06 September 2002
In a report issued this week, Tomorrow's children, the Association of Directors of Social Services outlined proposals for local authority-led strategic partnerships, designed to improve the commissioning and delivery of children's services.
The ADSS rejects the need for major structural change to improve child safety, arguing instead for a multi-agency approach that has achieved significant results in some US states. Similar recommendations have been made recently by the Local Government Association.
Both reports come in the wake of the Laming Inquiry into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbié, which has been severely critical of communication breakdowns between social services, health and the police.
The public inquiry, which is due to report in late autumn, has been considering recommendations for a national child protection agency, a national 'child safeguarding board' and other bodies.
Ministers are known to be exploring these and other options against a background of mounting public concern over child safety issues. Chancellor Gordon Brown made it clear in July's Spending Review that 'the government believes there is a case for structural change', and announced plans for new children's trusts to unify services at a local level.
Penny Thompson, co-chair of the ADSS children and families committee, said that child protection issues should not be separated out from other issues. 'We need to look at children's services in the round, and at what works for families and communities. They need to remain under local democratic control.'
Jeni Bremner, education and social policy programme manager at the LGA, agreed that 'structural change is not what's needed, but new forms of governance'.
The Department of Health told Public Finance it welcomed the ADSS paper 'as a contribution to the wider debate over developing multi-agency ways of working'.
Children's trust pilots will be launched towards the end of 2003, but no locations have been decided.
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