A Child-Centred Recovery

Purpose of report

For direction.

Summary

The Children and Young People team has produced a draft publication entitled “A Child-Centred Recovery” to:

Encourage councils and the Government to put children at the heart of COVID-19 recovery planning;

Collate asks of the Government to steer the team’s work in the coming months; and

Collate evidence for the Comprehensive Spending Review to support the wider LGA submission to that review.

Recommendation/s That the Children and Young People Board approves the Child-Centred Recovery document, subject to any additions or amendments identified by the Board and final sign off by the Political Group Offices. Action/s Officers to update the document in response to recommendations by the Board and publish in advance of the Spending Review deadline on 24 September.

Contact officer:	Louise Smith

Position:	Senior Adviser – Children and Young People

Phone no:	07464 652769

Email:	louise.smith@local.gov.uk

A Child-Centred Recovery

Background

The LGA recently published the document Rethinking Local to outline its ambitions for local areas following the coronavirus pandemic, and how local and central government could work together to make this happen. This recognises that the pandemic has shifted many local and national priorities, and a new approach is needed to ensure the best recovery for local areas.

In addition, a Comprehensive Spending Review has been announced for Autumn 2020 – an opportunity to reset finances for the remainder of this Government.

Child-Centred Approaches

In Bright Futures: Getting the Best for 30 Years, the LGA highlighted the importance of putting children at the centre of decision-making, and called on councils and government to consider whole-council and cross-government approaches to this.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children, young people and families has been significant. This covers a broad range of issues, from school-readiness for very young children, to examinations issues for older children, and employment and training for school leavers. Issues around child protection, health and poverty are also clear. We believe, therefore, that a child-centred approach to planning and decision-making is more important than ever, as part of the emphasis on local communities outlined in Rethinking Local.

This document is structured in three parts:

The impact of COVID-19 on children, young people and their families, and our immediate response

Child-centred approaches

The longer-term challenges of delivering child- and young person-friendly places to live.

The draft also identifies three key issues for the Government to address immediately to support recovery from the pandemic:

a)	A cross-Whitehall strategy that puts children and young people at the heart of recovery.

b)	Investment in local safety nets and the universal and early help services, including mental health and wellbeing services, that children, young people and their families will need to support them through the short and long-term impacts of the pandemic.

c)	Dedicated action to prevent the attainment gap from widening.

Implications for Wales

Children’s services and education are devolved in Wales. However issues such as taking a child-centred approach to recovery will be relevant to all councils in LGA membership, including those in Wales.

Financial Implications

There are no financial implications associated with this report.

Next steps

Following feedback from the Board, officers will amend the report and circulate to Lead Members and the Political Group Offices for final sign off.

The document will be published prior to the LGA making its submission to the Spending Review on 24 September to ensure that it can be referred to by the submission to provide further detail.