The Every Child Matters Forum, funded by Sefton PCT (Primary Care Trust), aims to:
- Promote the coordinated development of organisations working with children, young people and families, across the borough through inter-agency working
- Support and facilitate the involvement and participation of voluntary and community organisations in the development and delivery of services.
The overarching aim of the Forum is to develop a strategic approach to the delivery of services for children, young people and families across all sectors.
The Forum operates as part of Sefton's Community Empowerment Network and plays a key role in children and young people's service planning, bringing together agencies with an interest in delivering services for children and young people aged 0-19 years and their families.
Current work activities and priorities
Bi-monthly meetings - Including presentations on services, strategic developments, funding and consultation opportunities, new initiatives and providing an opportunity for services to share information.
Information Exchange - Policy briefings and information updates for Forum members (also available via the Sefton CVS website). Advertising your new projects and initiatives through the ECM Forum meetings and email.
Time Limited Working Groups - established to undertake specific pieces of work identified as priorities by Sefton Children’s Trust and the ECM Forum.
Information and Training Sessions - a range of training events and information sessions run throughout the year.
Recent events and sessions include ‘Commissioning Training’ and ‘Integrated Processes awareness raising’.
Sharing Good Practice - on issues such as Safeguarding Children and Participation.
Updates on Initiatives and strategic developments – for example on Sefton’s Play Strategy or the Local Area Agreement
Priorities for 2008 - 2011
Ensuring the engagement of the sector in the development and implementation of Children's Trust arrangements and in the discussion and development of the recommendations contained within Every Child Matters: Change for Children
Integrated Processes – Common Assessment Framework, Lead Practitioner, ContactPoint, Multi-agency Management Panels and the Children’s Services Directory; designed to ensure that children, young people and families have a complete ‘team around the child’ when receiving services and encourage the shift towards an increasingly preventative approach.
- Embedding ‘Stay Safe’ best practice and promoting the work of Sefton Local Safeguarding Children Board.
- Supporting an outcome focused way of working within service provision for children, young people and their families.
- Supporting voluntary, community and faith sector organisations with the developments outlined in ‘Building Brighter Futures: The Children’s Plan’ and raising awareness of greater opportunities for public service delivery.
Membership
Membership of the Every Child Matters Forum is open to any organisation with an interest in services for children, young people and families including those from statutory, voluntary and community sectors. Membership currently stands at 189 organisations
For further information
Contact Simone Hill, Every Child Matters Coordinator on (0151) 928 2233, ext. 324, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it