority 2: Ensure that our services can be safely accessed by children and young people. Children and young people learn, play and develop best when they feel safe and secure. All services and settings strive to provide a safe environment for the people who access them. To ensure this, over the next three years we will: Continue to build capacity in our universal services to identify and deal with issues and potential concerns. Improve the information we make available to parents, carers, children and young people so that they feel safe in their community and when they attend services, activities and facilities. Review initiatives in place in local parks and play areas to promote positive behaviour and safety. Tackle the issues that children tell us make them feel unsafe, such as bullying, discrimination and prejudice. Implement local approaches to the range of national anti-bullying guidance issued in 2009. Appoint an e-safety lead who will sit on our Safeguarding Children Board and drive forward the e-safety strategy within the Trust. Priority 3: Build resilience in our most vulnerable children and young people. Some children and young people are particularly vulnerable and will need our help to overcome difficult circumstances. By providing the very best standards of care, support and nurture, we can help them to rebuild their lives and go on to reach their full potential. Over the next three years we will: Improve our systems so we can consistently identify these children and establish their needs much earlier. Continue to build our Family Support Service to meet the needs of vulnerable groups. Increase the choice and stability of placements available for children in care through a diverse group of care placements which are sufficient to meet individual needs. Promote resilience in carers through access to additional personalised training and support. Build the self-confidence of children in care by making sure that they have their successes and achievements acknowledged by the adults they come into contact with. Increase the access that children in care and children with disabilities have to a full range of sport, arts, music and other activities. 13

Priority 4: Develop our safeguarding governance. Stoke-on-Trent s Elected Members and partner organisations are committed to playing a full part in the collective corporate responsibility to deliver high quality services to children and young people. Over the next three years we will: Further develop our corporate parenting arrangements for children in care through effective operation of our Corporate Parenting Panel. Ensure strong membership and representation on the Safeguarding Children Board. Actively support Elected Members to engage with staff and service users by visiting appropriate social care settings. Encourage and support Elected Members and partners to deliver their pledge to children in care. Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements are in place in all partner organisations. Measuring our progress The following are the key performance indicators we will use to measure our progress towards the priorities, set out above, over the next three years. Indicator 2009-10 Performance 2010-11 Target 2011-12 Target 2012-13 Target NI 48: Children killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents change from 1994-1998 baseline -30.1% (2008-09) -5.8% established in new Local Transport Plan 2011-16 NI 59: Initial assessments carried out within seven working days of referral NI 62: Stability of placements of looked after children: children with three or more placements in a year NI 67: Child protection cases which were reviewed within required timescales 79% (quarter 3) 12% (quarter 3) 100% (quarter 3) 75%* 78% 80% 11% 10% 9% 100% 100% 100% NI 69: Children who have experienced bullying 32.3% 30.3% 28.9% 26% * target set in the Local Area Agreement Supporting plans There are a number of plans and strategies which detail how our priorities and actions will be delivered. These are available through the Trust website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust and include: Think Family Strategy; Youth Justice Strategic Plan; Safeguarding Children Board Business Plan; Specialist Services Business Plan; and Corporate Parenting Strategy. 14 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

15 Having fun at a local children s centre

4 Enjoy and Achieve The story so far The last three years have seen considerable improvements in the achievement of our children and young people, including: 50.5% of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieving the expected level of progress in 2009, up from 42.7% in the two previous years. The gap between the lowest scoring 20% of children and their peers has narrowed by 4.8% since 2007. Maintaining performance at Key Stage 2 with 65.8% of children achieving level 4 or above in both English and maths, in contrast to a dip in results nationally. More young people than ever before achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE including English and maths up from 34.8% in 2007 to 39.1% in 2009, narrowing the gap with national figures to 1.3%. A fall in secondary school persistent absence rates from 7.7% in 2007 to 7.1% in 2008. Rates are expected to have reduced even further, by over 1%, in 2009. We recognise that there is continued work to do in supporting children and young people to enjoy and achieve, particularly with regard to: Ensuring everybody can access extended services and learning activities across the city and they are not disadvantaged by cost, location or availability. Encouraging parents and carers to play an active part in their child s learning, raising the whole family s aspirations, and developing partnerships between parents, carers and schools. Supporting our most vulnerable children and young people to achieve their full potential and close the gap with their peers. It makes the whole school feel different when you re there...it s changed the way I think about my lessons. A pupil at Kingsland Primary School, loves having the world s first classroom inside an aeroplane. 16

Making it happen The following are our priorities and key actions to ensure that children and young people enjoy and achieve. Priority 1:Narrow the gap in attainment between disadvantaged or vulnerable pupils and those from more advantaged backgrounds. There is a strong link between disadvantage and low achievement. The gap between children from poorer families and their peers can be seen long before they start primary school. Outcomes for children in care, children who are entitled to free school meals and other vulnerable groups are often poor. To narrow the gap over the next three years we will: Ensure schools and settings are well led and achieve good results for all their pupils through support from School Improvement Partners. Make sure those who fall behind are given the right extra help from a range of intervention strategies. Help schools to use appropriate techniques and strategies to engage children and young people with learning and ensure they are kept on track for success. Support partnerships to improve standards of behaviour and to ensure children and young people attend school regularly. Support children, families and schools through our strategies for inclusion. Make sure that the right information is exchanged and support provided at points of transfer and transition so that children and young people avoid slipping behind. Priority 2: Place schools and settings at the heart of their communities and support them to work together and with other partners. Individual schools and settings cannot solely provide all that is needed to help children and young people grow up to lead successful lives. Research indicates that working together and sharing good practice leads to transformation and improvements for all. To support this over the next three years we will: Make sure that children s centres are fully integrated service providers, which meet local needs, and that multi-agency working is effective in all of our schools and settings, including partnerships with private, voluntary and independent providers. Increase involvement of parents and carers in children s learning through a range of programmes across children s centres and schools. Support partnerships to achieve good and outstanding schools and settings, identifying and sharing good practice. Promote the use of School Report Cards so that parents and carers are well informed about our schools. Promote behaviour and attendance partnerships. Ensure school governance arrangements reflect and support local partnerships and priorities. 17

Priority 3: Provide children and young people with inspiring facilities and resources which enable them to enjoy 21st century learning. We have a unique opportunity to provide outstanding learning environments for our communities and to create inspiration and excitement for education. To achieve this, over the next three years we will: Continue to roll out a programme of Building Schools for the Future and use the Primary Capital Programme to ensure that buildings provide a safe and sustainable environment for learning and promote co-operative learning and behaviour, as well as work related learning and team work. Establish the governance of schools so that every secondary school is an academy, a faith school, a foundation school or trust school and continue to work alongside them to promote partnerships for learning. Work with schools and settings to develop and implement their vision for learning which meets the needs of the 21st century. Develop and embed the use of new technologies in schools and settings to support learning and ensure that new and refurbished buildings provide appropriate facilities. Work with staff in schools and settings so that they are qualified and equipped to adapt to new teaching. Make sure that leadership teams, including governors, are supported to be judged good or better in all schools and settings. Priority 4: Provide every child and young person with an education pathway and support to develop their practical, social, emotional and academic skills and their health and well-being. Everybody has different interests and abilities. We thrive and succeed when we enjoy learning and are challenged by our learning experiences. We believe that by offering the right chances and providing the right support, all our children and young people will be able to reach their full potential. To support this over the next three years we will: Prepare for the rise in the participation age in 2013, so that every young person benefits from the new opportunities offered. Commission the delivery of the full range of courses for 14 to 19 year olds including colleges, work-based learning providers and employers. Support the introduction of a new primary school curriculum and further embed the Early Years Foundation Stage in schools and settings. Make sure that children and young people can access and enjoy a full range of enrichment opportunities both during and outside the school day including high quality sports, arts and cultural experiences. Ensure the views of children and young people are routinely used to influence and shape learning opportunities. Encourage and support all schools and settings to achieve Healthy School Status. Support secondary and special schools to provide further subject specialism to improve choice and diversity for young people and their families. Support schools to develop and introduce a range of sustainable principles and practices relating to curriculum and wider school development. 18 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

Measuring our progress The following are the key performance indicators we will use to measure our progress towards the priorities, set out in this section, over the next three years. Due to small numbers in each year group, targets for children in care may vary significantly from year to year. Indicator NI 57: Children and young people's participation in high-quality PE and sport NI 72: Achievement of at least 78 points across the Early Years Foundation Stage with at least six in each of the scales in Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication, Language and Literacy NI 73: Achievement at level 4 or above in both English and maths at Key Stage 2 NI 75: Achievement of five or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and maths NI 86: Secondary schools judged as having good or outstanding standards of behaviour NI 87: Secondary school persistent absence rate NI 92: Achievement gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and the rest NI 93: Progression by 2 levels in English between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 NI 94: Progression by 2 levels in maths between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 NI 99: Children in care reaching level 4 in English at Key Stage 2 NI 100: Children in care reaching level 4 in maths at Key Stage 2 NI 101: Children in care achieving five A* to C GCSEs (or equivalent) at Key Stage 4 (including English and maths) NI 102: Achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected level at Key Stages 2 (a) and 4 (b) 2009-10 Performance 85% (2008-09) *subject to confirmation by Department of Children, Schools and Families 2010-11 Target established 2011-12 Target established 2012-13 Target established 51% 51.7% 53%* 54%* 66% 75% 75%* 76%* 39.4% 47% 47.8%* 50%* 65% (quarter 3) 7.1% (2008-09) 80% 80% 80% 6% 5% 5% 35.7% 35.1% 33.7%* 33%* 78% 85% 85%* 88%* 79% 83% 83%* 86%* 38.9% 56.3% 55.5%* 60%* 44.4% 56.3% 55.5%* 60%* 6.7% 26% 13.9%* 25%* a) 22.8% b) 22.2% a) 20% b) 21% a) 18% b) 20% established 19

Supporting plans There are a number of plans and strategies which detail how our priorities and actions will be delivered. These are available through the Trust website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust and include: Universal Services Business Plan; Targeted Services Business Plan; Building Schools for the Future: Strategy for Change; and 14-19 Implementation Plan. Children learning together at a local primary school City Music and Performing Arts School Parents Involved in Children s Learning programme 20

21 Enjoying the Clean Air Superheroes activity book

5 Make a Positive Contribution The story so far There have been a number of successes in the past three years, including: A reduction in the number of first time entrants to the Youth Justice System from 253 in 2007-08 to 204 in 2008-09. The national first time entrants rate is more than double the rate in Stoke-on-Trent and in similar authorities it is almost three times higher. The number of those re-offending almost halved between 2006-07 and 2008-09 whilst the number of offences committed by young people fell from 2,318 to 1,452 in the same period. Increasing the active involvement of children, young people and parents through a range of initiatives. Engagement groups, including the Parent Engagement Partnership and Uth Crew, are now regularly consulted with by the Trust and the Children in Care Council is now established. More children in care participating in their reviews and having a say in the support they receive. In 2007-08 the figure was 83%, rising to 91.1% by the third quarter of 2009-10 - on target and in line with national averages. Looking to the future, there remain a number of areas where continued improvement is needed, such as: Helping families, from the earliest stages of a child s life, to become confident and able to adapt to challenges they may face. Providing children and young people with positive role models at home, in school and within their communities. Ensuring that all children and young people have access to positive activities, providing opportunities for development, engagement and recreation. Making it happen The following are our priorities and key actions to ensure that children and young people are able to make a positive contribution. Priority 1: Extend opportunities for all children, young people, parents and carers to influence decisions made about themselves, their families, communities and the national agenda. The most successful plans and decisions are those which everybody has had the opportunity to contribute to and has ownership of. All children, young people and families in the city should be empowered and enabled to have their say on issues that affect them and their communities. To ensure this over the next three years we will: Launch and implement our revised Engagement Strategy and toolkits that set out our agreed standards and expectations regarding engagement of children, young people and their families. Ensure the Trust workforce is trained and supported to implement the strategy and supporting toolkits and that children and young people receive the support they need to enable them to take part. Thank you for making me understand I am worth more than I think for making me more confident in myself. A 15 year old girl discusses the impact of working intensively with a Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Officer. 22 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

Identify and eliminate barriers to engagement, promoting inclusion of all children and young people, parents and carers across a wide range of circumstances, in particular increasing the involvement of vulnerable children new to the area, young people in supported housing and parents of children in care. Develop inclusive pathways to engagement for young people in their community including when they leave full time learning. Ensure strategic decisions are made taking into account the views of the range of children, young people, parents and carers who live in the city. Priority 2: Ensure children and young people have the self confidence and resilience to successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges. All children and young people will face challenges in life and have to learn to cope with changes. We know that by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and support they need, they will be able to meet these challenges and adapt to these changes. To develop this over the next three years we will: Increase initiatives in place to promote emotional health and well-being through our Integrated Youth Support Service and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services strategies. Embed a culture of partnership planning to ensure children and their families are supported at key transition points. Ensure robust systems and methods are in place to enable children and young people who experience significant challenges to share their views and to influence their own circumstances and future service development, for example young carers, children in care, witnesses and young victims of crime and domestic abuse. Priority 3: Ensure children and young people engage in positive behaviour and choose not to bully, discriminate or offend. Children and young people who choose to behave positively and contribute to their community are better equipped to go on to achieve success as adults. To support this over the next three years we will: Ensure that volunteering opportunities for children and young people are better co-ordinated and expanded. Increase the range and number of partnership outreach programmes designed to prevent offending and encourage good citizenship. Continue to implement positive behaviour and anti-bullying strategies in schools, settings and other services. Promote the impact that parents, carers and other significant adults have as positive role models in the lives of children and young people. Provide support for parents and carers in promoting positive behaviour through a range of parenting programmes and our Think Family approach. Priority 4: Offer a range of positive activities which are safe, inclusive and accessible to children and young people and their families. By participating in a wide range of affordable and safe activities, children and young people can make friends, learn new skills and enjoy themselves. To achieve this priority, over the next three years we will: Ensure that activities offered are inclusive to all by engaging a wide range of children and young people in their design and development. 23

Develop a consistent and co-ordinated approach to promoting positive activities for all young people aged 11 to 19 years through our Integrated Youth Support Service. Develop a consistent and co-ordinated approach to promoting positive activities for the early years and children aged five to 11 years. Continue to work with parents to develop a co-ordinated approach to shaping activities for the very young and the most vulnerable children, young people and families through our children s centres and our Aiming High for Disabled Children programme. Increase the promotion of the range of affordable and high quality cultural activities available including city museums, libraries and theatres. Work to remove barriers to children and young people accessing activities. Measuring our progress The following are the key performance indicators we will use to measure our progress towards the priorities, set out in this section, over the next three years. Indicator 2009-10 Performance 2010-11 Target 2011-12 Target 2012-13 Target NI 19: Rate of proven re-offending by young offenders - frequency rate per offender 0.73 (quarter 2) 1.35 established established NI 110: Young people's participation in positive activities 55.3% 70% 72.5% 75% NI 111: First time entrants to the Youth Justice System aged 10 to 17 rate per 100,000 10 to 17 year olds 899.1 (2008-09) 1022* established established 4016SC: Children in care participation in reviews * target set in the Local Area Agreement 91.1% (quarter 3) 93% 94% 95% Supporting plans There are a number of plans and strategies which detail how our priorities and actions will be delivered. These are available through the Trust website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust and include: Engagement Strategy; Targeted Services Business Plan; Youth Justice Strategic Plan; and Integrated Youth Support Services Strategy. 24 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

25 Developing new skills with work based learning

6 Achieve Economic Well-being The story so far In striving to help our children and young people achieve economic well-being, there have been a number of successes in the last three years, including: A continued fall in the number of young people aged 16 to 18 who are not in education, employment or training, reaching 761 in 2009-10, a reduction of 595 young people since 2006-07. 92.1% of school leavers in 2009 continuing in learning, compared to 88.6% in 2008 and 85% in 2006. A significant increase in the proportion of young people leaving care with a support plan for their future. All our care leavers now have a pathway plan in place, compared to 80% in 2008-09. We also recognise the need to make improvements in some areas, particularly: Supporting parents and carers into education, training and employment, helping to break the cycle of worklessness and tackle child poverty. Reducing the number of children, young people and families living in homes which are not of a decent standard. Making sure young people are armed with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to make informed decisions about their future learning and careers. Making it happen The following are our priorities and key actions to ensure that children and young people achieve economic well-being. Priority 1: Enable young people to participate in learning until at least their 18th birthday. Young people need to participate in learning that stretches and challenges them to achieve their potential. They should be enabled to go on to further or higher education or skilled employment. To support this, over the next three years we will: Extend and promote the range of opportunities to learn by experience, including the variety of work experience, internships and work with wider partners to develop more volunteering opportunities. Implement strategies to support children and young people through their learning so they are well prepared at critical transition points. Develop flexible programmes in a range of settings to meet the needs of vulnerable groups and enable young people to learn alongside full-time employment or volunteering. Develop young people s functional skills so that they can apply English, mathematics and ICT in a practical context outside the classroom. Raise aspirations and engage young people at Key Stage 4 through continuing to develop work related learning and enterprise education. I m excited about starting the next stage of my life APEX has helped me to overcome a lot of barriers. Vicky, 17, looks forward to a brighter future after taking part in the APEX project which motivates young people to achieve positive outcomes. 26 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap

Work with employers so that they continue to support young people to access jobs with high quality training, through apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship pathways. Strengthen joint planning and working with the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership with a view to establishing stronger links between employment skills development and the local economy. Work to influence transport planning in the city to ensure it is shaped to take learning and employment opportunities into account. Priority 2: Raise the aspirations of young people and improve progression in learning through high quality information, advice and guidance services. Our young people need support to make important decisions about their futures. To be able to participate and progress in learning, they need modern and high quality information, advice and guidance. To ensure this is available, over the next three years we will: Ensure the commissioning of Integrated Youth Support Services is aligned with 14 to 19 learning. Fully introduce the National Standards for Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) and the IAG Quality Mark. Extend statutory careers education to 17 and 18 year olds. Fully embed Targeted Youth Support for young people with particular barriers to participation and progression in learning. Improve transition for young adults, particularly vulnerable groups, in partnership with North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership, JobCentre Plus and the new Adult Advancement and Careers Service. Support young people to understand the financial implications of choices they make about their progression in learning. Ensure our information, advice and guidance offer keeps pace with the regeneration of the city and reflects the changing labour market. Priority 3: Increase the range of suitable housing options for young people who have potential housing needs, ensuring we provide early intervention and sustained support. Housing difficulties can have a negative impact on all outcomes. We will work together to ensure our children and young people and their families have a stable, secure and suitable home, with access to a range of housing support when they need it most. To achieve this over the next three years we will: Improve the quality of information and advice available to young people on housing issues so that they do not become homeless. Work with young people and parents to raise awareness about the issues that can lead to homelessness and the impact homelessness can have on a young person. Develop a range of homelessness prevention initiatives to enable young people to remain at their family home longer and that necessary moves are planned for. Establish and promote clear pathways into accommodation so young people can access suitable support and accommodation to meet their needs. Ensure the availability of sustained support to enable young people who have to live away from their family to maintain independent accommodation. Ensure young people play an active role in service development. 27

Strengthen partnerships to prevent and reduce homelessness. Improve our understanding of young people s housing needs to inform decision making. Priority 4: Develop initiatives to reduce the number of children and families living in poverty. Supporting families out of poverty is vital if we are to ensure that children and young people are safe, healthy and reach their full potential now, and later on in life as adults. Actions to reduce child poverty are embedded throughout the plan but more specifically over the next three years we will: Ensure that high quality and relevant training is available to support the return or access to work for potential employees. Ensure that sufficient, high quality and affordable childcare places are available which enable parents to access and attend training and/or employment. Ensure that appropriate information, advice and assistance regarding employment and training opportunities, childcare, benefits, debt and money management is available to parents and carers. Measuring our progress The following are the key performance indicators we will use to measure our progress towards the priorities, set in this section, over the next three years. Indicator NI 79: Achievement of a Level 2 qualification by the age of 19 NI 80: Achievement of a Level 3 qualification by the age of 19 NI 91: Participation of 17 year olds in education or training NI 116: Proportion of children in poverty NI 117: 16 to 18 year olds who are NEET 2009-10 Performance Not yet available (data expected June 2010) Not yet available (data expected June 2010) 2010-11 Target 74% 41% 2011-12 Target established established 2012-13 Target established established 69% 71% 74% 78% 30.5% (2007) established established established 9.8% 9.9% 9.5% 8.8% Supporting plans There are a number of plans and strategies which detail how our priorities and actions will be delivered. These are available through the Trust website at www.stoke.gov.uk/childrenstrust and include: 14-19 Implementation Plan; Integrated Youth Support Services Strategy; and Young People s Housing and Support Needs Implementing Change Group Plan. 28 Integration of services Early intervention and prevention Safeguarding arrangements Resilience and sustainability Narrowing the gap