News

The recently launched National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services is unlikely to meet its objectives without extra resources, according to a survey by Community Care, writes Derren Hayes.

Around three quarters of the frontline social workers and managers who responded to the web-based survey felt the decision by the government to fund the implementation of the NSF out of existing children and family budgets made it unlikely to succeed.

Some of the NSF’s measures include duties on health and social services departments to provide greater support for children and families facing homelessness, substance misuse and mental health problems.

More than two thirds of respondents were also critical of the government’s decision not to set more specific targets for implementing any aspect of the children’s NSF, as has been done with earlier ones. Only 8 per cent said the 10 year timescale for its introduction was a good thing.

On a more positive note, three quarters of respondents felt the NSF would to break down barriers between health, education and social care workers to a great or some extent, with a similar proportion believing this would also help all agencies give a greater priority to children’s issues in their work.

More than half of respondents were concerned that the decision to allow local authorities, health services and schools to implement the NSF at a local level would lead to inconsistent implementation across the country, which could in turn lead to a post-code lottery of service provision. Just over a quarter, however, felt this would enable services to be more responsive to local circumstances.