Other

Editorial: Journey gets tougher for Every Child Matters

1 min read
When the Government unveiled the Every Child Matters green paper back in September 2003, Paul Boateng, the then chief secretary to the Treasury, said in his introduction: "This is the beginning of a long journey, which will present challenges for all of us, but from which we must not flinch. We will be called upon to make common cause across professional boundaries and with reformed structures and services to create the means by which the needs, interests and welfare of children can be better protected and advanced."

Three years on, this radical programme of reform has taken root aschildren's professionals up and down the country have embraced a visionof a better and safer world for every child. However, as our recentChildren Now Fund conference discovered, we may have travelled a greatdistance since the green paper's publication, but there is still a longway to go (see Analysis, p11).

For instance, outcomes are improving, but not universally nor equally,for every child. There is better partnership working, but major costpressures stand in the way of a truly joined-up, integrated children'sservices workforce. Every Child Matters and school standards have movedcloser together, but there are still plenty of schools and teachers whobelieve their job is only about the academic achievement of the childrenon their roll. And, although prevention is the ultimate goal, themajority of the time, money and effort continues to be spent onintervening only when families reach crisis point.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this

CEO

Bath, Somerset

Hertfordshire Youth Workers

“Opportunities in districts teams and countywide”