Joint area review

Joint area review of Report for children and young people Enfield

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

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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 Enfield children and young people’s 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?

Eleven inspectors visited Enfield in September and October 2005 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 and schools, especially in the Edmonton Green area; ™ talked to adults working with children and young people (such as social workers, teachers, youth workers, health visitors, doctors, nurses and police officers); ™ spoke to a few parents, as well as other people caring for children and young people; ™ met with school councils’ representatives and members of the Youth Assembly; ™ heard from the council and other agencies what they think about the services they provide 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 (such as those with a learning difficulty and/or disability or those in council care). Enfield children and young people’s report 3

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How well are children and young people doing in Enfield?

™ overall, children and young people are doing well compared with children in other parts of the country; ™ most children and young people are healthy; ™ children and young people appear to be safe from abuse and exploitation; ™ educational standards achieved by most children and young people are satisfactory; ™ most young people behave responsibly and many make a good contribution to their schools and the area in which they live; and ™ young people are prepared for working life.

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How well are children and young people doing in Enfield?

™ there is great variation between schools in terms of the educational standards that children and young people achieve and the progress that they make; ™ seven year old children do less well than the average child of the same age in other parts of the country; ™ there are more children absent from school without permission than the average in other parts of the country; ™ the careers advice offered by schools varies in quality and not all young people know how the Connexions service can help them; and ™ the number of young people leaving council care with five or more A* to C grades at GCSE is increasing but is not as high as the average in other parts of the country. Enfield children and young people’s report 4

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told inspectors about your area?

The children and young people met during the inspection said that they had some influence on how things are run at school but little influence on how things are run in their area. The inspectors agreed with these views.

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told inspectors about your area?

Most children and young people say they feel safe at school. In the Edmonton Green area, some raised strong concerns about safety in the local area, especially in the parks. The inspectors could see that these were genuine worries that restricted some children’s freedom.

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told inspectors about your area?

Young people felt that not enough leisure activities or youth service activities were provided for them. The inspectors agreed that there were not enough activities, but found that those activities which were provided by the youth service, and by the council and police working together, were good.

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and young people in my area?

™ Health visitors, doctors and nurses help to keep children and young people healthy. ™ Schools provide good health education, especially on healthy eating and physical exercise. ™ There is good support for young people with mental health problems. ™ The most vulnerable children and young people are kept safe from abuse and exploitation. ™ Social workers give good support to children, young people, parents and other people who care for them. ™ Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified at an early age and are supported well throughout their time at school. Enfield children and young people’s report 5

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and young people in my area?

™ There is good support for children and young people who do not attend school (such as those who are in hospital, who have been excluded from school, or whose parents have decided to teach them at home). ™ Children who are looked after by the council are given good support with their education. ™ Schools give good support to children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. ™ Schools and the youth service help young people to grow up as helpful, thoughtful people. ™ The police, the council and schools work well together to help young people to avoid offending or re-offending and the number of young people committing offences has fallen. ™ Good support is given to young people who face particular difficulties, such as those who have difficulties with drugs and alcohol or who have to care for sick relatives or parents. ™ Schools have good programmes to combat bullying. ™ More young people are staying on at school or entering

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and young people in my area?

training. ™ An increasing amount of money is being spent on improving the less prosperous parts of Enfield.

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young people?

™ There is a need to raise educational standards, especially among 7 year olds. ™ A wider range of courses should be provided for 14 to 19 year olds and those over 16 should be given more opportunities for work-based learning. ™ There is a need for more permanent social workers. ™ All staff working with children should be checked in the same way by the police before taking up post. Enfield children and young people’s report 6

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young people?

™ Parents and others who care for children and young people should be given more information on schools and other types of education in Enfield. ™ More information on health services should be produced specially for children and in languages other than English. ™ There is a need for more permanent staff in the maternity unit at North Middlesex Hospital and more children’s nurses in the accident and emergency department at Chase Farm Hospital. ™ The midwife working with vulnerable children at North Middlesex Hospital should be given more time to do her job. ™ The council needs to make sure that all cases of bullying are recorded and dealt with well. ™ Young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at mainstream secondary schools need to be given greater support as they become adults. ™ The council should find out whether all the needs of children in the area are being met and fill any gaps. ™ There is a need to provide children and young people with

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young people?

more leisure activities. ™ The council needs to make sure that the views of a full range of children and young people are used when major decisions are made.

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