Agenda item

Report of the Acting Director of Children and Adult Services

The Acting Director of Children and Adults Services submitted a report (previously circulated) to provide Members with an update on the progress to date against the delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) 2017/22.

The Plan, which covers a five year period,  is one of the identified delivery plans within the Sustainable Community Strategy and identifies what key actions will be taken to deliver the agreed Sustainable Community Strategy priority of the best start in life for every child which was adopted by Council on 29 September 2017.

The submitted report highlighted the seven priorities for the next five years

and it had been previously agreed by the Multi-agency Steering Group (MASG),

Chaired by the Assistant Director for Commissioning,Performance and Transformation and bringing together key partners to ensure effective monitoring and delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan,to have a yearly focus on two of the priority actions, and during 2019-20 it was agreed to focus on child poverty and improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.

It was reported that the COVID pandemic had had a significant impact on the outcomes of the children and young people living in Darlington and the MASG have considered the findings of the Covid-19 Impact Report and agreed for 2021-22 to continue to focus on child poverty and improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing and also to focus on youth employment.

Members discussed in particular the impact of the pandemic and the longer term effects on families and what can be done to support them in the future; the Multi Agency Steering Group; and the role of this Scrutiny Committee in monitoring the plan as it moves forward.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

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