Advisory Groups

The Children and Young People’s Trust recognises that its strategic overview needs to be informed by the wide range of existing interest and community groups serving children, young people and families in Warrington. The membership of the board reflects this, and the open membership of the outcome groups gives further opportunities for involvement.

The Outcome Groups will provide a forum for in-depth discussion, and will be the route through which issues identified at neighbourhood level can be brought to the board’s attention. They will rely on their network of contacts to inform the ongoing needs analysis, and to ensure that a clear understanding of what it is like to be a child growing up in Warrington is communicated to the strategic planners responsible for shaping services.

The Children and Young People’s Trust board is keen to increase the voluntary and community sectors’ engagement with its work in order to reflect the diversity within the local children’s services market. The Children and Young People’s Trust co-ordinator will continue to support the development of the Voluntary and Community Sector Children and Young People’s Forum, strengthening their capacity to engage effectively at a strategic level.

All agencies are committed to designing their services to meet the needs of children, young people and their families. However, finding ways of supporting service users’ participation at a strategic level, remains a challenge. Groups brought together with an operational focus (parents’ groups in children’s centres, patients’ representative groups, school councils etc) are often very well supported. It is intended that such groups can act as advisory groups to the Children and Young People’s Trust.

The age-related sub-groups that contributed to the work of the CYPSP may choose to continue to meet. Their contribution to strategic planning and informing the needs analysis will be welcomed by each of the outcomes groups as appropriate.

From time to time, any of the recognised ‘advisory groups’ may wish to raise issues with the trust board. In the first instance, it is likely that issues will be raised through the relevant outcome group and progressed to the trust board if necessary. However, it may occasionally be appropriate for matters to be taken directly to the board, or indeed the Local Strategic Partnership. The Children and Young People’s Trust co-ordinator will advise for those seeking to have items added to the agenda of either the trust or outcome group meetings.