Children's Trusts and Their Structures

Children's Trusts are local partnerships which bring together the organisations responsible for services to children, young people and families in a shared commitment to deliver the objectives of the DCSF's Children's Plan.

It is local authorities - through the officers and councillors who lead children's services - which play the key role in Children's Trusts, working closely with other local agencies that have a statutory duty to be part of the trust, e.g. strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, police authorities, local probation boards, youth offending teams etc. Crucially for Children Matter East, the Children's Trusts in the East of England also include VCS organisations within their partnership arrangements.

The term 'Children's Trust' applies to the whole system of children's services, covering the work of partner agencies at every level, from the development of an overall strategy to the delivery of front-line services. But Children's Trusts are not separate organisations in their own right. Each partner retains its own responsibilities, while working together to join up services.

The Children's Trusts in the East of England are managed in different ways. Most have formal Boards with representatives from all of the partner agencies. All are responsible for developing a local strategy for improving children's lives by delivering better services. The various trusts also work in different ways, depending on local circumstances, although all act to promote strong joint planning and commissioning of services, especially by the local authority and the local primary care trust - which are at the heart of each Children's Trust. Links to the structural arrangements in each relevant local authority area in the East of England are provided below:

Bedford Borough Council

Cambridgeshire County Council

Central Bedfordshire Council

Essex County Council

Hertfordshire County Council

Luton Borough Council

Norfolk County Council

Peterborough City Council

Southend Borough Council

Suffolk County Council

Thurrock Council

While Children's Trusts have made good progress since the publication of Every Child Matters in 2003, the more recently published Children's Plan anticipates further improvements by 2010, e.g. giving each Trust Board the legal responsibility for producing and securing delivery of a Children & Young People's Plan (CYPP). This describes how a Children's Trust will improve children's lives in a particular local area - so that it is owned by the full Children's Trust partnership.

The following documents can provide you with further guidance on the nature of Children's Trusts:

Are We There Yet? Improving Governance and Resource Management in Children's Trusts, Audit Commission, 2008

Community Involvement in Children's Trusts: Unlock Your Potential, The Community Sector Partnership for Children and Young People, 2006

National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships (Children and Young People), CLG, 2008

Statutory Guidance on Children's Trusts, DSCF, 2008

Strengthening Children's Trusts: Legislative Options, DCSF, 2008

Talking Trusts: Recommendations for Children's Trusts Working with Voluntary and Community Organisations, The Community Sector Partnership for Children and Young People, 2006