Integrated Children's Services Plans have
a vital role in ensuring that local authorities in Scotland
and other relevant agencies and organisations come together
to plan services and support for children and families in
each area in a co-ordinated way. This is done following a
shared local vision and making effective use of combined
knowledge and resources.
Section 19 of the
Children (Scotland ) Act 1995 places a statutory duty
on each local authority, in consultation with other
relevant agencies, to prepare and publish plans for the
provision and development of children's services in their
area. The local authority is also required to publish
information about the full range of children's services
that it provides or purchases, including early education
and childcare, social work, adoption, fostering and
residential care. The plan should also cover youth justice
and youth services.
All local partners and relevant organisations should be
involved in preparing the plan, including, amongst others,
the local authority education, social work and housing
departments, NHS Board, children's reporter services and
voluntary organisations. There should be shared local
ownership of the Children's Services Plan and the planning
process to ensure the best possible outcomes for children
and families, in line with the principles set out in the
For Scotland's Children report and Action Plan. Children's Services Plan
should link with other relevant local plans, including the
child component of the local Health Plan, the local
Education Improvement Plan, and the wider Community
Plan.
The planning process should determine local needs for
services and support; how local agencies and organisations
will work together to deliver and develop services in
response to these needs; the most effective use of staff
and other resources; and how services will be monitored and
evaluated in terms of the outcomes for children, young
people and their families.
As well as providing
funding,
the Scottish Executive issues guidance to assist local
authorities and their local partners in preparing their
Integrated Children's Services Plans. Integrated
Children's Services Planning
guidance
(with
annexes)
issued on 11 November 2004, under cover of a joint
Ministerial
letter from the Ministers for Education, Justice and
Health, to Chief Executives of Local Authorities and Health
Boards for the next set of local Children's Services Plans
for 2005-2008.
Copies of each area's local Children's Services Plan, or
information on how to access it, should be available by
contacting the relevant
local authority.