What are children's trusts? Early findings from a national survey

Bachmann, Max ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1770-3506, Reading, R., Husbands, C., O'Brien, M., Thoburn, J., Shemilt, I., Watson, J, Jones, Natalia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4025-2985, Haynes, R. and Mugford, M. and The NECT Team (2006) What are children's trusts? Early findings from a national survey. Child: Care, Health and Development, 32 (2). pp. 137-146. ISSN 0305-1862

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Abstract

Background: The Children Act 2004 and National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services require fuller integration of health, education and social services for children and young people in England and Wales. The UK government supported the establishment of 35 experimental children's trust pathfinders (henceforth called children's trusts) in England. Methods: A questionnaire was completed by managers in all 35 children's trusts a year after their start. Children's trust documents were examined. Census and performance indicators were compared between children's trust areas and the rest of England. Results Children's trust areas had demographic and social characteristics typical of England. All children's trusts aimed to improve health, education and social services by greater managerial and service integration. All had boards representing the three sectors; other agencies’ representation varied. Two-thirds of children's trusts had moved towards pooling budgets in at least some service areas. At this stage in their development, some had prioritized joint procurement or provision of services, with formal managerial structures, while others favoured an informal strategic planning, co-ordination and information sharing approach. The commonest priorities for services development were for disabled children (16 children's trusts), followed by early intervention (11) and mental health services (8). Conclusions: The diverse strategies adopted by these 35 children's trusts during their first year is due to their own characteristics and to the way government strategy developed during this period. Whilst some prioritized organizational development, joint financing and commissioning, and information sharing, others laid more emphasis on mechanisms for bringing front-line professionals closer together. Their experiences are of value to others deciding how best to integrate children's services.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	care co-ordination,child care,health services research,multidisciplinary,professionals,service evaluation,article,budget,child,child health care,controlled study,cooperation,demography,early childhood intervention,education,government,handicapped child,health care delivery,health care financing,health care management,health care organization,health care planning,health service,human ,information dissemination,law,manager,medical documentation,medical information,mental health care,national health service,population research,priority journal,questionnaire,social support,teamwork,united kingdom,adolescent,adult,child health services,preschool,delivery of health care, integrated,disabled children,education,england,financial management,health care costs,health care surveys,health policy,humans,infant,interprofessional relations,questionnaires,social work,state medicine,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Social Work Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Services and Primary Care Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Economics Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023) Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Research on Children and Families University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Depositing User:	Katherine Humphries
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2010 15:07
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2023 00:50
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/16211
DOI:	10.1111/j.1365-2214.2006.00573.x

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