Paul Curran wouldn't make a good politician; after all, he's not exactlywhat you would call on-message. The Government may promote concepts likepooled budgets and needs assessment but Curran, director of children'sservices at the London Borough of Islington, prefers to go his ownway.
He is as keen as his counterparts to improve outcomes for children, buthe won't necessarily do it by the book, choosing instead to tweak the defacto process largely followed elsewhere.
As a result, the Islington children's partnership, which brings togetherprofessionals from the council, local primary care trust, voluntarysector organisations, the police and the borough's further educationcollege, has devised a children and young people's plan and isdeveloping joint commissioning and planning arrangements, but Curran isblunt about their limitations. "I believe that trying to docommissioning well will make a big difference to children's services.But I think people sometimes talk about it as if it's a magic bullet.It's necessary but it isn't the solution in itself."
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