Only Connect – Transforming Life Chances – how serious

are we ?

Nigel RichardsonDirector of Children’s

Services, Leeds

Only one question ..

What’s it like to be a child or young person growing up in Leeds…

..and how do we make it better ?

Changing Families• Lowest marriage rate in 150 years• % of no-earner households doubled• Most couples cohabit before marriage• Highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe• Lone parenthood trebled in 20 years• 4/10 babies born outside marriage• 6-fold increase in divorce since 1960• 2million + ++ children living in poverty• Estimated cost of family breakdown - £5 billion +++

Family Risk Factors• Poor parental supervision• Harsh/erratic discipline• Parental conflict• Separation from a biological parent• Anti-social parent• Low income• Poor housing

Risks for Young People

• Leaving school with no qualifications

• Involvement in crime

• Alcohol & drugs

• Poor mental health

• Homelessness

• Pregnancy/fatherhood

Protective Factors• Social bonding

• Clear standards of positive behaviour

• Involvement in family, school & community

• Positive role models

• Clear, high expectations

• Social & thinking skills

• Recognition & praise

or put another way..

• Experience of the education system and labour market

• Society and culture in which they grow up

• Relationships with parents and families

• Experiences with peers and in leisure time

Leeds : The Child Friendly City

• 180K children and young people• One vision • One partnership • One Plan• Five outcomes• 11 priorities and 3 obsessions • 25 clusters : 3 behaviours• Leeds Education Challenge• 75k people

The Challenge

Agreed Policy Framework

Four key statements of intent :

• The default behaviour of children’s services in Leeds in all its dealings with local citizens/partners/organisations will be a restorative one – high support with high challenge.

• Children’s services in Leeds will ensure that families whose children might otherwise be removed from their homes are supported to meet and develop a safe alternative plan before such action is taken.

• For all other families where a plan or decision needs to be made to help safeguard and promote the welfare of a child or children the family will be supported to help decide what needs to happen.

• All local schools will be seen as community assets and children’s services will have a clear role in holding those institutions – no matter what the governance arrangements – to account for the contribution they make to the well being of the local population.

Weekly obsessions tracker

Weekly obsessions tracker

Week commencing: 06 May 2013

Obsession

Latest position

this week

Change since last

week

% changeover

last 12 months

Changeover

last 12 months

12 monthtrend

Safely reduce the number of children looked after 1376

Reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET)

1697

Reduce schoolabsence: primary 3.7%

n/a

Reduce schoolabsence: secondary 6.1%

n/a

-22.1 -398

-98-6.6

-1.3

-1.0

283

-0.4

2

0

So What ?• Behaviour • Exclusions• Attendance• Attainment• Achievement• Resilience• Community• Capacity• Family• Crime• Pride/Hope

Thanks for Listening !