The government’s response to the Laming inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié will form part of the forthcoming Green Paper on children’s services. The Green Paper was announced last October but is not now expected before April.
Laming made more than 100 recommendations in his report, including proposals for a new national agency for children and families in England within the next two years. This would advise a children and families board at the heart of government to be chaired by a Cabinet minister.
Within the next six months Laming proposes local management boards for children and families to replace area child protection committees. The changes are designed to create a clear line of accountability for protecting children.
Meanwhile, new guidance inviting agencies to apply to become children’s trust pilots has been published. Children’s trusts aim to bring together services working with children within one organisational structure, and could provide as well as commission services. They will be led by, and form part of, local authorities, and will use the powers of the Health Act 1999 to pool budgets between local authorities and health trusts.
But one objective is to find new ways to enlist the community, private and voluntary sectors in providing services, according to the guidance. They will be expected to be a vehicle for delivering local preventive strategies that all local authorities must have in place by April 2003.
Selected pilots will get between £60,000 and £100,000 a year for "pump-priming". Pilots will run for three years.
- More information at www.doh.gov.uk/childrenstrusts/