Falkirk produced its first integrated Children's Services Plan 2005-08 |in 2005 in response to guidance from the Scottish Government.
Alongside this Falkirk has established a Children's Commission which brings all partner agencies together, including Falkirk Council, Forth Valley NHS, Central Scotland Police, the Children's Reporter, and the voluntary sector as well as young people to develop the Children's Services Plan with an agreed vision:
"We want every child and young person to have an enjoyable, fulfilling life in a nurturing, healthy and safe environment. We will encourage children and young people to work to their potential and make a contribution to society."
The second Integrated Children's Services Plan 2010-15 |was produced in March 2010 and has been prepared in accordance with the guidance issued by the Scottish Government in March 2008.
It takes account of the Concordat between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Local Authorities (COSLA) and links through the Community Planning Process into Falkirk's Single Outcome Agreement.
This plan has more of a strategic focus with individual plans for action for each priority being prepared by appropriate partners. The plan is based on the entitlements detailed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is our strategic planning document for services for children and young people across the Falkirk Council area.
We want all children and young people in Falkirk to be safe; nurtured; healthy; achieving; respected and responsible; active and included.
To ensure this, children and young people need to be supported to become confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens.
Planning across agencies has continued to improve and is becoming more integrated within the Community Planning process.
Work continues to ensure the meaningful involvement of children, young people, parents and carers in the strategic planning process.
The next years will see us concentrating on embedding the outcome approach in all our core work across services and agencies and ensuring that we have consistent co-ordinated service delivery which improves outcomes for all children.
The Falkirk Child Protection Committee |reports to the Children's Commission on a quarterly basis as the Commission is responsible for all services to children, both targeted and worldwide.