Duty to Co-operate - An Inter-Agency Compact

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Services for Children and Young People in Tameside

An Inter-Agency Compact

Introduction

Better outcomes for all children and young people in Tameside can only be achieved by local organisations working closely together.

The Children Act 2004 places a duty on Tameside Council and its partners to co-operate to improve the well-being of children in the authority's area specifically relating to

Physical and mental health and emotional well-being.
Protection from harm and neglect.
Education training and recreation.
The contribution made by them to society.
Social and economic well-being

There is some differentiation between the legal requirements for co-operation between different organisations in Tameside. However, this compact reflects the commitment of all organisations working with children and young people in the borough to work together to improve outcomes for children and young people and therefore their families and communities.

The partners listed below will ensure that people and organisations with whom they contract are aware of this compact. The Compact will be promoted amongst other organisations in the borough e.g. private sector providers.

Aims

For Children and Young People:

To work collaboratively to implement the Children and Young People Plan. This is based on the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters:

Being healthy
Staying safe
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well-being

and will also include priority outcomes for the children and young people of Tameside.

For Partner Agencies:

To work collaboratively and deploy resources in ways which will ensure better outcomes for children and young people and are in line with the children and young people's plan. To co-operate with and develop new ways of working which lead to more effective use of staff skills and time. To develop children's trust arrangements which gradually increase the amount of jointly commissioned services for children and young people

Communication:

To ensure that a communication strategy is developed and implemented and that all stakeholders including children, young people and their families are actively involved in the development of integrated services.

To ensure that staff in all organisations are fully aware of and can properly exercise their responsibilities in fulfilling this compact.

Context

The duty to co-operate, which came into effect on 1 April 2005, is the broadest legislation about organisations co-operating in the interests of children and young people. There are, however, various other pieces of legislation and guidance which specify requirements to co-operate in certain circumstances.

Current legislation and guidance about inter-agency co-operation includes the following:

Children Act 2005
- Section 10 - co-operation to improve well-being
- Section 11 - arrangements to safeguard and promote welfare
- Section 12 - information databases
- Section 13 - establishments of local safeguarding children boards
- Section 17 - children and young people plan
- Section 20 - joint area reviews
- Section 22 - co-operation and delegation
Children Act 1989
- Section 22 - duty to co-operate
Education Act 1996
- Section 332
Health Flexibilities Act 1999
- Section 31 - pooled budgets arrangements
Mental Health Act 1983
- Code of practice 1999
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
- Sections 38 and 41
National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services

Guidance

Common Assessment Framework - Refers to the duty to co-operate in section 10 and 11 CA 2004
Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families 2000 - Refers to duty to co-operate in sections 17(5), 27 CA 1989
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2005
SEN Code of Practice 2001
Social Inclusion Support 1999
Education of Children and Young People in Public Care
Connexions Strategy 2000
Assessment in the Learning Gateway 1999

In Tameside we also have some locally determined protocols and agreements as follows:-

Information sharing - Level 1, 2 and 3
ACPC procedures (to be rewritten as LSCB procedures in 2006)
Youth Justice Plan
Working with the voluntary sector T3SC

and will have protocols by 2006 with regard to:-

Common Assessment, Lead Professional and Planning for Children and Young People in Need
Consultation with Children and Young People

The Duty to Co-operate

The partners to this Compact therefore commit themselves to co-operating in the following areas:-

The Local Safeguarding Children Board.
The production of the Children and Young People's Plan.
Arrangements for common assessment and the assessment of children in need.
The assessment of children's special educational needs.
Integration of services for children with disabilities.
Arrangements for information sharing.
The creation and maintenance of a Children's Services Directory.
The establishment and maintenance of a Children's Index.
Developing the joint commissioning of Services and the pooling of budgets.
Preparation for the Annual Performance Assessment and the Joint Area Review.
Other statutory functions placed upon any of the partners.

For furtherance of their objectives, the partners give the following undertakings:

Governance

To arrange for their organisation to be represented on the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership
To report on the CYPSP's proceedings to their own Executive Board and to consider carefully any recommendations made by the CYPSP with respect to functions exercised by the Board.
To draw to the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership's attention any matters which in their view are a matter for the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership to consider.

Local Safeguarding Children Board

To arrange for their organisation to be represented on the Board.
To follow any direction and guidance determined by the LSCB with respect to Child Protection procedures and practice.
To draw to the attention of the LSCB any matters relating to the safeguarding of children and young people which in their view the LSCB ought to consider.
To participate when required to do so in any Serious Case Reviews established under Chapters 5 and 6 of the Guidance, "Working Together to Safeguard Children".

Children and Young People's Plan

To co-operate in the production of the first CYP Plan for the period April 2006 to March 2008 and thereafter at three yearly intervals.
To ensure that the objectives and activities in the CYP Plan match their own objectives and priorities as set out in their own development plans.
To secure the objectives and undertake the activities set out in the Plan within the timescales set out and within the resources available to the organisation.
To participate in the performance management processes for the monitoring and evaluation of the CYP Plan.

Assessment of Children and Young People

To support the introduction of the Common Assessment framework and its implementation in Tameside through the Children in Need Framework.
To ensure that all members of staff who deal with children and young people understand the framework.
To promote inter-disciplinary training in assessment procedures and practices.
To ensure that appropriate staff are trained to act as lead professionals and are supported to take on that role.
To ensure that reports required to complete Common Assessments and SEN assessments are completed within the prescribed timescales.
To enable staff to attend case conferences and assessment panels as and when required provided that not less than 10 days 'notice' of meetings is given and provided the request in all the circumstances is reasonable.

Information Sharing

To contribute to the production of an Information Sharing Protocol level 3.
To appoint a Designated Person with responsibility in the organisation for the Protocol and its implementation.
To approve the Protocol and disseminate it to all staff in the organisation.
To enable staff to take part in training on the Protocol and its use.
To contribute towards the evaluation and review of the Protocol.

Children's Services Directory

To support the establishment and the maintenance of the Directory.
To provide information pages for the Directory as required or enable hyperlinks to a directory of services maintained by the organisation.

Children's Index (JASPER)

To co-operate in the establishment and maintenance of the Index as it develops in line with Government regulations.
To enable staff to be trained in the use of the Index.
To give responsibility for the development of the index in their organisation to the Designated Person (Information Sharing).

Commissioning of Services

To contribute to the development of a joint commissioning strategy for services for children and young people.
To approve a joint commissioning strategy.
To co-operate in the implementation of the strategy.
To give consideration to proposals to pool budgets and, where pooling is agreed, to enter into a formal agreement to describe the service that will be provided.
To consider the provision of staff, goods, services, accommodation or other resources where appropriate.

Annual Performance Assessment and Joint Area Review

To provide such information and data as is required to complete the APA.
To nominate appropriate staff to join groups which will consider the self assessment of children and young people's services.
To participate in the Joint Area Review.

Other Statutory Functions

To co-operate as required by statute or regulation in the provision of other services for children and young people.

Accountability

The Local Authority and specifically the Director of Children's Services and Lead Member, are accountable for the achievement of improved outcomes for Children and Young People in Tameside and the development of Integrated Services to assist in this process.

The Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership will be the body that is responsible for developing and monitoring the Children's Plan for Tameside.

The Local Safeguarding Children Board have statutory responsibility for safeguarding children in Tameside and the Director of Children's Services will ensure that the work of the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership and Local Safeguarding Children Board complement each other.

All agencies will report on their activity and performance as requested by the Children and Young People Strategic Partnership.

The Children and Young People Strategic Partnership will report to the Tameside Strategic Partnership as required and ensure synergy between the Tameside Community Strategy and Children and Young People's Plan as far as possible.

If the performance of a single agency is causing concern/preventing the achievement of good outcomes for children and young people the matter will be considered by the Children and Young People Strategic Partnership executive group who will make recommendations to the DSC about the most effective likely action.

As the new structure of Integrated Services evolves, systems will be established to realign resources and commission new services.

A complaints mechanism to cover individual's non-compliance with this compact will be developed.

Governance

Local organisations will be represented on the Local Safeguarding Children Board and Children and Young People Strategic Partnership and sub-groups as agreed by those partnerships.

The Compact is signed by senior representatives of the following organisations:

Tameside Council
Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority
Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust
Tameside Acute Trust
Pennine Care Trust
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Probation
Tameside Youth Offending Team
Greater Manchester Learning and Skills Council
Tameside Third Sector Coalition
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
Better Choices plc (Connexions)
Registered Social Landlords Forum
Tameside Secondary Schools
Tameside Primary Schools
Tameside Special Schools
Tameside College
Ashton 6th Form College
Local Medical Committee
Local Dental Committee
Local Pharmaceutical Committee
Local Optical Committee

Page last updated: 11 May 2006