What we do and how we do it
Foreword
This is our second Children
and Young People’s Plan as
the Devon Children’s Trust.
It sets out our aspirations for
children and young people
across Devon and how we
plan to achieve them. This
is a strategic document,
which will be supported
by detailed delivery
plans. However, we are
determined that it will be
much more than that.
This new Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) sets out our long-term ambitions for children and young people wherever they live in the county, whatever their circumstances, and whatever their needs.
The CYPP is based on universal
entitlements for all children and
young people, many of which
are already set out in single
agency plans. These universal
services*, such as schools and GPs,
are the foundation for the joint
work on which this plan focuses.
Our commitment to provide
consistent and high-quality services
runs in parallel with the recognition
that children and young people
in Ilfracombe may need different
services from those in Ivybridge;
and those in Holsworthy will need
something different again from
those in Honiton.
Regardless of who provides a service, what matters is that it:
- is based on the needs of the children, young people, and families
- makes best use of the resources available
- is of the best quality.
We plan to achieve this through joint strategic commissioning.
Some of the ambitions in the
document will be realised in the
short-term; some will take much
longer. That will not prevent us
aspiring to them and stating
publicly that:
- we want to do the best for every child
- we want all children to have fun growing up in Devon.
We recognise that families bring up children; our job is to support them to do that.
We consulted widely with many children and young people, as well as families, schools and other partners while drawing up this plan. It is important that children get off to the best start in life and we will be placing more emphasis on early childhood and the vital developmental stage of 0 to 7 years.
We will provide the building blocks
for children to achieve in the
middle years, ensuring they feel
safe and have access to the widest
possible range of enriching activities.
For adolescents and young adults,
we will offer a range of options
suited to their needs and aspirations
alongside a rich variety of places to
go and things to do.
We must make sure that our children and young people are safe, happy and healthy and able to play a full role in their local communities. It will take time to realise all of these ambitions. By continuing to establish good practice and sustain the improvements we have been making we can be confident that, in Devon, every child will truly matter.