What is a Children's Trust
Department for Children, Schools & Families:
What is a Children's Trust? (PDF 1.5MB)
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Children's Trusts are local partnerships which bring together the organisations responsible for services for children, young people and families in a shared commitment to improving children's lives.
It is local authorities - through their Directors of Children's Services and Lead Members for Children's Services - which lead Children's Trusts, but they work closely with the other local agencies with a legal duty to be part of the Trust:
- strategic health authorities;
- primary care trusts (PCTs);
- police authorities;
- local probation boards;
- youth offending teams;
- Connexions partnerships;
- the Learning and Skills Council for England;
- district councils.
The Department for Children, Schools & Families (DCSF) recommends that Children's Trusts also include other important local partners like schools, colleges and third sector organisations, as well as other local authority services like adult social care and housing.
The term "Children's Trust" applies to the whole system of children's services, covering the work of partner agencies at every level, from the development of the overall strategy to the delivery of front-line services. But Children's Trusts are not separate organisations in their own right. Each partner retains its own responsibilities, while working together to join up services.
Children's Trusts are managed in different ways. Most have formal Boards with representatives from all the partners (often including schools). Some - especially in larger authorities - are made up of a number of small local partnerships which frequently link to clusters of schools, so that schools are linked into the wider services to support the wellbeing of all children.
The document linked on the right explains what Children's Trusts are, what they do and how they will be strengthened.