Life will get better for Swansea’s children and young people as council departments and agencies work more closely and effectively than ever before under proposals contained in a new report.
Projects including Pentrehafod’s Team Around the Child project, Flying Start at the Clwyd Children Centre and the Keeping Touch project are helping organisations come together to meet a child’s needs and improve their quality of life.
Swansea Council’s Children and Young People’s Overview Board is now calling for best practice to be the inspiration for continuing and improving the way all agencies in Swansea work together.
The findings are the result of an in-depth review of Integrated Service Provision conducted by the Overview Board over several months.
The report has been welcomed by Swansea Council’s Lead Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Mary Jones.
CYP Overview Board chairman Cllr John Newbury said: “It is our hope that this review will provide the lead and focus for future policy development of Integrated Service Provision.
“What became obvious as the review progressed was that there was significant good practice already occurring within the Council, Voluntary and Private sectors.
“The board is of the opinion that across the agencies there is an even further untapped wealth of goodwill, ideas and solid good practice waiting to be released.
“What is important is that the cross party recommendations contained within the report gain enough momentum to make a sustained improvement to the lives of the vulnerable children and young people who so desperately need someone who cares for them.”
Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Business Improvement and Efficiency and Lead Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Mary Jones, has broadly supported the board’s recommendations.
She said: “We can point to some very good examples of proactive services currently getting upstream of problems.
“There are many good examples of effective service delivery and cross agency working which would only be possible through mutual trust and respect.
“Over time we want to shift the balance of funding from the current situation so that there is greater emphasis on early intervention and prevention.”
