OCYPS inc. EDUCATION PROVISION

Services designed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children are delivered through the Office of Children and Young People’s Services [OCYPS] within Cambridgeshire County Council.
OCYPS is responsible for:

• Education [including Early Years]
• Social care for children and families
• Youth Services
• Youth Offending Services
• Connexions Service
• Sure Start Services

These services operate within the 3 main geographical areas of the County – Fenland [including East Cambs.], Huntingdon [including St Neots] and Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire.

In keeping with the intentions of the ‘Every Child Matters’ report, OCYPS provides ‘integrated services’ to children in Cambridgeshire. This means that all the different professionals who work with children are brought together within one department to allow much closer co-operation, information sharing and joint working.  The whole of OCYPS works to the ‘5 Outcomes for Children’ – which were first identified within ‘Every Child Matters’ and endorsed within the Children Act 2004. The 5 are:

• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Achieving economic wellbeing

Safeguarding Children is part of each of these outcomes – but the ‘Staying Safe’ Outcome is particularly important.  This covers various aspects of children and young peoples well-being – things like protection from bullying, exposure to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.

Social Care Services for Children and Families have a responsibility to protect vulnerable children who are ‘in need’ or who may be ‘at risk of significant harm’.  If there is a concern that a child may be suffering or about to suffer significant harm, the Service has a duty to investigate the matter and provide services, as appropriate, to children and their families. In each of the 3 geographical areas listed above there will be teams of social workers and social care staff who undertake assessments and provide services to families – including to children who are in the care system as a result of families being unable to look after them.

Before any child or family can receive any help there will need to be an assessment of their needs.  There are 2 main types of assessment – an ‘Initial Assessment’ – which is fairly basic – will be completed after relevant information has been gathered from all the other important agencies – Health, Education, Police, Probation and after a visit is made to the family concerned.  Where the Initial Assessment reveals that the concerns are likely to continue or even worsen – without the provision of services, a more in-depth ‘Core Assessment’ is carried out.  A Core Assessment may take up to 7 weeks to complete and will contain much more detailed information about the family and an analysis of the concerns and how they might be addressed.  A Core Assessment is needed before a child can be regarded as ‘in need’ [as defined in Section 17 of the Children Act 1989] or in order to ascertain what services or type of intervention is needed when a child ‘is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm’ [as defined in Section 47 of the Children Act 1989].

For those children likely to suffer harm, OCYPS has a team of experienced social workers who operate the child protection system which brings together – within a ‘child protection conference’ – all the professionals from different agencies who are working with a particular family in order to share information about the children and make a decision about whether they need a Child Protection Plan. The Plan is designed to put in place measures that will safeguard the welfare of the child concerned and protect them from harm.  The Child Protection Plan has to be regularly reviewed at subsequent child protection conferences to ensure that progress is being made. The child protection conference is a statutory process which has to take place in a certain way and within certain timescales – in accordance with the government guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ [2006].

OCYPS provide different kinds of services depending on the different needs that have been identified during the assessment process.  For example a family might be encouraged to become involved in various parenting programmes while the children – depending on their age and needs – may be offered an opportunity to join in with after school clubs; or for teenagers, there might be advice sessions on relationships and sexual health.

OCYPS also has staff who specialise in particular aspects of safeguarding – there are, for example, social workers who specialise in working with families where domestic violence is an issue or where a child is particularly vulnerable because of a disability.  Other specialists deal with allegations made by children against adults who are in a ‘position of trust’ – i.e. people whose job; or position brings them into legitimate contact with groups of children – for example teachers, youth worker, Ministers and officials from Church and Faith Groups, sports club organisers, scout and guide leaders etc.

OCYPS is constantly having to refine its services to meet the ever-changing needs of children and families.  Those responsible for safeguarding children are currently facing the challenge of protecting children from the risks that come with the introduction of new technology – the dangers of internet grooming; cyber bullying and dissemination of indecent images of children.  The ease with which foreign travel is available has necessitated OCYPS in developing ways of helping child asylum-seekers; trafficked children and children from abroad being ‘privately fostered’ by individuals and organisations in this country.

What is obvious in facing all these challenges is that OCYPS can only be really effective when working in collaboration with and alongside all those other agencies represented within the Local Children’s Safeguarding Board who have expertise and experience in working with children.