Nigel Richardson is due to travel to the Island for an event – which will include children, families and the community – aimed at developing the new ‘Children’s Plan for Jersey’.
Drawing up the Children’s Plan, which focuses on improving outcomes for children, young people and their families, was one of the recommendations of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.
Since the inquiry’s report was published in July, officers in the States have been compiling ideas for the strategy and are now inviting young people and their families to contribute to the plan during an engagement day, which is due to be held at the Hotel de France on Wednesday.
It is hoped that the plan – which aims to make Jersey the best place for a child to grow up in – will be published during the summer.
Andrew Heaven, the States director of children’s policy, who is leading the work on the Children’s Plan and organising the engagement day, said he hoped families would attend the child-friendly afternoon.
‘The more views we can get [the more it] will improve the plan,’ he said. ‘It will enable us to see things from different people’s perspective and most importantly, from the children’s perspective.’
Mr Heaven said Mr Richardson – who took over Leeds’ Children’s Services in 2009 after it was condemned by the watchdog Ofsted for the quality of care it gave vulnerable children and young people in Leeds – should be able to provide invaluable advice.
Leeds’ Children’s Services was criticised after it emerged that scores of children were at risk of neglect and abuse following the rape and murder of a two-year-old girl. The city also came under fire after it was revealed that Jimmy Savile had abused children at 14 hospitals across six decades.
‘Some of the things they [Leeds] have done we’re really interested in,’ Mr Heaven said. ‘One of which is a Children’s Plan. We are interested in the story of Leeds. We think we have got similar challenges.’
Mr Richardson added: ‘A simple clear and collectively owned plan to make Leeds a child-friendly city was central to an improvement journey that saw Leeds move from being labelled as one of the worst children’s services in the UK to being formally recognised as one of the best.
‘I hope that sharing the Leeds story at this event will help the States of Jersey along a similar
path resulting in improved outcomes for children young people and their families.’
Celine McStravick, director of the National Children’s Bureau, who led a similar piece of work in Northern Ireland, is also due to speak at the event.
Mr Heaven said the four priorities in the draft Children’s Plan were health and wellbeing, learning and achieving, safety and ensuring that children have a voice.
During the morning session, professionals, front-line workers and politicians will hear from the event’s key speakers, while the family-friendly sessions will run from 2 pm to 6 pm. Children’s Commissioner Deborah McMillan is also due to take part in some sessions.
