PROPOSAL 1 - Make the children's minister a Cabinet post
Every Child Matters and the creation of the directorate for children,young people and families in the Department for Education and Skills aresignificant progressive measures for children.
But there remain many areas of policy governing children's lives outsidethe remit of the children's minister. Until we approach children'swellbeing coherently and as a top priority will we really improve ourshameful ranking in the world?
We should make the children's minister into a secretary of state, asenior Cabinet post, to reflect the central importance of improvingchildren's lives. As part of this, the existing responsibilities of theDfES should be broadened to include lead responsibilities for youthjustice, refugee children and children's physical and mental health.
Until there is a secretary of state for children who is of a similarstatus to the Home Secretary or the Chancellor, can we really say EveryChild Matters?
Kathy Evans, policy director, The Children's Society
PROPOSAL 2 - A standardised structure for children's trusts
Commissioning of children's services is still not carried out within aformal framework. Local authority directors of children's services havean overview of education and children's social services but theircommissioning arrangements do not include most elements of children'shealth services, despite the introduction of children's trusts.
Many services, such as those for children with special needs, wouldbenefit from joint commissioning, but this is rarely seen becauseservices have different pressures, priorities and targets toachieve.
The Government expects a children's trust in every English localauthority by 2008 but, despite the multitude of pilot trusts, it has notmade a statement about what a children's trust should look like.
The absence of hard and fast guidance is making joint commissioningharder to achieve. A standard setup for children's trusts would enablecomparison and evaluation in a meaningful way.
Linda McQuaid, director of children's services, HertfordshirePartnership NHS Trust
- Got a policy idea for the Children Now Manifesto? Email your name'suggestion and phone number to cnmanifesto@haymarket.com.
