Delivering Social Change Framework: will it deliver for children and young people?

Pauline Leeson, Chief Executive of Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), calls for more collaboration and co-operation from the Executive in improving outcomes.

With much energy focused on the Programme for Government at the start of this year, Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) is keen to see a renewed commitment from the Executive to children and young people through the Delivering Social Change Framework. 

Since 2011, there is little doubt momentum has been lost on the over-arching 10 Year Strategy for Children and Young People.  Delivering Social Change aims to achieve a sustained reduction in poverty and associated issues across all ages, as well as improving children and young people’s health, well-being and life opportunities. 

While little information is available on progress to date, we believe that momentum is now building to deliver a joining up of policies and, provided the Executive gives recognition to its obligations to children’s rights, the Delivering Social Change Framework should ensure the best outcomes for children and young people.

It is children on the margins who have been effectively relegated by a failure to implement policies through a cross-departmental working approach.  Specifically, children with disabilities and their families are at greater risk of social exclusion.  The Children with Disabilities Strategic Alliance (CDSA), co-chaired by Children in Northern Ireland and Disability Action, works to ensure that strategic policy initiatives impacting on the lives of children and young people with disabilities are informed by their needs and circumstances.   Children and young people with disabilities are largely invisible in many of government’s strategic policy initiatives, tending to fall between children’s services and disability services. Their unique and specific circumstances as children with disabilities are often overlooked.  

Limited childcare also remains a significant barrier for specific groups of families, particularly lone parent families, families living with disability, large families or those working unsociable hours. The delay in the publication of the Childcare Strategy clearly illustrates that without any statutory or legal obligation to co-operate between departments, a real and serious impediment to progress will continue. 

CiNI has for years been a strong advocate for better collaboration and co-ordination among Government Departments to improve the manner in which they interact in the lives of children and young people.  Government Departments approach their work with specific mandates, seperate budgets and defined areas of responsibility (as well as an organisational culture) and because of this, there are limitations to how these departments are working in a collaborative fashion.  

However, the needs of children and young people do not simply begin and end along the lines of departmental portfolios. Government must adjust its approach in responding to the needs of children and young people and delivering policies in a manner which achieves the best possible outcomes.

CiNI is keen to see a greater commitment from the Executive to deliver a more cohesive and coherent response to policies affecting the lives of children and young people and to put the 10 Year Strategy for Children and Young People back on track.  As Delivering Social Change is rolled out, CiNI will continue to monitor progress. It is only through genuine, collaborative, co-operative, joined-up working across Government that the true opportunity to maximise scarce resources in the best interests of children and young people is achievable.

For further information www.ci-ni.org.uk or contact 028 9040 1290