Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services Leeds City Council's presentation at the Supporting Families in Difficult Times Conference held on 18-19th September 2014

1. Transforming life
chances
How serious are we?
Nigel Richardson
Director of Children’s Services

4. Only one question…
What’s it like to be a child
or young person growing up
in Leeds…
...and how do we make it
better ?
@child_Leeds

5. Changing Families
• Lowest marriage rate in 150 years
• % of no-earner households doubled
• Most couples cohabit before marriage
• Highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western
Europe
• Lone parenthood trebled in 20 years
• 4/10 babies born outside marriage
• 6-fold increase in divorce since 1960
• 2million + ++ children living in poverty
• Estimated cost of family breakdown - £5
billion +++
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds

6. Risk factors
@child_Leeds
• Poor parental supervision
• Harsh/erratic discipline
• Parental conflict
• Separation from a biological
parent
• Anti-social parent
• Low income
• Poor housing

7. Risks for young people
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds
• Leaving school with no
qualifications
• Involvement in crime
• Alcohol & drugs
• Poor mental health
• Homelessness
• Pregnancy/fatherhood

8. Protective factors
@child_Leeds
• Social bonding
• Clear standards of positive behaviour
• Involvement in family, school &
community
• Positive role models
• Clear, high expectations
• Social & thinking skills
• Recognition & praise

9. Or put another way…
• Experience of the education
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds
system and labour market
• Society and culture in which they
grow up
• Relationships with parents and
families
• Experiences with peers and in
leisure time

10. What if?...
• Harnessed the common wealth
of Leeds ?
• A Citywide imperative ?
• A new Social Contract ?
• Recognise ‘family’ as the most
important but most underused
‘utility’ of the 21st century ?

11. uiu

12. Leeds
• 180K children and young people
• One vision
• One partnership
• One Plan
• Five outcomes
• 12 priorities and 3 obsessions
• 25 clusters : 3 behaviours
• Schools at the heart of communities
• 75k people
@child_Leeds

13. //
www.iirp.edu

14. Four key statements of intent:
‘The default behaviour of children’s
services in Leeds in all its dealings
with local citizens/partners/
organisations will be a restorative
one – high support with high
challenge’.
@child_Leeds
Agreed Policy Framework

15. Agreed Policy Framework
‘Children’s services in Leeds will ensure
that families whose children might
otherwise be removed from their homes
are supported to meet and develop a
safe alternative plan before such action
is taken’.
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds

17. ‘For all other families where a plan or
decision needs to be made to help
safeguard and promote the welfare
of a child or children the family will
be supported to help decide what
needs to happen’.
@child_Leeds
Agreed Policy Framework

18. Agreed Policy Framework
‘All local schools will be seen as
community assets and children’s services
will have a clear role in holding those
institutions – no matter what the
governance arrangements – to account
for the contribution they make to the
well being of the local population’.
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds

20. www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds
Common
language
Better
diagnosis
Better
intervention
Better
outcomes

22. Changing patterns
www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds

24. So what?
@child_Leeds

25. www.leeds.gov.uk/ChildFriendlyLeeds
So what?
• Behaviour
• Exclusions
• Attendance
• Attainment
Behaviour
Exclusions
• Achievement
Attendance
• Resilience
Attainment
Achievement
• Community
Resilience
Community
• Capacity
Capacity
• Family
Family
Crime
• Crime
Pride/Hope
• Pride/Hope

28. Thank you for listening.