Transcript Slide 1
Only Connect – Transforming
Life Chances – how serious
are we ?
Nigel Richardson
Director of Children’s
Services, Leeds
Only one question ..
What’s it like to be a
child or young
person growing up
in Leeds…
..and how do we
make it better ?
Changing Families
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Lowest marriage rate in 150 years
% of no-earner households doubled
Most couples cohabit before marriage
Highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe
Lone parenthood trebled in 20 years
4/10 babies born outside marriage
6-fold increase in divorce since 1960
2million + ++ children living in poverty
Estimated cost of family breakdown - £5 billion +++
Family Risk Factors
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Poor parental supervision
Harsh/erratic discipline
Parental conflict
Separation from a biological parent
Anti-social parent
Low income
Poor housing
Risks for Young People
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Leaving school with no qualifications
Involvement in crime
Alcohol & drugs
Poor mental health
Homelessness
Pregnancy/fatherhood
Protective Factors
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Social bonding
Clear standards of positive behaviour
Involvement in family, school & community
Positive role models
Clear, high expectations
Social & thinking skills
Recognition & praise
or put another way..
• Experience of the education system and
labour market
• Society and culture in which they grow up
• Relationships with parents and families
• Experiences with peers and in leisure time
Leeds : The Child Friendly City
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180K children and young people
One vision
One partnership
One Plan
Five outcomes
11 priorities and 3 obsessions
25 clusters : 3 behaviours
Leeds Education Challenge
75k people
The Challenge
Agreed Policy Framework
Four key statements of intent :
• The default behaviour of children’s
services in Leeds in all its dealings with
local citizens/partners/organisations will be
a restorative one – high support with high
challenge.
• Children’s services in Leeds will ensure
that families whose children might
otherwise be removed from their homes
are supported to meet and develop a safe
alternative plan before such action is
taken.
• For all other families where a plan or
decision needs to be made to help
safeguard and promote the welfare of a
child or children the family will be
supported to help decide what needs to
happen.
• All local schools will be seen as
community assets and children’s services
will have a clear role in holding those
institutions – no matter what the
governance arrangements – to account for
the contribution they make to the well
being of the local population.
Weekly obsessions tracker
Week commencing: 06 May 2013
Obsession
Latest
position
this week
Safely reduce the number of
children looked after
1376
Reduce the number of young
people not in employment,
education or training (NEET)
1697
Reduce school
absence: primary
Reduce school
absence: secondary
Change
since last
week
2
283
% change
over
last 12
months
Change
over
last 12
months
-6.6
-98
-22.1
-398
12 month
trend
6.0%
-0.4
3.7%
6.1%
n/a
-1.0
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
0
n/a
-1.3
HT1-5 2010/11
HT1-5 2011/12
HT1-5 2010/11
HT1-5 2011/12
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
So What ?
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Behaviour
Exclusions
Attendance
Attainment
Achievement
Resilience
Community
Capacity
Family
Crime
Pride/Hope
Thanks for Listening !