Improvement and performance management
In implementing the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme,
there are some areas in which it is appropriate for government to take the
lead: setting the strategic direction and performance management framework,
setting up funding and incentives, giving practical support for training and
sharing of good practice. However, in general, we want to leave maximum scope
for local determination.
The new improvement cycle seeks to bring together central government support
with local planning, commissioning and delivery of services.
Key stages are:
- Assessing needs
- Prioritising conversation with central government partners: discussion of local priorities for central/local agreement and inclusion in the children's block of local area agreements
- Developing and implementing Children and Young People's Plans
- Annual performance assessment of local government children's services
- Joint annual reviews
Where difficulties emerge, support from advisers, peers and, only if
necessary, intervention
In planning changes authorities will want to balance the pace of reform against
the need to maintain ongoing services. Every local area has a different
starting point and different circumstances, so there cannot be a single model
for managing the necessary changes. Each area needs to determine its own
route.
Local areas will want to set their targets and milestones in line with local
need and in the context of national expectations. Some issues will be specific
to each area - others are likely to be common.
Government offices have a key role to play in developing local change
programmes. Through their network of children's groups, government offices
will be able to offer advice on effective targeting of resources and will be
able to ensure good practice is disseminated throughout the region. Government
offices are ideally placed to facilitate the development of wider partnership
arrangements through links with local strategic partnerships.
Where services to children are identified as failing, government partners will
expect to discuss and where possible agree tailored solutions with authorities.
The Children Act 2004 establishes common powers of direction across local
authority education and children's social services, which will only be
invoked where absolutely necessary, in proportion to the extent and nature of
the failure.
This page was last updated on 26 July 2005
