Joint area review

Joint area review of Report for children and young people Trafford

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Report for children and young people about the services they receive in Trafford

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• Being healthy • Staying safe • Enjoying and doing well at school and as they grow up • Making a positive contribution to society • Being successful in whatever they choose to do when they are adults Trafford children’s and young people report 2

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Why should I read this?

The law says that inspectors must look at and then report on how well local services serve children and young people in an area. This is called a “review”. Inspectors visited your area recently. You might like to read this, or the full report, to find out what they had to say.

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What did the inspectors do?

Nine inspectors visited Trafford December 2005 and January 2006 so they could see what life is like for children and young people in the area. They;

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What did the inspectors do?

™ listened to a number of children and young people they met at youth centres, community centres, a children’s centre and schools, especially in the Partington area ™ talked with adults working with children and young people (like social workers, teachers, youth workers, nurses, doctors, police officers and counsellors) ™ spoke to a few parents, as well as other people caring for children, ™ spoke to someone from the Youth Parliament ™ heard from the council and other agencies what it thinks about the services it provides for children ™ read quite a few reports, and ™ visited services used by children to see things for themselves.

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What did the inspectors do?

The inspectors also looked at how well particular children are doing (like those with a learning difficulty and/or disability, or in council care).

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How well are children and young people doing in Trafford?

™ overall, most children and young people are doing well compared to children in other parts of the country ™ the majority of children and young people are healthy ™ most children and young people are kept safe and feel safe ™ educational standards achieved by most children and young people are very good ™ young people behave responsibly and some make a good contribution to their schools and the area in which they live ™ most young people are well prepared for working life Trafford children’s and young people report 3

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How well are children and young people doing in Trafford?

™ the numbers of children and young people involved in crime is below that found in other parts of the country.

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How well are children and young people doing in Trafford?

™ children and young people who are particularly vulnerable do not always achieve as well as others at school, but this is improving ™ some children and young people felt that bullying was a problem in some areas and this sometimes prevented them from taking part in community activities out of school ™ in some parts of Trafford, it is difficult for children and young people to use public transport and this stopped them taking part in activities outside of their local areas ™ some young people leaving care sometimes have difficulty finding suitable homes ™ some children and young people with mental health problems felt that services to help them should be provided in more suitable locations ™ some young people aged 16 and 17 have difficulty finding suitable accommodation.

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your area?

Children and young people say they are often asked for their views but are not told enough about the decisions adults make after they have given them. The inspectors agreed with this view. They were positive about the arrangements being made to encourage discussion on issues affecting the lives of children.

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in my area?

™ Overall, local services for young children and their families are being developed well. ™ Education services help children and young people to enjoy their education and leisure activities. ™ Local services contribute well to keeping children and young people healthy. ™ Health education is good, especially that which focuses on sexual health, substance misuse, healthy eating and physical activity. ™ There are improvements in the way services identify children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the help they provide. Trafford children’s and young people report 4

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in my area?

™ Vulnerable children and young people are kept safe from abuse and exploitation. ™ Local services are well run and continue to improve the provision for children and young people. ™ The support for those who face particular difficulties, such as being a young mother or those with drugs and/or alcohol problems.

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things better for children and young people?

™ Services for keeping children safe have substantially improved; these improvements now need to be maintained. ™ The local police help to keep children safe, but they don’t always have enough time to be involved in safeguarding arrangements. This needs to be reviewed. ™ Councillors and senior officers in all services need to give more attention to reducing bullying of children and young people in schools across the whole of Trafford. ™ Information needs to be developed for children and young people (and for their parents and carers) about ways to keep safe. ™ The views of children and young people about the ways that local transport in parts of Trafford limits their choice and access to education, training and leisure facilities need to be taken into account. ™ The involvement of children and young people in decision making is getting better but needs to go further to ensure that their views are listened to and responded to appropriately.

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things better for children and young people?

™ More needs to be done to provide suitable accommodation for young people aged 16 and 17.

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