Every

Child

Matters

Pamela Graham November 2009

Objectives for this session:

• To offer an historical perspective on the development of services for children and families in England;

• To explore how professionals are now working together and sharing information with the aim of better supporting children and families;

• To highlight the importance of the ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda.

Every Child Matters (2003) A framework for services that cover

children and young people

(birth to 19 years)

living in England

Keeping Children Safe• Detailed response to the recommendations

made by Lord Laming in the report of his inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbiè

• Poor co-ordination

• Failure to share information

• Absence of anyone with a

strong sense of accountability

• Poor management

• Lack of effective training

Childre

n Act

The W

elfa

re S

tate

NHS Plan

Child w

elfare

tragedies and in

quiries

1948 2004

2003 1970 1989

Every C

hild M

atters

Looking back…

Childre

n Act

Keeping C

hildre

n Safe

2003

Childre

n’s P

lan

2007 2000 1999

Sure

Sta

rt Tra

ilblaze

rs

‘As a society we love children only when

they are under control. We hate children

who defy us. We fear children who are

independent, quirky, free thinking, non

conformist, idiosyncratic, superior or critical

of adults’.

Pogrebin. In Kitzinger and Kitzinger (1989)

Childre

n Act

The W

elfa

re S

tate

NHS Plan

Child w

elfare

tragedies and in

quiries

1948 2004

2003 1970 1989

Every C

hild M

atters

Looking back…

Childre

n Act

Keeping C

hildre

n Safe

2003

Childre

n’s P

lan

2007 2000 1999

Sure

Sta

rt Tra

ilblaze

rs

New roles e.g

. Early

Years

Pro

fessio

nals, Pare

nt Support

Advisors

Childre

n’s C

entre

s

Exten

ded S

chools

Changes

to in

spec

tion p

roce

sses

Changes to th

e curriculu

m e.g

. The E

arly Y

ears F

oundation S

tage

Inclu

sion, In

terp

rofe

ssional W

orkin

g and Inte

grate

d Serv

ices

Child

ren’s

Tru

sts

2009…

2009 Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures Brighter Futures

Five Outcomes

• Stay safe

• Be healthy

• Enjoy and achieve

• Make a positive contribution

• Achieve economic well-being

Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s

Workforce• Child and young person development

• Safeguarding children and child protection, including risk and protection factors

• Effective communication and engagement

• Supporting transitions

• Multi-agency working

• Sharing information

More than 4 million people in England work with children, or support those working with children. 2.4 million paid

staff and 1.8 million unpaid staff and volunteers

13,000 Health Visitors2,500 School Nurses6,000 Speech/Language

TherapistsOver 50,000 other health

professionals including Children’s Nurses/ Midwives/ Child & Adolescent Mental Health

83,000 Early Years Workers280,000 Child Care Workers440,000 Teachers230,000 School Support Staff

3,000 Education Welfare Officers

7,000 Connexions personal advisors

7,000 Youth Workers30,000 Play Workers

400,000 Sports and Leisure Workers

5,000 in Youth Offending Teams

5,000 in Juvenile Area40,000 Children & Families

Social Workers

Children’s Centres and Extended Schools

Integrated education, care, family support and health services

• A Children’s Centre in every community by 2010, co-ordinating a range of services for pre-school children, linking all providers and providing information and advice to parents.

• For 5 – 14 year olds, childcare will be available in schools

• By 2010 all parents with children aged 5 – 11 will be offered affordable school based childcare on weekdays between the hours of 8 – 6pm all year round

• By 2010 all secondary schools will be open on weekdays between the hours of 8 – 6pm, all year round offering a range of activities such as music and sport.

Looking forward...

‘We want to value the specificskills that people from differentprofessional backgrounds bring, and we also want to breakdown the professional barriersthat inhibit joint working, andtackle recruitment and retention problems. Our goal must be to make working with children anattractive, high status career, and to develop a more skilled and flexible workforce’.

Every Child Matters (2003)

Views of childhoodChildren are adorable

and happyBased on the assumption that children are entitled to a ‘good childhood’ and that they need protection(The romanticisation of

childhood or the discourse of ‘welfare’)

Informs current social policy

Children are wicked and sinful

Based on the assumption that children lack self

control and need to be regulated

(The puritan discourse orthe discourse of control)

Informs current educational policy

Wendy Stainton-Rogers

For further information:

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/pamela.graham@northumbria.ac.uk

Recommended reading:

• Barker, Richard. (Ed) (2009) Making Sense of Every Child Matters. Policy Press