Minutes:
16 NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONING STRATEGY 2020/24 (2022 REFRESH) - The Director: Children and Families submitted a report noting and endorsing the North Lincolnshire Children’s Commissioning Strategy 2020/24 (2022 refresh). The 2022 refresh built on and articulated the council’s One Family Approach, encompassing the ambition for children to be in their families, in their schools and in their communities. It recognised the excellent progress made and confirmed the integration priorities and commissioning intent across education, health and care for children and families.
The North Lincolnshire Health and Care Integration Plan set the strategic vision and principles for integrated working within North Lincolnshire. The integrated care partnership and governance arrangements established for the place of North Lincolnshire included the Integrated Children’s Trust (ICT) (among others), which reported to the Place Partnership. The ICT was the singular vehicle for developing the council’s integrated approach and commissioning intent across the children and families offer, for children and families.
Set in the context of the Health and Care Integration Plan 2021/24, and through the ICT, the council developed and launched the inaugural Children’s Commissioning Strategy 2020/24 in September 2020. The inaugural strategy articulated the One Family Approach to create a system that worked for all children and families to contribute to the council’s ambition for children to remain in their families, in their schools and in their communities. The strategy also identified five initial ‘shine a light’ areas of focus for partnership action in relation to the One Family Approach, Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health, Early Years, SEND Support and the Children’s Challenge.
Through identified leads and partnership delivery groups, the ICT had oversight of activity, impact and outcomes pertaining the ‘shine a light’ areas of focus. A progress review was presented to the ICT in April 2022, which demonstrated the positive impact on children and families through effective partnership working as detailed in the strategy.
The council continued to be ambitious for the future and for our children and young people, and had high expectations as partners, working with children, families, and communities, to build on the consistent improvement in outcomes across the place and neighbourhoods of North Lincolnshire.
The 2022 refresh further articulated the council’s ambition for children to be in their families, in their schools and in their communities. It continued the focus on, and progress of, an integrated children and families offer that worked for all. Key to this was ongoing integration with schools as primary partners, wider partners and the community to continue to meet the need at the earliest point, enabling sustainable change within families. The 2022 refresh also refined the ‘shine a light’ areas of focus, which are now focused around:
• Emotional wellbeing and mental health
• Best start in life
• Adolescents and youth offer
• Outcomes for children and young people with vulnerabilities
To continue the success of the strategy in achieving the best outcomes, there was also an amplified focus on aligning the 2022 refresh with the Place Partnership strategic intent and the further development of the associated Health and Care Integration Plan. Ensuring that the children’s agenda influenced and was represented in the integration plan; that it was reported into the Place Partnership; and that underpinning reporting through the ICT was aligned.
Resolved – That the 2022 refresh of the North Lincolnshire Children’s Commissioning Strategy 2020/24 be noted and endorsed.