The Child Minder

I had assumed that the new campaign launched by Barnardo's today to raise awareness about the number of young people caring for a parent or sibling at home was largely about raising public understanding and support for this group of children.

But the survey of teachers commissioned to support the research suggests there is still a long way to go with them first! Although nine out of 10 teachers express concern that young carers might be falling through the net, half have no idea whether the young carers they teach are known to other teachers or the wider management team. And a quarter don't know if they have been identified by social services.

What does this say about joint-working and information-sharing in the real world? If teachers are concerned, why aren't they involving the school counsellor or nurse, or speaking to the child's family about getting help from social services?

The Local Government Association and other campaigners have finally achieved what they have been trying to achieve ever since the Every Child Matters green paper was published in 2003: they have persuaded the government to apply pressure on schools to focus on pupils' general well-being rather than just their educational success.

During the final stages of the Education and Inspections Bill's journey through the House of Lords before it returns to the House of Commons for rubber-stamping, the government gave into demands to place a duty on school governing bodies to promote pupils' well-being. This means schools will have to help improve pupils' emotional, mental, physical and social well-being, protect them from harm and abuse, and encourage them to make a positive contribution to society as well as helping them to learn and achieve.

The only detraction from this positive development is that the new duty will only apply to maintained schools, thereby excluding Academies and City Technology Colleges.
The Department for Education and Skills insists that conditions underpinning the funding agreements between these new-style schools and the education secretary will guarantee the same outcomes.

I remain to be convinced. And I am not alone.

Those directors of children's services and lead members who made it to the first session of the morning after the night before (the carnival-themed conference 'disco') were well rewarded. Tom Jeffery, director general for children, young people and families and Ralph Tabberer, director general of schools, gave a convincing double act as the united front of the Department for Education and Skills.

Importantly, they acknowledged the mixed messages that have been coming out of the department in relation to the two agendas of schools standards and Every Child Matters and promised an end to the ambiguity.

"No more educational standards without Every Child Matters, no more Every Child Matters without standards," Jeffrey said.

However, neither were able to give a satisfactory answer to the question of how academies will be forced in the future to take their share of children in care. This issue looks set to rumble on for a while longer yet.