Health and Wellbeing Board	24 January 2024
Report of the Corporate Director of Children and Education

Children and Young People’s Plan

Summary

1. This report presents a new Children and Young People's Plan (2024-2027). The Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) represents the overarching strategic plan for all partners working in the city. It sets our shared ambition and priorities for children and young people in the city. As a partnership document the work of all agencies should be informed by vision and priorities contained within the CYPP.

2. In developing our Children and Young People’s Plan we drew together key messages from children and young people from across the city. In addition, we reviewed existing strategic plans and reviewed relevant data to help inform the creation of a vision and set of shared priorities.

3. The plan sets out a shared strategic vision for children and young people. Our vision is that:

a. All children and young people get the best start in life, are happy and healthy, stay safe and develop the skills and relationships they need to thrive into adulthood.

4. The Plan draw focus to four high-level priorities for all partners working with children and young people. The four priorities are that all children and young people:

a. Have the Best Start in Life

b. Are Happy and Healthy

c. Stay Safe

d. Are Ready for the Future

Background

5. The development of a Children and Young People's Plan was originally a requirement of the Children Act 2004. This placed a responsibility on partners to work together to improve the well-being of children in their area. Whilst it is no longer a statutory responsibility to produce a Children and Young People's Plan, York has agreed it is helpful in ensuring partners work together on key priorities for the city.

6. The Children and Young People's Plan belongs to the city. It spans across our entire strategic landscape for children and young people and should influence our work at all levels. The coordination of the partners delivering the Children and Young People's Plan sits with the City of York Safeguarding Children's Partnership (CYSCP) and will reach across other relevant strategic partnerships in our city.

7. In 2023 a multi-agency task and finish group came together to help develop the new Children and Young People's Plan. The task and finish group:

a. Reviewed existing strategic plans across the city.

b. Reviewed existing data from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and other sources.

c. Reviewed existing messages from children and young people.

d. Piloted the use of a co-production toolkit with children and young people.

8. During the development of the Children and Young People's Plan the task and finish group engaged the then Children and Young People's Programme Board that reported to the Health and Well-Being Board along with the City of York Safeguarding Partnership (CYSCP).

9. In September 2023 the CYSCP reviewed the proposed plan. The partnership agreed their commitment to the new Children and Young People's Plan. This is reflected in the foreword provided by key strategic leads in the city.

10. The Children and Young People's Plan is provided in Annex A. The plan covers the period 2024 - 2027.

11. The City of York Safeguarding Children Partnership will coordinate the work of partners and review what difference we are making through our Children and Young People's Plan. To understand what difference the plan is making the partnership will bring together intelligence from three different sources:

a. What children, young people and families tell us
We will draw together messages from children, young people and families about their experience of living and growing up in York and use this to understand what difference is being made in people's lives.

b. What our data tells us
A scorecard of data indicators has been agreed to help us understand if we are making a difference.  This is provided in Annex B. This data will provide valuable insight but the partnership must analyse and understand the story behind the data by triangulating it with what families say and system assurance from partners.

c. System Assurance
We will check and challenge partners to demonstrate the work they have done to deliver the Children and Young People's Plan and what they understand to be the difference they have made.

12. The safeguarding partnership will use its annual reporting cycle to demonstrate the progress in implementing the plan and its impact for children and young people.

Main/Key Issues to be Considered

13. The Children and Young People’s Plan is a partnership plan that spans across the strategic landscape. The Children and Young People’s Plan is being presented to the Health and Well-being Board for endorsement and to seek views on its implementation.  

14. The Children and Young People's Plan is listed in the council's constitution as one of the partnership and community plans requiring agreement at Executive. The Children and Young People’s Plan is being shared with the Executive in February 2024.

Consultation

15. York has made a commitment to involve children and young people in the development and delivery of services.

16. In developing our Children and Young People's Plan we drew together key messages from children and young people through different forums. These are summarised below:

a. 2023 Co-Production and Joint Partnership with children, young people and families

b. 2023 Annual Show Me That I Matter and I Still Matter reports

c. 2023 Annual Advocacy Report

d. 2023 UMatter Report

e. 2023 City of York Safeguarding Children's Partnership Development Day

f. 2023 York Youth Council

g. Access4All

h. 2022 Public Health Survey

i. 2021 Voice and Involvement Strategy Evaluation

j. 2021 York Human Rights Indicator Report

17. To support the development of the Children and Young People's Plan a children's rights co-production toolkit was developed. The toolkit raises awareness of children's rights and helped children and young people explore priorities in the context of children's rights. The feedback gathered through these sessions have added to existing messages from young people.

18. In Autumn 2023 the Children's Rights Co-Production toolkit was launched to support all partners engage children and young people understand their rights. The toolkit uses and Appreciative Inquiry approach to introduce the concept of children's rights and support services to work with young people to agree how to better meet children's needs. The toolkit is available through the safeguarding partnership website (www.saferchildrenyork.org.uk/safeguarding-information/childs-lived-experience).   

Options    

19. The Children and Young People’s Plan is presented to the Health and Well-being Board for endorsement and to seek views on its implementation.

Strategic/Operational Plans

20. One City, for all, the City of York Council's Council Plan (2023-2027), sets a strong ambition to increase opportunities for everyone living in York to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Specific areas relating to this paper are:

a. 4. Start good health and wellbeing young:

i. 4.3. Continue our improvement journey to deliver good and outstanding children's services with the voice of the child heard throughout all council operations.

21. Given its nature the CYPP also has strong links to other local strategies including:

a. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy

b. The York Economic Strategy

c. The Climate Change Strategy

Implications

22. It is important that the priorities in relation to the new Children and Young People’s Plan are delivered. The CYSCP will provide strategic oversight of implementation of the plan on behalf of the city. Partners will be asked to provide assurance that appropriate mechanisms are in place for delivery and report on progress.

Recommendations

23. The Health and Well-being Board is asked for its endorsement of the new Children and Young People’s Plan and to provide views on its implementation.

Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
Niall McVicar Head of Innovation and Children’s Champion	Martin Kelly Corporate Director of Children and Education
	Report Approved	ü	Date	13 December 2023
Wards Affected:  List wards or tick box to indicate all				All	ü
For further information please contact the author of the report

Background Papers:

Annexes

Annex A – Children and Young People’s Plan

Annex B – Children and Young People’s Plan Scorecard

Annex C – Children and Young People’s Plan Equality Impact Assessment

Glossary

CYPP – Children and Young People's Plan

CYSCP – City of York Safeguarding Children’s Partnership