The Durham Five

You can download a copy of this document (version 3, updated November 2005) by clicking on the PDF icon at the bottom of this page.

Preface

Through consultation in County Durham we have identified and agreed five key outcomes, which we believe are essential to the development and well-being of our children and young people. In County Durham we want all our children, young people and their families to:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

We have incorporated these key outcomes into our stated vision and values for children, young people and their families. Our key outcomes are entirely consistent with those identified in Every Child Matters and the 'Outcomes Framework' published with the 'Every Child Matters: Change for Children' (DfES, December 1st 2004), is helping to inform our local developments.

This document aims to bring together national priorities, local priorities/needs and previous work in County Durham including key priorities identified by our children and young people (in green italics). Each of the 5 key outcomes is broken down into five sub-sections and linked to success criteria, inputs and indicators, which include 26 national priorities (in red), which are Public Service Agreement targets, 13 national key indicators (in blue) and other countywide priorities (in black).

The countywide outcomes and indicators guide the work of the five Local Planning Groups (LPGs) and assist them to work consistently towards the agreed vision, values and outcomes of Every Child Matters in County Durham. The LPGs have added priorities, which reflect identified needs of their localities and which also support the overall achievement of the five key outcomes. Section 2 shows how the local priorities sit within the overall countywide framework.

The term "Vulnerable children and young people" is used throughout with the recognition that vulnerable children and young people are not a self-contained or static group. Any child/young person may be vulnerable at some time depending on any one, or a combination of, the risks or challenging life events they face and their resilience. Often vulnerable children have multiple problems. Some children/young people are known to be more likely than others to experience a range or combination of difficulties, which make them particularly vulnerable to poorer outcomes in terms of their health, safety, education, economic well-being and their ability to make positive contributions. Those more likely to experience poorer outcomes include children/young people who are:

Looked after (LAC), excluded from school, disabled, absent from school (through truancy or school phobia), abusing drugs, alcohol or other substances or whose parents abuse drugs, alcohol or other substances, teenage parents, homeless, young carers, involved (or at risk of being involved) in crime, asylum seekers and refugees, special educational needs (SEN), gypsy or travellers, experiencing mental health problems or whose parents have significant mental health problems, experiencing family breakdown.

This document draws together appropriate indicators, which all agencies and services working with children, young people and their families can support. It is designed to link with the audit of needs and services, the Local Preventative Strategy, the evolving commissioning strategy and will inform the development of a single Children and Young People's Plan in April 2006.

Version3pdf.pdf

Number of Pages 94
File size: 1,092 KB
Contact: Kath Tansey, Head of Home and Hospital Education Service
Tel: 01740 652217