Kent Children's Trust Workforce Strategy Group is…

…changing the way in which its priorities are articulated. Previously, they were defined in a way that made them relevant to discrete elements of the children's and young people's workforce - for example, one priority was around improvements in the early years sector, another was addressing issues in social worker recruitment.

But now a new set of eight partnership priorities that can significantly improve outcomes for children, young people and their families has been agreed by the Kent Children's Trust Board. So the Workforce Strategy Group is exploring a new way to match integrated workforce priorities against these. Each CYPP partnership priority area is worded around a specific challenge facing children, young people and their families, covering themes such as poverty, mental health, parenting and participation. Outcomes and key actions have been identified under each of these new priority areas and people recognise that each of these partnership priorities requires an integrated response from across the children's workforce.

The eight priorities were developed from a detailed Kent-wide needs analysis that builds on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment undertaken by NHS colleagues. Relevant outcomes from the Joint Area Review and the Building Brighter Futures - National Children‟s Plan have been added. The views of children, young people and their families have also been taken into account when developing the priority areas. Success will be measured using some of the National Indicators (including Kent LAA) and other local indicators.

The Workforce Strategy Group is in the process of mapping each of the eight CYPP priorities against each of the eight colours of the CWDC One Children's Workforce framework, to identify all the components of integrated working that will be required to deliver against the priorities.