Editorial: Your say on the future of children's trusts

Speakers from the statutory and voluntary sectors of youth services, Connexions and youth justice were joined by youth minister Margaret Hodge and representatives of pilot trusts to assess the progress so far and make recommendations to inform the rolling out of children's trusts across England by 2008.

The first message from the conference was a reiteration that "children's trusts" is an unacceptable umbrella term for services aimed at young people. It is seen as patronising to young people, carries unhelpful connotations and gives credence to many people's view that children and the child protection agenda lie at the heart of the children's trust concept. Certainly in her speech, Hodge slipped into using the term "children" comfortably, remembering to occasionally add "young people". The same argument applies to the term "children's commissioner" and the debate about "smacking", which downgrades the serious beatings that also come under the definition of "chastisement".