24th May

Government Announces £6.2 Billion Of Savings in 2010/11
As part of its £6.2 savings the Government announced today that it would save £320m from reducing and then stopping government contributions to the Child Trust Fund. The Government intends to introduce legislation to scale back payments from August this year and then stop payments from 1 Jan 2011. Payments to disabled children due this year will be made, and the Government will ensure that the funding allocated for these payments in future years will be redirected to other forms of support for disabled children.

Also, Sure Start would be protected from any in year spending cuts, however, there will need to be efficiency savings which can be recycled within the Sure Start budget.

source: HM Treasury Press Notice

20th May

Sure Start To Focus On Neediest Families, As Tories Win Key Coalition Battle
Sure Start centres will be scaled back to cater for only the neediest families, the coalition's programme of government has revealed .

In a battle of wills, the Tories have triumphed over the Liberal Democrats' preference for a universal Sure Start service and the government has now pledged that it will, "take Sure Start back to its original purpose of early intervention, increase its focus on the neediest families and better involve organisations with a track record of supporting families."

The news has been met with disapproval from the early years sector, with professionals arguing that Sure Start is proven to benefit all families.

Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said: "It is important that government has recognised Sure Start Children's Centres as a primary means of support for children and families. While, of course, it is right that Sure Start should prioritise targeting the most vulnerable families in any community, the support that children's centres provide is crucial for all families regardless of their social background.

Last week Helen Donohoe, director of public policy at Action for Children, said the evidence that Sure Start centres benefits all families should speak for itself.

"Sure Start children's centres have a track record of having a positive impact," she said.

The government has also said that it will investigate ways of ensuring that providers are paid in part by the results they achieve, a policy which lies at the heart of the Tory vision to streamline services through competitive incentives.  

Longfield agreed with the pledge. "We know that children's centres change lives and will work with government to ensure that payment by results recognises the great work the best centres do and incentivises innovation and best practice," she said.

source: Emily Watson, Children & Young People Now

19th May

Teach First Founder To Advise Government's Big Society Programme
The founder of the Teach First movement Nat Wei has been appointed as an adviser on the government's Big Society programme and has also been made a member of the House of Lords.

Wei will work alongside civil society minister Nick Hurd, to lead on the delivery of the flagship Conservative programme that was set out today by Prime Minister David Cameron.

As well as co-founding Teach First, a charity that identifies and trains top graduates to move to a career in teaching, Wei founded the social reform charity the Shaftesbury partnership, which was central in forming The Challenge, the prototype used by the Conservative's National Citizen Service scheme.

The Big Society programme paves the way for policies including the citizen service for 16-year-olds and support for more charity involvement in the running of public services.

Commenting on the programme, Cameron said: "Today is the start of a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people.

"That's because we know instinctively that the state is often too inhuman, monolithic and clumsy to tackle our deepest social problems."

Supporting the proposals, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "We need radical change that puts power back in the hands of people. Only by bringing down vested interests and giving people real control over their lives will we build a Britain that is fair."

Earlier this year, CYP Now reported that Wei was a key personality likely to shape children's and youth policy under a Conservative-led government.

The Big Society policies include:

• Training a new generation of community organisers who will support the establishment of neighbourhood groups
• Giving communities a greater say over their local planning system
• Encouraging volunteering and involvement in social action, including launching a national Big Society Day
• Piloting the National Citizen Service, which aims to give teenagers from different backgrounds the chance to take part in a two-month summer programme including community involvement
• Supporting mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises to have greater involvement in the running of public services
• Funds from dormant bank accounts being channelled to a Big Society Bank, which will provide finance for neighbourhood groups, charities and social enterprises
• Increasing access to government-held data through a "new right to data" for citizens to ensure Government data is published. The police will be obliged to publish monthly crime statistics
• Extending powers for local government and conducting a comprehensive review of local government finance to help remove restrictions that limit the work of local councils

source: Janaki Mahadevan, Children & Young People Now

18th May

Frontline Services At Risk As New Ministers Seek To Identify Cuts
Impending cuts are certain to damage frontline children's services and lead to job losses, sector leaders have warned.

The heightened concerns come as the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government confirmed the ministerial line-up at the new Department for Education, which oversees children's and young people's services. Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather was a surprise appointment to the post of minister for children and families.

CYP Now understands that a significant proportion of cuts may fall on youth services, as Education Secretary Michael Gove has outlined his priorities elsewhere. But all children's services are facing budget cuts under the coalition's plans to slash £6bn in public spending this year.

Sir Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, and vice-chair of the Children's Inter-Agency Group, said the cuts would cause "real pain" to frontline services.

"We will lose some services that we really valued. But we have to find a way to help the government achieve their reductions with the least possible damage," he said.

Ennals said the reforms of the Every Child Matters agenda should remain, arguing that integrated services save money by reducing duplication. "Integrated services are not the problem," he said. "They are actually part of the solution to the cuts."

John Chowcat, general secretary of children's services union, Aspect added: "Our main concern is the £6bn cuts. There will be big implications and it will impact on jobs."

He warned that councils are already facing a drive to slim down managerial posts in children's services. "Some really crucial expertise is being lost. Services face a bleaker future," he said.

The government has pledged to protect frontline services, but Haroon Chowdry, senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned that the definition of "frontline" could be open to interpretation.

"It's not inconceivable that what is counted as a frontline service by Michael Gove might be defined by his priorities, which are teaching and learning."

Chowdry warned that bigger spending cuts are imminent: "The big worry is a rumour that the Treasury is considering 15 per cent cuts across unprotected government departments."

Marion Davis, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said professionals are acutely aware of the difficult financial climate. But she added: "We are committed to working with the new government."

TARGETS FOR EARLY CUTS

• ContactPoint database, expected to cost more than £40m to run annually, set to be scrapped as part of a "great repeal" bill
• Child Trust funds and tax credits to be means-tested for higher earners
• £60bn Building Schools for the Future programme likely to be scaled back or stopped altogether
• The nine English regional government offices likely to be abolished
• Large number of quangos, including Ofsted and Ofqual, could be merged or scrapped altogether
• Labour's costly plans to raise the participation age to 18 by 2015 could be dropped

source: Lauren Higgs, Children & Young People Now

Government Puts Work Of Children's Sector Bodies On Hold
The new Department for Education has called a moratorium on the work of all government quangos and arm's length bodies in the children and young people's sector.

In an email seen exclusively by CYP Now, David Bell, the top civil servant at the department, instructs agencies including Cafcass, the Youth Justice Board and Ofsted not to make any announcements, sign contracts or publish policy or corporate documents until the new government ministers have settled on their "priorities".

The email states: "In the coming weeks, new ministers will consider how they will take forward their priorities and are not currently considering submissions or accepting advice which has not been requested. During this period, the department and its arm's length bodies should not make any significant annoucements, sign new or extended contracts or publish policy or corporate documents without agreement from the new ministers."

Other agencies affected by the freeze of business include the Training and Development Agency for Schools, the Children's Workforce Development Council, 11 Million, the National College for Leadership in Schools and Children's Services, Partnerships for Schools, the Young People's Learning Agency, Becta and the School Food Trust.

The email adds that if an agency has something "critical" to do over the coming weeks, then the matter may be brought up with the department. But these requests are expected to "be very much the exception".

source: Lauren Higgs, Children & Young People Now

Sector Backs Lib Dem Sure Start Plans
Sector leaders are urging the Conservatives to back Liberal Democrat policies on Sure Start, so middle-class families are not denied access to children's centres under the coalition government.

The Conservatives pledged to refocus Sure Start to cater for the neediest families before the election, but the Liberal Democrats back an open-to-all approach.

The parties also differ in their views on Sure Start outreach workers, with the Lib Dems' commitment to extending the service at odds with the Tories' plans to partly substitute workers with 4,200 health visitors.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said additional health services in children's centres would be welcome, but not at the expense of wider support.

"We are convinced that children's centres need to remain universal as the most effective way of supporting families who need them," she said.

Rhian Beynon, head of policy and campaigns at charity Family Action, added: "Children's centres are important, not only in supporting children's development but also the support that parent participation in the centres provides, which applies to all families."

Helen Donohoe, director of public policy at Action for Children, said the evidence that Sure Start centres benefits all families should speak for itself.

"Sure Start children's centres have a track record of having a positive impact," she said. "They are a proven tool in early intervention."

The Department for Education was unable to comment on the future of Sure Start services as CYP Now went to press.

source: Emily Watson, Children & Young People Now

17th May

Toy Buggies Withdrawn Over Safety
Two types of toy buggy have been removed from the shelves of some British stores after their manufacturer said they they posed a serious risk of injury to children.

Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre have withdrawn the Push Around and Whisper Ride buggies from sale after US company Step2 announced a voluntary recall of the products.

According to the firm, the handle can become detached from the buggy if a pin attached to a knob on the handle loosens.

It said in a statement: "This poses a serious risk of injury to young children."

No injuries have been reported in the UK, it added, but elsewhere the firm has received 28 reports of the handle detaching, two incidents requiring medical treatment and 26 resulting in minor scrapes and scratches.

"Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed and contact Step2 for a free repair kit," the company said.

A spokeswoman for Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre said: "Due to the concerns raised in the US over the safety of Step2 red and pink Push Around toy buggy sold at Early Learning Centre and the blue Whisper Ride toy buggy sold at Mothercare, we have decided to remove these products from sale pending further information from Step2.

"At Mothercare and Early Learning Centre product safety is our highest priority and this action has been taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers."

Both buggies are ride-on toys that come in a variety of colours and have a red Step2 logo on the handle.

The safety concerns do not apply to the newer design of the buggies on which the handle attaches with a bolt and screw.

source: Press Association, Yahoo

14th May

Break-up Of DCSF Draws Criticism From Profession
The Tory-Lib Dem government's decision to rename the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) has proved unpopular among children's professionals, as the sector speculates on its implications for a restructuring of children's services.

It is not yet clear what the function of the newly-created Department for Education will be and which parts of the former DCSF are to be re-located to other departments or scrapped all-together.

YoungMinds director of policy and campaigns Lucie Russell was sceptical about the changes that the new government is making. "Disbanding the DCSF would be a big mistake. Labour put a lot of things in place that work really well, so we would question whether replacing these things and starting all over again would be the best option."

Terina Keene, chief executive of the charity Railway Children, warned that the rebranding of the department signals a backward step in government support for prevention and early intervention. "Childhood is tough enough in the UK, but for many homeless children, who have become society's great ignored, the only way to escape their complex problems is via hard drugs and alcohol," she said.

"The link between substance abuse, prostitution, poor mental health, anti-social behaviour and low educational attainment is well documented. Focusing on education alone will not help this invisible group of children break this toxic chain of harm."

Early Education chief executive Megan Pacey said that name-changes could point to structural changes too, something which she said would be a cause for concern. "It remains to be seen whether the department name change is symptomatic of more fundamental change in focus and responsibility.  To date, in setting out his stall, the Secretary of State has made reference only to schools."

Daycare Trust chief executive Alison Garnham said that the question marks hanging over the sector need to be answered quickly. "The policy direction that this Lib-Con coalition will take is not yet crystal clear. Policies on issues such as the shape of the new department and whether this will continue to take in both early years and education, as well as the future of the free entitlement and Sure Start Children's Centres, must be clarified immediately."

Pacey also highlighted the administrative problems caused by a sudden name-change of the department. "At this stage, the change in name amounts to an inconvenience. References to the previously named Department for Children, Schools and Families will need to be updated in materials and web links will need to be amended to ensure that our members can continue to access all legislation and statutory guidance," she added.  

The sector is now waiting with bated breath until the true role and substance of the Department of Education is revealed.

source: Emily Watson, Children & Young People Now

13th May

Gove Sets Out His Stall In New Department For Education
The Education Secretary Michael Gove has set out his stall to civil servants working in the newly created Department for Education.

In an introductory letter to his staff, Gove told workers that the Tory-Lib Dem coalition marks "a new era for our education system".

"To help us achieve the radical reforms that we will need, I want to refocus the Department on its core purpose of supporting teaching and learning. So I am delighted that we have acted immediately to create a new Department for Education," he said.

"School reform will be our priority but schools only succeed when society is strong, which is why we will also strengthen and reform children's services."

Gove added that he would bring forward legislation on school reforms in the next month.

"In the weeks ahead, I want us to offer all schools the chance to enjoy academy-style freedoms so that heads and teachers across the country can be liberated," he explained.

"We will also work to allow charities, parents and teachers' groups to open a new generation of small schools with smaller class sizes; introduce a new pupil premium which will ensure more funding is targeted to the most deprived pupils; give schools greater freedom over the curriculum; radically reform our exam system so that all schools can offer a wider range of qualifications; and support our great teachers by giving them more powers to ensure higher standards of discipline."

Gove admitted that his plans would be set "against the backdrop of a far tighter fiscal climate", but he promised "an exciting journey ahead".

source: Lauren Higgs, Children & Young People Now

12th May

Michael Gove Named As Children's Secretary As DCSF Lives On
Michael Gove has been confirmed as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

He will head the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which is now expected to remain in place.
 
According to informed sources, the Conservatives decided against initial plans to break up the department after vigorous campaigning from figures in the children's sector.

Moreover, civil servants at the DCSF have not been briefed that there will be significant changes to the structure of the department.
 
Sources said the line-up of the "second tier" of ministers under Michael Gove would be a crucial indicator about the overall direction children's policy will take.
 
With the Lib Dems expected to be assigned around 20 ministerial posts in the coalition government, Lib Dem children's spokeswoman Annette Brooke could be in line for a role at the DCSF.
 
It is unclear whether hitherto Tory schools spokesman Nick Gibb, children's spokesman Tim Loughton and families spokeswoman Maria Miller, will have a role at the DCSF or in government at all.
 
Liberal Democrat David Laws, who had been strongly linked with the Schools Secretary post overnight, has been made Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Tory chancellor George Osborne.
 
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, founder of the Centre for Social Justice think tank that has informed much of Tory families policy, has been confirmed as Work and Pensions Secretary.

source: Ravi Chandiramani, Children & Young People Now

Tory-Lib Dem Coalition Government Brings Forward Cuts
Britain's first coalition government since the Second World War will fast-track £6bn of cuts to come in the current financial year in order to cut the public deficit.

The move, proposed by the Tories in the election campaign, and compromised upon by the Liberal Democrats, will raise inevitable concerns that cuts will hit frontline children's services despite politicians' assurances and claims that savings will target "back office" functions.  

The Liberal Democrats have secured five Cabinet posts in the historic Tory-Lib Dem coalition government under Prime Minister David Cameron -- including their leader Nick Clegg in the post of Deputy Prime Minister -- and up to 20 government ministerial posts in total.

Among their Cabinet members, the Lib Dems' principal spokesman for children David Laws -- a key figure in the parties' negotiations to form the coalition -- has been strongly linked with becoming Schools Secretary, prompting speculation that the Tories' hitherto chief schools spokesman Michael Gove would become Home Secretary.  

It is unclear whether the Department for Children, Schools and Families will remain in its current form or exactly what shape other Whitehall departments will take.

Andrew Lansley has been confirmed as Health Secretary and George Osborne as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

On specific areas of policy, the coalition has agreed to bring in the pupil premium to benefit disadavantaged children, a commitment in both parties' manifestos, but more comprehensively backed by the Lib Dems. Tory plans for state-funded schools to be allowed to be free from local authority control also remain intact.  

Child poverty campaigners will take satisfaction that the Lib Dems have secured their wish to raise the income tax threshold to £10,000, which will be phased in over the lifetime of this parliament. This would take more families out of paying income tax althogether. The planned rise in national insurance contributions will also be scrapped, as had been proposed by the Tories.

But the Lib Dems have negotiated an opt-out on the Conservatives' plans to recognise marriage in the tax system, meaning their MPs will abstain on the issue in parliament, making it more difficult for the Tories to enact.

There will also be a wide-ranging repeal bill, being dubbed as a "freedom bill", to scrap a raft of civil liberties and criminal justice legislation brought in by Labour.  

In his maiden speech as Prime Minister amid a throng of assembled media outside 10 Downing Street yesterday evening, Cameron said the government would be "built on the values of freedom, fairness and responsibility."

Addressing his party at 12.40am on Wednesday, Clegg pledged to bring about a "fairer start for every child in this country ... fairness is at the heart of everything we do."

The coalition will need to finalise details of its legislative programme in time for the Queen's Speech on 25 May. An emergency budget is also expected within 50 days.

Details of other ministerial postholders are yet to be confirmed. What role Tory children's spokesman Tim Loughton, families spokeswoman Maria Miller or former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith might or might not play in the coalition government should become clear later in the day.

Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister and Labour leader earlier yesterday evening after coalition talks between the Lib Dems and Labour -- and involving then-Children's Secretary Ed Balls -- collapsed.

source: Ravi Chandiramani, Children & Young People Now

7th May

Sector Fears Hung Parliament Inaction Could Harm Services
Organisations across the children's sector are today coming to terms with the implications of a hung parliament after the general election failed to give any single party a clear majority.

Following a night of drama, the Conservatives ended with the most parliamentary seats with Labour suffering heavy losses and the Liberal Democrats doing worse than expected.

The result has led to concerns that a hung parliament could have a negative impact on services for children and young people.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said there could be issues around funding decisions as many programmes currently in place come to an end in 2011. "If you look at funding for schools or other funding programmes, there is a need for early decisions and early planning. A lot of that is happening locally now but I'm not sure that is the case nationally.

"It gets more difficult the longer it's left — there needs to be good engagement centrally in some of those decisions before the summer."

Joyce Moseley, chief executive of crime reduction charity Catch22, said she has concerns a hung parliament could lead to inaction: "We know there are going to be public spending cuts but the longer local authorities and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) have to wait to know the frameworks they have got work in, I think the more knee-jerk reactions there will be."

Elaine Hindal, director of the Children's Society's campaign for childhood, said it is vital for children's services that there is a smooth transition to whoever takes power.

"Whatever the make-up of the new government, they must put the interests of children first when formulating policy," she said.

"The Children's Society hopes that the next government will take a look at the current safeguarding system, to make sure the services it delivers take into account the direct experience of each child. Disabled children and younger children are particularly at risk of having their wishes and feelings ignored or unrepresented when critical decisions are made about them.

"Disabled children can be extremely vulnerable and rely on adults generally, and professionals specifically, to see, hear and protect them," Hindal added.

source: Neil Puffett, Children & Young People Now

5th May

Parties Respond To CRAE Questions On Children's Rights
Details of the main political parties' views on children's rights have emerged after a set of questions was posed by the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE).

CRAE wrote to the children's leaders for each party in an attempt to find out how the next government will work for children in England.

Labour's Ed Balls and the Liberal Democrat's David Laws both answered all six of the questions, although the Conservative's Michael Gove declined to do so, directing CRAE to his party's manifesto.

Both Balls and Laws said they would champion the importance of listening to children and taking into account their views.

The pair also agreed that government should promote positive images of children, have a senior minister responsible for leading on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and publish a plan for children's rights.

They differed as to whether government departments should have to consider children's rights when making law or policy affecting children and whether there should be children's rights training for all those working with children.

Laws answered yes to both, while Balls argued that both steps are unnecessary. 

Carolyne Willow, CRAE's national coordinator, said: "England's 11 million children have no vote, yet whoever forms the next government takes on legal obligations to these children under the UNCRC.

"The UN has repeatedly criticised the UK's children's rights record, from the early 1990s onwards.

"CRAE's questions were designed to show adult voters how the three main parties measure up on children's rights. Whoever holds the keys to Downing Street after 6 May, these human rights commitments must be followed."

source: Neil Puffett, Children & Young People Now

4th May

Play England Loses Lottery Funding
The future of Play England has been thrown into doubt after the Big Lottery Fund confirmed it will not renew its funding for the organisation after March next year.

Play England was created to support local authorities to deliver more play opportunities. It was awarded  £15m of lottery funding in 2006, as part of a £155m Children's Play initiative to increase the number of community play projects across the country.

Play England had been hopeful of securing further funding from the Big Lottery Fund beyond March 2011, when the current funding dries up. But at a meeting with the Play England council last week, director Adrian Voce told members no more money would be committed to the Children's Play initiative by the lottery fund.  

Despite the news, Voce remained optimistic. "The Play England council has adopted an exciting new strategy and we are actively seeking funds from a variety of sources to support play from April 2011," he told CYP Now.

A Big Lottery Fund spokesman said: "While the fund recognises the invaluable contribution Play England has made to the sector, the fund has limited resources and has to make some tough decisions in terms of prioritising need."

Play England is also contracted by central government to help deliver its Play Strategy, supporting local authorities in refurbishing and developing 3,500 play areas by next March.

Ute Navidi, chief executive of London Play, said the news was "devastating".

"Play England has gone beyond all expectations in putting play firmly on the national agenda," she said. "Its impact has been immeasurable and we will continue to support it in the years to come."

source: Ross Watson, Children & Young People Now

NCMA Voices Concern Over Declining Number Of Registered Childminders
The continual decline in the number of registered childminders does not look like ending, as the latest figures from Ofsted show a drop of more than 900 since the start of the year.

Published yesterday, the figures show there were 56,881 childminders registered by Ofsted at 31 March 2010, compared to 57,798 at 31 December 2009.

A spokesman for the National Childminding Association (NCMA) described the decline as "worrying".

"NCMA will be monitoring the situation closely and will be getting feedback from former childminders as to why they have left the profession. What is encouraging is that, although overall the number of practising childminders is falling, more than 1,600 new childminders have chosen to join the profession this quarter," he added.

The latest figures on inspection outcomes for childcare providers, also published by Ofsted yesterday, show little change. But the NCMA was heartened by figures showing that 70 per cent of providers delivering childcare on domestic premises, where more than four childminders care for children together, are achieving "good" or "outstanding" results.

source: Ross Watson, Children & Young People Now