But the Next Steps document that accompanies the Children Bill published this month talks about children's trusts being able to devolve the commissioning of joint services, including children's health and social services, to schools or clusters of schools.
Children's minister Margaret Hodge has also been promoting the idea, which is a significant step further than seeing extended schools simply as a physical point for delivering joint services.
Schools have traditionally been a focus of community life so it makes sense to exploit this. But there is a significant minority of children and young people, and parents, for whom school is or was a grisly experience. Hodge has already acknowledged in various statements that any school-based services will have to be augmented by services sited elsewhere and targeted at the socially excluded.
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
Already have an account? Sign in here
