Children's Trust Newsletter July 2007

Welcome to the second edition of Sunderland Children's Trust's quarterly e-newsletter. In each issue we will bring you news about the work going on in Sunderland to deliver better outcomes for children and young people.

JAR REPORT

The Joint Area Review (JAR) is an inspection of all publicly funded services for children and young people in the local area, including those that are directly managed or commissioned by the council and services provided by health and youth justice services. The inspectors came to:

• Carry out an inspection of all publicly funded services for children and young people

• Judge the leadership and management of services for children and young people

• Consider the effectiveness of services working together to improve outcomes

• Particularly focus on outcomes for the most vulnerable children and young people

They graded us as follows:

The things we do well include

Being Healthy

• Breastfeeding rates are improving
• The health of looked after children is very good

Staying Safe

• Good safe recruitment practices across all agencies
• Good multi-agency working, planning and communication for those on the Child Protection Register

Enjoy & Achieve

• Standards achieved by Bangladeshi pupils
• Permanent exclusions are very low

Making a Positive Contribution

• Services routinely and systematically engage children and young people in key decisions
• Many examples of high quality support provided to parents and carers

Achieving Economic Well being

• Excellent partnership arrangements between council and partners to support development post-16
• Success at A-level is very good

Service Management

• Children & Young People’s Plan has clear, robust priorities
• Well established Children’s Trust arrangements

The actions we need to take to improve are:

The JAR report ( 388kb) is now available to download.

YOS INSPECTION REPORT

Sunderland Youth Offending Service received their Inspection Report from HMI Probation in May. The Inspectorate's main findings were:

Management (score of 4 out of 4)

The Management Board was highly effective in offering a strategic direction to the YOS and ensuring that it was involved in cross-cutting areas of work

Work in the Courts (score of 2 out of 4)

The YOS was well respected by the local courts and there was good communication between YOS staff and sentencers, although the quality of court reports needed attention

Work with Children and Young People in the Community (score of 3 out of 4)

There were strong partnerships providing a range of programmes for children and young people at risk of offending or involved in anti-social behaviour

Work with Children and Young People subject to Detention and Training Orders (score of 4 out of 4)

YOS staff had good contact with children and young people who were in prison or a secure establishment and good planning was carried out by YOS staff for these children and young people

Victims and Restorative Justice (score of 3 out of 4)

There was a good system in place within the YOS for contacting the victims of youth crime. Victims appreciated this contact and were pleased with the response of the YOS

Sunderland Youth Offending Service is delighted by this outstanding performance - one of the highest inspection ratings at the time of publication. Although the Work with the Courts rating is lower than other section ratings, several of the subcategories in this Inspection standard achieved positive results with many positive comments and identified areas of good practice.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S PLAN (CYPP) 2007-09

The CYPP is the single, overarching strategic plan for all services for children and young people in the area, provided by the local authority and all relevant partners. It is a 3 year plan which we are required to update annually. The first plan was published in 2006. A review of the CYPP 2006-09 has been completed and an Annual Report on progress made in 2006-07 ( 584kb) is available to download.

By listening to children and young people and carrying out an extensive needs assessment involving parents/carers and professionals from all partner agencies, the priorities, actions and targets in the 2006-09 plan have been reviewed and updated, and a CYPP 2007-09 ( 1.14mb) is now available to download.

The following 10 Priorities have emerged as the focus of the Children’s Trust work over the next 2 years.

The Children’s Trust wants children and young people in Sunderland to:

1. Be strong individuals, proud of their city and contribute to its future
2. Be aware of how their behaviour affects others and the importance of staying out of trouble
3. Make positive lifestyle choices
4. Lead healthier lives
5. Feel good about themselves
6. Be safe in the community, at school and at home
7. Achieve in their education
8. Enjoy sport, leisure and play
9. Live in decent homes
10. Get the right training, further education and jobs

This e-newsletter will be a tool by which partners can communicate with each other about the things they are doing to deliver on each of the priorities. All partners are invited to submit short articles for inclusion in the newsletter. Please send them to karen.spoors@sunderland.gov.uk

Priority 1. Be strong individuals, proud of their city and contribute to its future

Learning is fun

THE VOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE across the city were heard at the fourth annual city youth stakeholder conference at the Stadium of Light in June.

The event was organised by and for young people through school councils and the Sunderland Youth Parliament. Delegates from every primary and secondary school in Sunderland were joined this year by guests from both this country and Russia, to take part in a series of activities throughout the day looking at issues affecting young people's lives with the theme ' Learning is Fun.'

It was feedback from the first conference on bullying four years ago that led to the development of Sunderland’s Anti-Bullying Charter Mark which has been hailed by both the Government and the National Children's Bureau as an example of best practice which the rest of the country should follow.

This year’s conference saw the first schools to achieve the anti-bullying charter mark - Thornhill, Hetton, Richard Avenue Primary and Newbottle Primary schools presented with their certificates by members of Sunderland Youth Parliament (SYP).

Grant Hollis, a member of SYP and Sunderland's MYP and regional representative on the national youth parliament said "This is a great achievement getting the first round of schools successfully awarded their charter marks. This is only the first step for the schools who are being awarded, as the second phase is about making sure the schools work with its pupils, staff and parents to achieve the next level of the charter mark. The Charter Mark is a unique model in Sunderland where young people grade schools on their bullying policy and we have received national interest on our model."

For more information on our work to tackle bullying, see Priority 6 below.

Millennium Volunteers receive special recognition from Mayor

In June, the city held its annual celebration of volunteers during National Volunteers Week. Each year voluntary organisations are invited to nominate volunteers to attend a celebratory evening with the Mayor, held at the Seaburn Marriott Hotel. The event which is organised by the city council in partnership with the health trusts, sees around 200 volunteers personally thanked by the Mayor for their valuable contribution to the city.

Amongst those receiving special recognition this year were a group of young people who volunteer through the Millennium Volunteers programme at City Hospitals. The young people volunteer in a variety of areas including spending time on wards as befrienders, whilst others act as meeters and greeters welcoming patients and visitors into the hospital at the Chester Road outpatients department.

Priority 2. Be aware of how their behaviour affects others and the importance of staying out of trouble

Priority 4. Lead healthier lives

Sunderland spreads a smile for National Smile Month

It was smiles all round in Sunderland in May-June 2007 as Children’s Centres across the City celebrated National Smile Month.

Toddlers in Hendon, Silksworth and Ryhope swapped bottles for weaning cups at a Healthy Tots Day organised by the South and East Children’s Centre, and youngsters were handed free toothbrushes and toothpaste as part of a city wide scheme by Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust.

National Smile Month is the largest oral health campaign in the UK and promotes the three key messages of limiting sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes, brushing twice-a-day with fluoride toothpaste and visiting the dentist regularly.

Making food sense

TALENTED SUNDERLAND CHILDREN used their artistic flair to promote good food hygiene during National Food Safety Week in June. Environmental Health Officers visited schools across the city to give presentations to pupils about food safety and kitchen hygiene based on ' Remember the 4C's for Food Safety' :

• Cleanliness
• Cooking
• Chilling
• Cross-contamination

The younger children used what they have learnt in class to design posters to encourage the adults to take more care when both preparing and storing food with some of the best unveiled at Morrisons in Doxford Park where they were displayed for a full week.

Priority 5. Feel good about themselves

Happy in Our Heads

In January 2006, the “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say” White Paper highlighted that Primary Care Trusts had “more to do” to improve access to services provided by CAMHS. The Happy in Our Heads report ( 288kb) summarizes the outcomes of a consultation that was undertaken with 51 vulnerable children and young people in Sunderland to find out their views with regard to the accessibility of services.

Further information can be obtained from Norah Stevens, Participation Officer.

Priority 6. Be safe in the community, at school and at home

MPs report recognises disablist bullying as a big problem

A recent MPs report has identified bullying of children because they have a disability, as a significant problem. The report was published by the Education and Skills Committee, and came with two key recommendations:

• All schools’ anti-bullying policies must address disablist bullying
• The Government must produce guidance on disablist bullying

During Learning Disability Week (17-24 June), Mencap launched a campaign to highlight the fact that most children with a learning disability are bullied. The campaign calls for action to be taken to stop disablist bullying.

For more information read the Education and Skills Committee report or visit Mencap.

Beat the bullies

SUNDERLAND’S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO TACKLING THE BULLIES FROM WITHIN THE CLASSROOM has been held up as a national example of best practice.

Drawn up by young people themselves, with every pupil in Sunderland given the chance to contribute their views either through completing a questionnaire or through their school council, the Anti-Bullying Charter was launched over a year ago at the Stadium of Light to provide schools with guidelines to follow when dealing with bullying. By judging themselves against the criteria within the Anti-Bullying Charter, schools have the opportunity to see how they perform in the key areas pupils themselves have helped identify.

The Charter Mark was presented by John Britton (PSHCE Consultant) and Charlotte Cheal from Sunderland's Youth Parliament at a national meeting with DfES and representatives from other Local Authorities, and backed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

Emergency Services pay a visit to Children's Centre

Thorney Close Children’s Centre and the emergency services joined forces during Child Safety Week in June to help prevent accidents involving children. The Fire and Rescue Service performed demonstrations of common household accidents and how to prevent them, while the city’s lifeguards provided advice on how to stay water wise. Other advice available on the day included information on drugs and road safety.

Susan Hamilton, Staff Nurse at the Children’s Centre explained: “Even though there was plenty of fun activities for the children, including the opportunity to dress up in lifeguard uniforms, there was a serious message behind the day. We want to help educate parents and carers in preventing serious accidents that involve young children.”

Priority 7. Achieve in their education

Success in Sunderland

THE OUTSTANDING TALENT AND ACHIEVEMENT of young people in Sunderland was celebrated recently at the inaugural ‘Success In Sunderland’ event. The awards, which recognise particularly gifted and talented young people, were set up following requests from Sunderland schools.

Lorraine Johnson, Sunderland City Council's 'Excellence in Cities' manager said "Schools suggested we create an event celebrating the many able, gifted and talented young people we have in Sunderland and this is the result. We hope 'Success in Sunderland' will become an increasingly popular annual event. Children have been nominated for a number of reasons, including good work in the community, academic or sporting achievement and we hope to develop more categories to cover all aspects of young people's particular skills and talents."

Each primary and secondary school taking part had already celebrated the success of its young people within their own school community, with the presentation of certificates in school assemblies. More than 50 young people were then put forward to be acknowledged at these city-wide awards.

Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Services Cllr Pat Smith said "I am delighted to have been invited to present these certificates on behalf of our city, and celebrate the talents and achievements of our young people. The contribution they make to our community cannot be underestimated but is sometimes overlooked, so these awards can provide a very welcome reminder for us all."

Lions of Zululand prowling Sunderland

A DANCE TROUPE has been lending a definite African flavour to primary school assemblies in Sunderland as part of an education outreach programme.

'The Lions of Zululand' visited primary schools around the city on a ten-day cultural exchange tour, performing traditional dances in national costume as the schoolday begins, and then staying with the children throughout the day with music and dance workshops to prepare the children to give their own performances to parents and classmates at the end of the day.

While the music provides the main focus of the day, the twelve strong group use it to help the primary school children look at the art and literature which defines Zulu life and culture as part of their history and citizenship studies.

Families celebrate national Family Learning Week

As part of national Family Learning Week in June Sunderland’s Children’s Centres invited parents along to workshops to try out their Early Years Family Learning courses.

The short courses, provided through Children’s Centres in Sunderland, aim to help parents improve their own literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, so they can help their children’s speech and language development. The workshop taster sessions included content from the Family Learning courses and focused on exploring how children learn as well as giving parents and carers the opportunity to see how they could brush up on their own literacy and numeracy skills.

The Skills for Life introductory programme looks at language and play and how a child’s language develops. It also highlights what parents can do to help the progression of their children’s language. After completing the introduction adults can then progress onto a Skills for Life short course.

Minister for Schools opens the future for generations of school children

Jim Knight Minister of State for Schools and 14-19 Learners visited Oxclose Community School in June, to mark the beginning of a new future for Sunderland school children.

Mr Knight MP officially opened the first school in Sunderland to benefit from the government’s ambitious Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme which will transform secondary education by providing 21st century learning environments that engage and inspire young people to learn.

Oxclose Community School, in Washington, is the first of nine Sunderland schools to benefit from a £120 million investment into changing the face of education. The £10.6 million refurbishment of the school, which has Visual and Performing Arts status, has not only turned it into a centre of learning excellence with a multi-media resource centre, performing arts suite and state of the art computing equipment, but will also make it a focal point for the community out of school hours.

Minister opens Pennywell Early Years Centre

CABINET MINISTER for Social Exclusion Hilary Armstrong officially opened the city's latest Children's Centre in June.

The Pennywell Early Years Centre in Portsmouth Road provides children and families with a range of integrated services to meet all their child-care, education, health, training and social welfare needs with facilities and staff based within the centre to serve the community.

Praising the school for the good work the Centre had been doing since April to support children and families in the community, Hilary Armstrong said: " We all know that to provide outstanding care and support to children in the very first years of their life is the best investment we can possibly make. All the evidence tells us that the earlier we direct our focus when it comes to supporting children and families, the more success they will have in later life – and the more likely they are to arrive in school ready to learn and thrive."

Priority 10. Get the right training, further education and jobs

Stepping up to higher education

STEPPING UP to higher education was the theme of an event for sixth formers across the city held at the University of Sunderland in June.

During the two day event, St. Peter's Campus played host to 1,500 students from sixth form schools and the City of Sunderland College in Sunderland who all had the opportunity to take part in a ‘ Masterclass ’ and workshops with University lecturers and staff to discover which course of study and personal development would be best suited to their future goals and career aspirations.

Aside from the more traditional routes into higher education the event also included options such as having a year in industry before studying, or taking a foundation degree as study alternatives. There was also the opportunity for potential students to discover more about having a gap year and how this can be arranged - with specialist advice providers Madventurer delivering presentations on campus to provide guidance on the possibilities.

Speaking before the event, Maggie Stewart, Aimhigher Manager said: "This event is designed to allow young people considering higher education to examine all the options available to them, with staff on hand with information and advice. For example student finance can be an area of concern and up-to-date information will be given by the University on fees, grants, loans as well as accommodation and any other areas that might be of concern.”

The event was funded by Aimhigher Sunderland, part of a national programme that aims to widen participation in higher education by raising the aspirations and developing the abilities and opportunities for young people from currently under-represented groups in education.

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