1 Introduction
1. In 2003, the Government launched Every Child
Matters, a comprehensive programme of reform for children's
services with wide-reaching implications for education, health,
social services, voluntary and community organisations, and other
agencies. This was also accompanied by a substantial relocation
of existing children's social care policy work (and associated
funding) from the Department of Health into the Department for
Education and Skills. We therefore thought it timely to conduct
an initial overview inquiry of developments in this area, in line
with our remit to scrutinise all aspects of departmental policy.
2. The Committee announced its inquiry into Every
Child Matters on 21 September 2004, with the following terms
of reference: To undertake a concise overview of the reforms being
proposed for children's services under the banner Every Child
Matters, focusing particularly on issues that were likely
to arise during implementation. We have aimed to gain an understanding
of the broad issues of organisational and professional integration,
information management and the needs of parents and children,
exploring specifically:
- The place of health, social
services and education respectively within integrated services;
- The practical implications of the 'duty to collaborate',
including funding streams and location of staff and facilities;
- Staff and management needs: team-building, leadership
and training;
- Inspection;
- Listening to children; the role of the Children's
Commissioner;
- Working with parents;
- The creation, management and sharing of records,
including electronic databases.
3. During the course of the inquiry we took evidence
from the Rt. Hon Margaret Hodge, Minister for Children, Young
People and Families; Lord Laming of Tewin; Philip Collins, Director,
Social Market Foundation; Ofsted; Commission for Social Care Inspection;
Healthcare Commission; Audit Commission; Local Government Association;
Association of Directors of Social Services; Association of Directors
of Education and Children's Services; Confederation of Education
Service Managers; NHS Confederation; Association of Chief Police
Officers; Children's Rights Alliance for England; National Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; Professor Kathleen
Marshall, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland;
Peter Clarke, Commissioner for Children in Wales; Nigel Williams,
Commissioner for Children and Young People for Northern Ireland;
Family Policy Alliance; Dr Deborah Ghate, Director, Policy Research
Bureau; Professor Hedy Cleaver, Royal Holloway College, University
of London; Dr Eileen Munro, London School of Economics; Richard
Thomas, Her Majesty's Information Commissioner; Department for
Education and Skills and the Department of Health. We received
over 70 written memoranda, which have aided us in our work.
4. We are grateful to our specialist advisers, Professor
Bob Hudson, Professor Chris Pascal, Dr Rosemary Peacocke, Teresa
Smith and Professor Kathy Sylva, for their assistance with this
inquiry.
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