The development of Children’s Trusts was a response to Lord Laming’s inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbié in 2000. In his report, he said:
‘The single most important change in the future must be the drawing of a clear line of accountability, from top to bottom, without doubt or ambiguity about who is responsible at every level for the well-being of vulnerable children.’
As a result, under the Children Act 2004, every local authority was required to enhance the arrangements for cooperation to safeguard children and young people and improve outcomes for them. This was to be achieved by integrating services around their needs. In creating Children’s Trusts, the aim was to improve the life chances of the most vulnerable children and young people by narrowing gaps in each of the five outcome areas identified in Every Child Matters. This was to be achieved by: focusing on prevention and early intervention through the early identification of additional need developing effective integrated working across agencies ensuring effective planning and joint commissioning of services.
A Children’s Trust is not an entity in itself but comprises all the arrangements and partnerships between organisations that have a role in improving outcomes for children and young people. Organisations that are required to cooperate in the arrangements that are the ‘Children’s Trust’ are termed ‘statutory partners’ and include the services of the local authority, the primary care trust, the police, schools, further education and sixth-form colleges and Jobcentre Plus. Just as important are the non-statutory partners, for example, third sector organisations. They should be represented in the arrangements for Children’s Trusts in a way that best suits local circumstances. Each organisation within the partnership retains its own functions and responsibilities.