Children's services consultation launched
Thursday, February 10 2005
The first integrated children and young people's services plan for the Borders.
The Children's Change Group has today (9th February) issued its consultation draft on the development of an integrated children's services plan for the Borders. The Children's Change Group comprises representatives from SBC's Education & Lifelong Learning Department, Social Work, NHS Borders, Lothian & Borders Police, the Children's Reporter and representatives from voluntary sector partners.
This plan will affect all children in the Borders.
There are many services provided to children and young people in Scottish Borders. Much of what we do is already good and successful, but we need to improve services so they are better co-ordinated and more accessible to all children and families. Children and young people have all sorts of needs. Sometimes they need help and support and sometimes they need protection. They always need enjoyment and entertainment.
Children and young people are the future and growing up should be fun.
We need to make sure that we can provide what children and young people require, in a way that makes sense for them and their families.
The plan covers the next three years and sets challenging objectives for improving services.
It is intended to be a dynamic plan - it will change if children and young people tell us that we have got it wrong, or where circumstances or the law changes.
Integrated plans are not an end in themselves, but form part of the process for ensuring the effective delivery of integrated services. This draft is the next development of work undertaken by the Change Group over the past year, which has included the publication of Bright New Futures.
Timescales for the submission of the first Plan are extremely tight and the deadline for responses on this first draft is 11th March 2005.
Looking beyond this deadline, the Children's Change Group will ensure that ongoing communication and dialogue with key stakeholders develops over a period of time. Much of this will be accomplished through the locality approach to integrated services
In the meantime the Change Group would appreciate initial thoughts and views on the draft plan.
You can download the consultation document and a response form.
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