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Integrating Children's Services

The way that we provide services for children, young people and their families in Knowsley is changing.

We are bringing together all the different agencies and organisations involved in the care, well-being and education of children, young people and their families so that everybody’s efforts can be better co-ordinated. Together, we are working towards a shared vision which will bring about improvements in their lives.

Soon, it will be easier than ever before to get access to a whole range of different services, including health, childcare and support, in one place within local neighbourhoods. Professional workers will be able to share information so that nobody goes without the help and support that they need. And we will be able to protect the most vulnerable of our children and young people as there will be no ‘gaps’ between services.

We have established multi-agency area based Children & Young People’s Partnerships, with the boundaries based on the northern, central and southern areas of Knowsley. These partnerships assist in the smooth working together of staff from a wide range of agencies across the borough.

As part of the programme to integrate services for Children and Young People in Knowsley, a number of major projects and initiatives are underway.

Thirteen Children’s Centres will open at the following school sites from September 2006 :

Kirkby:

• St. Joseph the Worker
• Ravenscroft
• Westvale
• Kirkby C of E
• Overdale

Huyton:

• Beechwood/Longview
• Mosscroft
• St Aloysius

Whiston:

• St Leos /Southmead
• Whiston Willis

Prescot:

• St Mary and St Pauls

Halewood:

• Roseheath/New Hutte
• Holy Family/Mackets

More will open later. The Children’s Centres will build on the existing good work of the local Sure Start programmes. Each one will be different, but a typical range of services or activities on offer will include:

• Childcare
• Health sessions, such as breast- feeding and post-natal support
• Family learning courses
• Childminder network or support group
• Stop smoking support group
• Activities for fathers
• Baby clinic
• Help for new parents

Schools and clusters of schools will begin to offer Extended Services in partnership with outside agencies and organisations from September 2006. These will include:

• Childcare
• Parenting support
• Study support
• Community access to ICT, sports and arts
• Adult learning
• Information and sign-posting

The Information Sharing and Assessment Programme enables children and young people to receive the universal services they are entitled to and any additional services they might need at the earliest opportunity. It includes a ‘Child Index’ which is a list containing basic information about all children and young people resident in Knowsley. Access is restricted to practitioners working with a particular child or young person. The ‘Common Assessment Framework’ is a way of making sure that children, young people and their families receive all of the services to which they are entitled as well as identifying any additional support they may need. It is designed to reduce the number of different assessments that they undergo because information – with their consent – is shared between agencies.

Knowsley is one of 14 local authorities piloting Targeted Youth Support Teams whose aim will be to provide improved, user-friendly services and work directly with individuals and groups of young people who have additional needs. The teams will be multi-agency and features will include:

• Support via a ‘lead professional’
• Effective preventative work for groups of vulnerable young people
• Outreach, support and training for professionals in mainstream and specialist services

This project is currently being piloted in an area of Halewood.

As we move towards this new way of working, children, young people and families are being consulted every step of the way. Through our engagement work with them we have been able to establish priorities for the year ahead. They have asked us to look at issues such as smoking; anti- bullying; anti-racism as well as homelessness, standards of education and future aspirations.

We have produced a Strategic Plan which sets out our priorities for 2006/07 and how we will achieve them. We are also producing a user-friendly version of the plan mainly aimed at children and young people which will be available soon.

In the autumn, the Knowsley Children and Young People’s Partnership will have its own website where you will be able to find out much more about what’s on offer in the borough. There will be separate areas for the various age groups, parents/ carers and practitioners.

In the meantime, you can access our directory of services by visiting the help4me.info website (see related links below)

We welcome your views on the Strategic Plan or any of the issues around integrating of services for children and young people in Knowsley. You can contact us with your views using the details below.

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