Closer links are aimed at youngsters

CLOSER working relationships between agencies working with children and families are a step closer today.

Members of Suffolk County Council's executive committee have agreed

recommendations for further developing the links these organisations have.

The committee considered the responses to a discussion paper outlining

proposals to develop locally based multi-agency teams to work together to

promote the health, education and well being of children and young people in Suffolk.

It is proposed that the core members of these teams would be made up of

representatives from education, health and social care as well as other key

partners.

It also proposed that they would work together to provide a service for children and families.

These measures would ensure both a more efficient way of working for the team members and a more effective service for the families.

The executive committee agreed that a project manager should be appointed on secondment to oversee the development of the plans and work on the management arrangements that would be required, and that a number of pilot projects should be established to inform and evaluate aspects of the model.

These multi-agency pilot projects would be set up in different areas of the

county, and involve schools working with representatives from education,

health, social care and joint commissioning to test out what works and why.

A consultation process is also planned to enable children, young people and their families, and staff in frontline services, to have a say in what

happens and how the model develops.

Bryony Rudkin, member of the county council's executive committee, said: "We are committed to providing high quality support to children, young people and their families. If all the services involved in this work - education, social care, health and others - can join forces, we should be able to provide a more efficient and effective service to make sure our young people have the best possible start in life."