Scotland's children's services plans 2023-2026 review: improving outcomes for children, young people and families

3. Vision and collective leadership of Children’s Services Planning

This chapter covers the vision, collective leadership, and governance arrangements described in Children’s Services Plans.

Vision (Criterion 1)

The Statutory Guidance states that each Children’s Services Plan should set out a clear, ambitious and compelling vision, which is shared across CSPP partners. All but two of the 2023-26 CSPs fully met this criterion. This represents a slight decline since the previous review, when all but one fully met this criterion (Figure 3.1).

There were many examples of good practice in achieving this criterion, with most Children’s Services Plans setting out a clear, ambitious vision that is shared across CSPP partners. Some CSPs presented a vision statement in a prominent, brightly coloured text box, and others integrated the vision into wider commentary on the overall aims and context of the CSP. A few CSPs repeated a vision statement several times throughout the document; for example, Moray included their vision on the front cover and as a footer on each page.

Of the two Children’s Services Plans that did not meet this criterion, one referred readers to a vision statement on the council’s website, but did not include it in their CSP. The other presented key aims, but no overall vision.

There were some common themes across the visions set out in Children’s Services Plans; half (15 out of 30) referred to helping children and young people achieve their potential, with six of these using near-identical wording to the National Performance Framework Outcome for Children and Young People^[2]. Other common themes included: a reference to giving children and young people the best start in life or making their local CSPP area ‘the best place to grow up’; references to other aspects of wellbeing, such as ensuring children are healthy, active, or nurtured (referencing the eight wellbeing indicators across SHANARRI^[3]); and a focus on delivering the right support at the right time.

Children’s Services Planning guidance requires the establishment of clear collective leadership and governance arrangements for the CSP; this helps to develop and embed the ‘shared’ aspect of the vision. Most Children’s Services Plans (28 out of 30) included a description of the governance arrangements underpinning the development and oversight of the CSP; this often included details of strategic sub-groups accountable for different aspects of children’s services or strategic priorities, such as Child Protection Committees and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships. The majority of CSPs presented this information in a diagram showing the structure of the CSPP.

Most CSPs highlighted the importance of partnership working and multi-agency collaboration. Children’s Services Planning Partnerships commonly included representation from: the local authority, NHS Health Boards, Police Scotland, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, Health and Social Care Partnerships and third sector organisations. In some cases, local colleges, youth groups and other emergency services were also listed as members of the CSPP.

The majority of CSPs (24 out of 30) noted that the third sector had been involved as a partner in Children’s Services Planning structures. Details of which third sector organisations were involved were often not specified, though where they were named, it was usually the local third sector interface. Examples included Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire, Volunteer Centre East Lothian and CVS Falkirk.

Examples of good practice

Clackmannanshire: The Children’s Services Plan sets out its vision statement clearly and prominently in a brightly coloured box on page 2. It goes on to describe local governance arrangements, stating that “the CSP has been developed collaboratively by the Children and Young People Partnership in Clackmannanshire and responsibility for delivery of the plan lies with that partnership. The Children and Young People Partnership sits as part of the Clackmannanshire Community Planning Partnership known as the Clackmannanshire Alliance”. Membership of the Children and Young People Partnership comprises a range of public bodies and third sector organisations including: Clackmannanshire Council, NHS Forth Valley, Police Scotland, Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface, the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, Forth Valley College and Who Cares? Scotland.

East Renfrewshire: The vision statement is included in a one-page summary of the Children’s Services Plan on page 8. Appendices 1 & 2 in the CSP illustrate local governance arrangements and Children’s Services Planning Landscape in hierarchy diagrams. Full membership of the Children’s Services Planning Partnership is listed in Appendix 3, including role, organisation and contact details for each member.

Falkirk: The shared vision for Falkirk is set out at the beginning of the CSP: "To make Falkirk the best place we can for all our children and young people to grow up to be loved, safe and respected to achieve their full potential." Governance arrangements are outlined, with the CSP confirming that Falkirk's Children and Young People's Strategic Leadership Group directs the strategic planning, development and delivery of children’s services. The Group includes various partners including NHS Forth Valley, Forth Valley College, Police Scotland, Falkirk Council and the third sector.

Additional Policy and Engagement Context

There is a shared commitment across partners at national and local level to deliver on our vision to make Scotland the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. This ambition is reflected in the inclusion of a Children and Young People Outcome as part of Scotland’s National Performance Framework; the holistic approach of the Children, Young People and Families Outcomes Framework; and national outcomes which have a focus on specific aspects of child and family wellbeing, or the needs of population groups.

Feedback from Children’s Services Planning stakeholders has highlighted that new national strategies and action plans can result in the emergence of additional governance and stakeholder groups, at national and local level. Stakeholders have called for greater integration across different aspects of policy, strategic planning, service delivery, and frontline practice, to more clearly set strategies and action plans in the overarching vision for rights and wellbeing of Scotland’s children, young people and families, and the framework of the UNCRC and Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC).

There is recognition of the need for improvement activity which supports greater policy cohesion across child and family wellbeing. This includes opportunities to reduce burdensome strategic planning and reporting requirements, to more holistically understand and apply outcomes and data, and to streamline governance and stakeholder groups.

Leadership of Children’s Services Planning

The Children’s Services Planning Strategic Leads Network was convened in October 2019 and is co-chaired by the Director for Children and Families, Scottish Government and a representative of CSP Strategic Lead stakeholders. The Network provides a national forum for leadership of Children’s Services Planning, and connects directly with local collective leadership through each CSPPs nominated Children’s Services Planning Strategic Lead. Network membership includes Scottish Government policy leads, as well as representatives from key public bodies^[4] and the third sector, reflecting partners with a shared interest in safeguarding, supporting, and promoting the wellbeing of children and families.

The Children’s Services Planning Strategic Leads Network works closely with the Children and Families National Leadership Group. More information on the Network can be found in Appendix D..