Every Child Matters

The Children Act 2004 was introduced following the tragic death of Victoria Climbie and the public enquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death. The inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, found massive failings on the part of as many as twelve agencies with a role to play in protecting children. It led to recommendations for a radical reform of services, particularly in the areas of better joined up working and information sharing.

For further information download the Victoria Climbie Enquiry Report Crown Copyright 2003.

The Children Act 2004 formed the government’s legislative response and provided the legal basis for the whole-scale reform of services for children and young people which we see today. It provides a national framework for the Every Child Matters: Change for Children Progamme - local change programmes which aim to maximise opportunities and minimise risks for children and young people. Workforce reform and development in the sector underpins the entire change for children and young people agenda.

Key components of the ECM Programme include:

1.) services are to be planned around children’s and young people’s needs and the improvement of the five key outcomes which contribute to their well-being: be healthy, stay safe, enjoy & achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being;

2.) a duty on local authorities to make arrangements to ensure co-operation between statutory agencies (e.g. education, social services, health, police) and other bodies such as the voluntary & community and private sectors. This duty is to be delivered by the establishment of ‘Children’s Trusts’ in every local authority area and is to be led by the local authority with the aim of improving integrated working, including joint planning and delivery of services to all children and young people in its area;

3.) Children’s Trusts are to produce a single Children & Young People’s Plan (CYPP) which replaces all previous separate service plans;

4.) A duty on key agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, including establishment of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB);

5.) A duty to set up indexes or databases containing basic information about children & young people to enable better information sharing between workers across the children and young people’s sector.

Useful Links:
National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO): Glossary Every Child Matters: Change for Children agenda - available to download from NCVCCO. Alternatively contact Jordan Thompson on 0207 833 3319. 

For all policies, strategies and debate about the ECM and Youth Matters agendas, access the DCSF website >> Every Child Matters

Examples of publications to refer to:
Change for Children - published in 2004
Working with Voluntary & Community Organisations to deliver Change for Children and Young People - published in 2004

All publications are free and available from the DCSF. Can be ordered via telephone on Orderline: 0845 6022260. They may also be downloaded from the publications page of ECM.