Less money, but much more purpose
Ravi Chandiramani
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Association of Directors of Children's Services' (ADCS) policy paper, which outlines some priorities to Education Secretary Michael Gove, is compelling and constructive in how the sector can do more with less while meeting government objectives.
"It's the money, honey," is the maxim now hanging over public service delivery. But as the ADCS spells out, if we give children's services professionals more flexibility to innovate, it will ease the strain on the public purse.
Specifically, the paper calls for an end to external field forces providing improvement support, with more sector-led peer support and sharing of best practice. It calls for lighter regulation and an end to the process-obsessed "compliance culture" of inspections, particularly in children's social care, relieving professionals to direct their efforts to have the most impact. This will be music to the ears of all those who feel suffocated by bureaucracy and just want to be allowed to get on with the job they love, of transforming young lives.
The paper also emphasises the importance of early intervention via Sure Start children's centres and other family support in reducing dependency on public services further down the line. And it highlights how partnership working can remove waste, and bring more coherence to the way services are delivered. It cites the Total Place programmes as well as children's trust arrangements as having an important part to play here.
On the planned expansion of academies and "free schools", the ADCS is right to insist on greater clarity from the government on local authorities' role in driving up standards and in strategic planning and co-ordination. It also raises questions over how an anticipated proliferation of state schools independent from council control will affect the accountability of local authorities for those children within its boundaries.
The quality of dialogue between the ADCS and Department for Education will play a crucial role in getting the best for children in the months and years to come. The ADCS, for its part, has made a very good start.
A coalition for young people
Coalitions are all the rage these days, however unlikely. The coming together of various national youth sector bodies to speak as one is hugely welcome. They must proceed with urgency to help ensure youth work is properly valued by this government for the value it brings to young people.
