Staffordshire Children's Trust A practitioners' guide DVD script

							Staffordshire Children’s Trust: A practitioners’ guide

DVD script


If you work with children in Staffordshire, you may of heard of the Children’s
Trust. You might of visited their website, been to a conference or event, or
you may have read its regular newsletter, the Acorn.

Why should you be interested in the Children’s Trust? How does it affect your
day to day work? And why should you get involved in the consultation?


What is a Children’s Trust?

Children’s Trusts were set up by the government to ensure that all agencies
who work with children and young people in the area are working together.

A Children’s trust is a partnership between those who decide and buy
effective services, and service providers for children, young people and their
families. It plans services, looks where improvements need to be made in
their area, and works together to make those improvements. Every
organisation that works with children has a duty to work with their own local
children’s trust and focus on improving the lives of children and young people.


What is the Staffordshire Children’s Trust?

In Staffordshire there is a Children’s Trust Board at a County level.

It is chaired by the county council’s cabinet member for children and young
people and members are drawn from the County Council, local district and
borough councils, the National Health Service, Connexions, the Police, the
voluntary sector and education. Staffordshire has a Children’s Commissioner
and Commissioner for Parents who also sit on the Board. Their role is to
ensure we are aware of the issues that affect the lives of children, young
people, their parents and carers, and that these views influence service
design and delivery.

A small team supports the Trust Board

In each of the eight district areas there is a District Children’s Trust Board,
which is made up of representatives of partners who work in that area.

Community and learning partnerships work at a very local level, buying and
delivering services which are needed in the area.

We also have a series of Shadow Trust Boards, both at county and district
level. These are representatives of children and young people who live in the
area. Who make the County and District’s Children’s Trust Boards make
decisions by letting then know what they and other children and young people
think about the work of the Trust.


Children and Young People’s Plan

The plan sets out the priorities that the Trust members are going to work on
together to improve the health and well-being of children and young people. It
is based on considerable local research about which areas have the greatest
need, and on what the public and service users are telling us.

The plan runs for three years but each year we submit an update to
government, to let them know how we are getting on.

It is a very broad ranging plan, covering the five Every Child Matters
outcomes, Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive
Contribution and Achieve Economic Well-being. It links to other major county
plans as well as the plans and targets for individual services and teams. Each
partner takes a lead on some of the outcomes, but we can only achieve better
outcomes by all working together.


Why we need stakeholders’ views?

The Children’s Trust can’t make changes without asking for the views of
children, young people and their families and those who work with them
about what will work and what won’t. That’s why your views are really
important if we are going to make a difference to children in Staffordshire.

Your work and the work of your colleagues is at the heart of the children’s
trust. The improvements to children’s lives is only possible because of your
work every day. That’s why your views are so important.

You are the Children’s Trust.




Key
Titles in bold appear on the DVD and are not read out by the narrator.