NCB Now: NCB policy priorities review

These are kept under review, and we ensure they reflect the breadth of activity across NCB and the ever-changing political context.

The 2008/09 priorities are: transport; the welfare/justice divide; wellbeing in schools; early years; and sustainable lifestyles. Under each of these, we develop a set of detailed policy "asks". For example, our work on the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill this year provided an opportunity to work on three of our priority areas: transport; the welfare/justice divide; and early years.

NCB secured assurances from the government that children's trusts will work with local transport authorities when preparing local children and young people's plans. NCB's Early Childhood Unit and the Early Childhood Forum co-ordinated by NCB led the children's sector lobbying on the legislative framework for children's centres, focusing on governance, parental involvement in centres and quality improvement in early childhood services. As a member of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice and the Special Educational Consortium, NCB supported work to improve parts of the bill dealing with the education of young people in custody, particularly those with special educational needs.