1. Multi-agency working and Children’s Services Plans
Welcome
Multi-agency working and Children’s Services Plans

2. Children’s services plans (CSPs)
Catrina Steenberg
Children’s services plans (CSPs)
Hello my name is Catrina Steenberg and I work in the Children’s Rights and Participation team in the SG. I lead on children’s services planning, which is what I will be talking about today. I also lead on participation of children and young people.
I am delighted to see so many people here today from a range of sectors – local authorities, health boards and the third sector. All of you with an interest in children’s services planning and multi-agency working.

3. Background
Part 3 (Children’s Services Planning) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
Duty on each local authority and relevant health board to jointly prepare a CSP for the area of the local authority covering a 3 year period.
Other relevant local and national bodies expected to be either consulted with, or obliged to participate, at various stages of the development of the plan.
First CSPs cover 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020 and must be published.
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 legislated for children’s services planning in Part 3 of the Act. So Part 3 provides the legal framework for CSPs.
The Act places a duty on each local authority and relevant health board to jointly prepare a children’s services plan for the local authority area. This marks a change from previous plans as it is now a joint duty for the local authorities and health boards to develop a plan and reports together. They both have equal responsibility.
Also, the Act requires the local authority and health board to consult with some specific national bodies during its development (Chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Principal Reporter, National Convenor or Children’s Hearings Scotland, Scottish Court Service, Integration Joint Board).
They also need to gain views from other local and national groups, including those in the third sector, that work with children and young people.
The Act is therefore promoting multi-agency working in the development and implementation of the plans.
The plans are for 3 years and the first plans are now in place from 1 April to 31 March 2020.
They must be published so that anyone who wants to look at the plans can do so. They should be accessible to all – including children and young people.

4. Background (continued)
Local authority and relevant health board to jointly publish an annual report after the end of each one year period.
CSP to be kept under review and a revised CSP can be developed at any time.
Statutory guidance on Part 3:
There is also a duty on the local authority and relevant health board to jointly publish an annual report at the end of each year. The report should show:
Extent to which children’s services and related services have been provided over the year in accordance with the CSP
How the plan has achieved the aims (looking at this in more detail)
How the plan is delivering on the outcomes around wellbeing of children and young people
These should be published “as soon as is practicable” after the end of the year (by May). The first reports will be due in April/May 2018.
It’s worth highlighting that CSPs must always be kept under review. A new revised CSP can be developed at any time. So although all local authorities now have a CSP in place , the CSP can be changed. You would need to go through the same process as you went through for developing the first CSP (e.g. consulting with national and local bodies). I would envisage that if CSPs were going to be revised, this would be in conjunction with the annual report.
As you know, the statutory guidance was published in December 2016 and can be accessed on our website.

5. Aims of children’s services plans
That children’s services are provided in the way which:
best safeguards, supports and promotes wellbeing of children in area concerned;
ensures that any action to meet needs is taken at earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, action is taken to prevent needs arising;
most integrated from point of view of recipients;
constitutes best use of available resources.
There are 4 key aims of children’s services plans (as you can see on the slide).
The overarching aim of the CSPs is to improve outcomes for children and young people.
The CSP needs to have cyp’s wellbeing at its heart, therefore following the GIRFEC approach (and the 8 wellbeing indicators (SHANARRI) are key to this).
There needs to be the right support at the right time, whenever possible, so that work with children young people and families starts as soon as there are signs of difficulty. So effective early intervention to prevent further and more severe difficulties from arising.
The plan needs to be integrated, so that there is cooperation between the providers of children’s services, working together to ensure that services are planned and delivered in a way that meets the needs of children and families. In other words, a joined-up approach to planning and delivery.
The plan needs to make the best use of resources in the local area. This means how children’s services complement and enhance each other, so are efficient and effective. CSPs should be seen as part of the strategic planning process.

6. Intended impact of aims
Partnership working between local authorities, health boards and other national and local service providers (including third sector) to jointly plan and deliver services with focus on improving children’s and young people's wellbeing.
Help support wider shift to prevention and early intervention as well as promote more integrated service planning.
So what is the intended impact of the aims of CSPs?
There are 2 main areas where we would hope to see an impact of the CSPs:
Firstly, the CSP promotes partnership working and therefore multi agency working between different sectors – local authorities, health boards and other partners like third sector – in developing and delivering CSPs.
More integrated service planning, where services are organised and equipped to deliver high quality, joined up and responsive support to children and families. We know that this is happening across Scotland.
Secondly, we would hope to see a wider shift to prevention and early intervention. So that, where possible, support is given to children and families as early as possible, the right support at the right time. In other words, effective GIRFEC practice – our national approach to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of our children and young people by offering the right help at the right time from the right people. It supports them and their parent(s) to work in partnership with the services that can help them.

7. What is a children’s services plan?
Applies to children and young people up to age of 18 and those still receiving “children’s service” up to age of 26 (e.g. care leavers).
Covers provision of “children’s services” and “related services”.
Shows how public bodies and partners will work together to achieve aims and identify own objectives and outcomes.
Facilitates effective GIRFEC practice.
Applies to children and young people up to age of 18 and those still receiving “children’s service” up to age of 26 (e.g. care leavers).
Covers provision of “children’s services” in a local authority area (provided by local authority, health service and “other service providers”):
– universal services (those that are available to all children and young people – e.g. schools), and
targeted services for those with specific needs (e.g. children with a disability – disability services).
Also covers “related services” – services that aren’t children’s services but are capable of having a significant effect on the wellbeing of children and young people (e.g. leisure services, housing, drug and alcohol services).
These services could be provided by the third sector or private organisations on behalf of the local authority and health board.
Shows how public bodies and partners will work together to achieve aims and identify own objectives and outcomes.
Facilitates effective GIRFEC practice, putting children at the centre of day to day practice. This is in line with the UNCRC articles e.g. requirement to consider the best interests of the child (Article 3) and children’s views to be taken into account on decisions that are involve them (Article 12).

8. What is the process?
Local authority and relevant health board must give “other service providers” opportunity to contribute in or contribute to the preparation of the plan.
Others who should be given opportunity to be consulted with include:
Any community group, third or private sector organisation that represents interests of children and young people (e.g. youth council);
Any community group, third or private sector organisation that provides services that benefit children and young people or have significant impact on their wellbeing.
Children, young people and families.
What is the process?
It is a joint plan between local authority and relevant health board. But there are others who must be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of the CSP.
“Other services providers” - Chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Principal Reporter, National Convenor or Children’s Hearings Scotland, Scottish Court Service, Integration Joint Board).
Third sector and private organisations that provide services for cyp and represent their interests.
Also, we would expect there to be consultation with children, young people and families.
What are we doing with the CSPs?
We have looked at the plans with a couple of other SG teams, using a short checklist with different headings (e.g. development of CSP, content of CSP, evaluation, next steps). For internal use only. Using checklist, have identified strengths (e.g. many clearly cover aims, universal and targeted services, 8 wellbeing indicators, GIRFEC) and areas for improvement (e.g. accessibility - for children and young people/parents, evaluation - don’t all have clear, measurable targets, consultation – not consulted with “other service providers”).
There are also discussions going on within SG and in other national bodies and programmes (e.g. COSLA, National Third Sector GIRFEC Programme) around what has gone well with plans and also challenges. We will look at how we can work together on sharing this information e.g. might be an event next year.
Have shared all CSPs with relevant policy areas in the SG – in the Children and Families Directorate and Health. Up to officials to look at the plans for their own policy interests. I know that different policy areas have been looking at them (e.g. youth justice, transport, social work).
Plan to publish all the CSPs on the SG website.

9. Pilot on children’s services planning
Edinburgh Children’s Partnership recently completed a pilot on children’s services planning.
Followed the same approach as Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP).
Provided opportunity for participants (children, young people and planners) to give their views on how children and young people should be involved in the planning process at local level through three planned events.
Report will be published shortly.
I would like to spend a few moments talking about a pilot that we have recently completed with Edinburgh Children’s Partnership based on the view that children and young people have a right to influence how adults plan and run services for them. This pilot took place in the Spring this year.
The aim of the pilot was to develop an approach to engagement with children and young people during the development of children’s services plans, based on a model drawn from Scotland’s National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP). The model was to be jointly owned by children, young people and adult duty-bearers.
We plan to share as a model of good practice with other Community Planning Partnership areas. This is just one model to engage children and young people in development of CSPs.
Following the SNAP approach, the pilot held 3 events:
First event – children and young people’s views on what they need to be happy, healthy and safe? Barriers? How we can address barriers? What we like/don’t like about Edinburgh?
Second event – adult duty bearers’ views – same questions.
Third event – bring children, young people and adult duty bearers together. Discuss shared areas of interest and concern, deepen understanding of different views and identify ideas for action and change. Ended with commitments by adult duty bearers to children and young people.
This is the beginning. Will continue to engage with cyp over this during the course of 3 year CSP.

10. Other upcoming activities
Year of Young People (YoYP) 2018http://yoyp2018.scot/
Annual meeting of Cabinet Ministers with children and young people – March 2018.
Report to Parliament on Part 1 duties on children’s rights under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.
Disability Framework & Young Disabled People’s Forum.
Research on impact of children and young people’s participation on policy making in Scotland.
I also lead on participation of children and young people, ensuring that their voices are heard during local and national decision-making.
YOYP 2018 – launched last week. Leading on the participation theme. A lot of activity, many of you will be involved in this.
Next annual meeting of Cabinet Ministers with children and young people will take place in March. We held our first annual meeting of Cabinet members with children and young people, from the Children’s Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament, on 28 February 2017 at Bute House.
Children and young people raised issues that were important to them. A short film, co-produced by the children, highlighted school and teachers; feeling safe in the community; bullying; and what children need.
On the young people’s agenda were “Lead the Way” (SYP manifesto); children and young people’s rights; “Speak Your Mind” campaign (on mental health); and the future of Scotland’s relationship with Europe.
Cabinet members and children and young people then collectively agreed to actions for the year ahead, which we are currently taking forward with relevant policy officials.

11. Thank you
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 places specific duties on Scottish Ministers to consider how to give better or further effect to the UNCRC in Scotland.
 In line with duties under Part 1 of the 2014 Act, Ministers will update Parliament in autumn 2018 on their progress in considering how to secure better or further effect to the UNCRC. This report will include specific actions in response to the UN Committee’s Concluding Observations, where we consider these to be appropriate, and planned activity for the remainder of this parliament.
The views of children and young people are integral to the implementation of the Part 1 duties. We have commenced the process to involve children and young people in the preparation of this Report, with the support of key children’s organisations, including SYP.
Scottish Government is developing a framework to support disabled children, young people and their families – so they get the right support, at the right time, and in the right way from birth to adulthood. In conjunction with the development of a Framework to Support Disabled Children and Young People and with the advice of the Disabled Children and Young People Advisory Group (DCYPAG) a Young Disabled People’s Forum has been proposed to provide an inclusive space for young people with a disability to come together and engage with the policy areas that interest them.
Research on “The Impact of children and young people’s participation on policy making” has recently been completed by Children in Scotland to help inform our policy making. The key aim of this qualitative study was to explore and evidence the nature and type of impact of children and young people’s participation on policy making in Scotland, at national and local levels. Six case studies were examined to illustrate the different types of impact that children and young people’s participation can have on policy making. The report is due to be published in Autumn 2017.

12. Children’s Planning Manager Highland CPP
Ian Kyle
Children’s Planning Manager
Highland CPP
Intro –
Hello my name is and intro everyone else
Health & Safety –
Fire Drill
Toilets
Tweet –
Using #CYPIC
Link to the session via ‘insert title of app’

13. Highland CPP – Developing an Infrastructure for Improvement
For Highlands Children 4 is the Children’s Service and Improvement Plan for the Highland CPP.
It incorporates and builds on existing commitments and the Performance Management Framework developed as part of the Partnership Agreement which established The Highland Council as Lead Agency for delivering services for children and young people.

14. The Improvement Framework
The overarching aim of the Plan is the achievement of better outcomes for Highland children, their families and the communities in which they live.

15. The Plan identifies 14 key outcomes for children and their families.
The outcomes are focused on ensuring children are: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected & responsible and included and designed to consider the ways in which children and young people…
Receive the help and support they need to optimise their well-being at every stage.
Get the best start in life and enjoy positive, rewarding experiences growing up.
Benefit from clear protocols, procedures and effective systems for recording observations and concerns which take account of best practice in information-sharing.

16. The Planning and Operational Structure
For Highlands Children 4 uses a service improvement model to determine outcomes, identify priorities and quality assure the plan

17. The Planning and Operational Structure
A leadership group has been established to overview the on-going work of the plan. This group has broad membership, including lead officers from Highland Council and NHS Highland, SCRA and Northern Constabulary. In addition there are staff representatives from NHS Highland and Highland Council, third sector partners and elected members.

18. Supporting Improvement
Co-ordination Group

19. A service improvement model to determine outcomes, identify priorities and quality assure the plan Self Evaluation

21. Improvement Planning
Each Improvement Group develops an Improvement Plan with a common format.
Plans show all current improvement priorities, centred on the key outcomes.
Dynamic – monitored, updated regularly and formally evaluated on an annual basis.

22. Multi-Agency Working & Children's Services Plans
Application of a 3rd Sector Tool “GIRFEC Wellbeing Game” to work with Local Multi-Agency Teams to increase engagement in Aberdeenshire.
Susan Barclay Early Years Manager (Improvement & Development) Aberdeenshire Council
Jude Richards
Children & Families Policy Officer
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action

23. Background
Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action was introduced to the GIRFEC Wellbeing Game by the National 3rd Sector GIRFEC Project when it was launched in November 2016.
The GIRFEC Wellbeing Game was developed to support community organisations to:
Understand and explain to others how they support children and young people’s wellbeing
See links with other organisations involved in supporting children and young people
Identify gaps or areas for development
Plan to improve how they support children and young people’s wellbeing
AVA introduced to Game November 2016, National 3rd Sector GIRFEC Project event
Self explanatory purpose on slide
10% (Slide 1/2)
Background and rationale of your project
Setting the scene
Intro –
Hello my name is and intro everyone else
Health & Safety –
Fire Drill
Toilets
Tweet –
Using #CYPIC
Link to the session via ‘insert title of app’

24. Rationale for Work
Bring key people together and focus on shared outcomes in an effective manner
Encourage discussions to be more in-depth and inclusive, using a systematic process
Support development of collaborative work that links directly to actions and outcomes in the Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan
Introduced the game in 3rd sector in Aberdeenshire and quickly realised the potential for engaging multi agency teams (Early Years Forums in particular) to support the collaborative development of the project charters/ driver diagrams and general engagement around the model for improvement methodology
Requires a different approach:
Unique in Aberdeenshire, large geographical area – multi agency forums – not “teams” in the traditional sense
Different language, services, priorities
Allows differences to come together for same purpose – to improve outcomes
Adapted 3rd sector game to work with multi agency teams
10% (Slide 2/2)
Background and rationale of your project
Setting the scene
Intro –
Hello my name is and intro everyone else
Health & Safety –
Fire Drill
Toilets
Tweet –
Using #CYPIC
Link to the session via ‘insert title of app’

25. Aim
17 x Early Years Forums will be supported to use the Model for Improvement to develop focused, collaborative work with children pre-birth to 8 yrs, directly linked to the identified outcomes within Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan
See slide – self explanatory…
All 17 EYF HAVE BEEN TASKED WITH DELIVERING OUTCOMES IDENTIFIED IN csp
LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, DIFFERENT ISSUES IN DIFF AREAS
HOW DO THEY UNDERSTAND AND HOW TO CONNECT TO THE KEY THEMES
Eysg 5 KEY THEMES 4 of them forums had to connect in some way to one of them – eyfs hadn’t had previous direction, engagement and active partici[ation and understanding of the purpose of a forum
20% (Slide 1/2)
What was your theory for change?
What was your aim statement?

26. + + + = Theory Approach supports a clear and joint understanding of:
What are we trying to accomplish?
How will we know a change is an improvement?
What change can we make that will result in improvement? =
This is what the game looks like… refer to storyboard for post game work
By using the game, will allow us to take participants with us and connect them to MfI
Using the information that has been populated in the GIRFEC Wellbeing Game Planning Sheet, practitioners should be able to clearly link answers to the 3 key questions from the Model for Improvement.
More focus is on COLLABORATION AND CHANGE
45% (Slide 1/4)
What impact have you made?
What has the data shown? Can you display a run chart here?

27. Progress - Results
Number of Early Years Forums that have active Improvement Plans, linked to Key Themes within Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan, has increased significantly since February 2017.
By engaging with EYFs, they are linking Ips to one of 4 key themes, increased active participation in a number of the EYFs
It has identified a structured approach to training & dev of practitioners
Number of active IPS per Month, Feb – November
Who is linked to which key theme
45% (Slide 2/4)
What impact have you made?
What has the data shown? Can you display a run chart here?

28. Tests of Change Key Themes in Childrens Service Plan Parenting Support
Community Connectiveness
Play
Building Language & Communication ? ?
Setting scene
Due to the large geographical area, we had to adapt our approach to engaging with teams. Where to meet, when, different composites of EYF’s,
Issues. How do you know
Prioritise and link to CSP/ EYSG directly
Formulating strong aim statement to work
PDSA Ramp?
PDSA – changed structure of game
Used columns to do proj charter
Dumped that to do DD
Should could would want – changed wording x3 times
Language/ wording crucial
Focus on child not vehicle of work (upskilling parents)
Number of individuals playing game
20% (Slide 1/2)
What tests of change did you run?
Have you PDSA examples?
Can you describe what you learnt from this process?

29. What Else Has Been Achieved?
Building Relationships & Trust
Understanding of Purpose
Identifying Gaps and Opportunities
Supporting Improvement Methodology
Identifying Improvement Work
Supporting Collaborative Working
Encouraging “Safe” Challenge
Enabling All Voices to be Heard
Focusing Funding Applications
Supporting Evidencing Impact
Multi-Agency Planning
Linking to Key Strategies & Policies (CSP etc.)
Game acts as a pre-cursor and compliments the Model for Improvement methodology by
Removing jargon – forces use of language in game (example – nurture/ family learning/inclusion – Meldrum?)
Interactive – practitioners at ease, focusing on tool not people, process gets them from start to end
Focus on outcomes for child – something we all have in common
Shared agreement of the purpose of work & direction of travel
20% (Slide 2/2)
What was your theory for change?
What was your aim statement?

30. Fantastic opportunity to review and revisit our purpose TOGETHER
Testimonials
This is owned by US – we really feel like a stronger team that together knows its purpose
Didn’t feel like we were working on something as big as an improvement plan!
Many, many lightbulb moments – we were saying the same things in different languages, this removed the jargon and helped us see the light!
We didn’t just talk we achieved something in a very short timeframe
Builds professional trust really quickly with those I haven’t worked with before- amazing!!
Ironed out different views and perspectives without feeling like I was being challenged
Such a positive energy in the room – when can we do this again?
Game acts as a pre-cursor and compliments the Model for Improvement methodology by
Removing jargon – forces use of language in game (example – nurture/ family learning – Meldrum?)
Interactive – practitioners at ease, focusing on tool not people, process gets them from from start to end
Focus on outcomes for child – something we all have in common
Shared agreement of the purpose of work & direction of travel
20% (Slide 2/2)
What was your theory for change?
What was your aim statement?

31. Impact
I can see the children's service plan differently now and can see where the work that I do contributes to those outcomes! EYF Member
17 x Early Years Forums will be supported to use the Model for Improvement to develop focused, collaborative work with children pre-birth to 8 yrs, directly linked to the identified outcomes within Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan
Each service that sits in the EYF has some responsibility to deliver in EY, this process focuses on the collaborative changes/ work required
To evidence good multi agency practice that has been taken forward by EYF to deliver your improvement actions and themes
Using the game has led to improved participation and engagement using the Model for Improvement methodology to drive change
Engagement with those who have clear Driver Diagrams
Many practitioners report being more comfortable with interactive “training” – more “buy in”
Shared understanding/ planning to ensure overarching aim is everyone's goal
Focus is clear and agreed on improving specific outcomes for children
45% (Slide 1/4)
What impact have you made?
What has the data shown? Can you display a run chart here?
The Early Years Forums create the link between their collaborative improvement plan to a key theme from the Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan to enable delivery of focused outcomes for children.

32. Spread and Scale
The GIRFEC Game has now been used by 16 of the Early Years Forums in Aberdeenshire to support the identification, alignment and development of collaborative projects focused on children's outcomes, directly feeding into the Children's Service Plan
Approach requires a degree of flexibility to enable local needs and circumstances to be taken into account
Now the focus is to ensure that this process is sustainable by further development of the system and procedures
Confidence and enthusiasm of the game has increased queries and usage by all sectors in Aberdeenshire, supporting linkage to the Children's Service Plan
Approach has been spread over 17 EYFs to:
Support identification of local need
Prioritise work
Align to Aberdeenshire Children's Service Plan
Utilise Model for Improvement
Develop collaborative projects that respond to local need
Focus on improving outcomes for children
Flexibility required to respond to:
Low attendance
High caseloads
Established v new EYFs
Awareness of local connections and networks
Sustainability required going forward
System & process (including for reporting) 5%
What will you do now?
Will you continue to test or are you ready to implement and spread the learning?

33. What enables successful multi-agency working?
Table discussion
What enables successful multi-agency working?

34. Thank you