Every Child Matters

Dr Gillian MorganChief Executive

What we wanted from the Green Paper

• Equal recognition of the role of health, social services and education

• Locally driven, collaborative and locally coordinated multi agency services

• Clarity about accountability – from Government to the front line

• National standards with co-ordinated inspection and audit

A health service perspective

• Green Paper offers significant opportunities

• Recognition of children’s health could be stronger

• Strengthening mechanisms and removing barriers for joint working welcome

A health service perspective

• Clearer accountability outlined but will other NHS priorities overshadow?

• Importance of leadership at all levels

• Children’s Commissioner welcomed as an independent champion

Children’s Trusts

• Does the health service need more structural change?

• Local decision making or central direction?• Ambitious agenda if one per local

authority expected by 2006• Support for integrated commissioning and

pooled budgets• Is complexity of health care system

understood?