Agenda item

To approve the adoption of the Child Friendly Telford programme as part of the wider Telford and Wrekin Children and Young People’s Strategy.

The Cabinet Member: Children & Young People, Learning, Employment & Skills presented the report of the Director: Public Health which sought approval to adopt the Child Friendly Telford vision as part of the wider Children and Young People Strategy.

The report highlighted the Council’s aim to make Telford & Wrekin the best place in the UK for children and young people to grow up, with a strong emphasis on co-production, ensuring children and young people are actively involved in shaping services and decisions that affect them.

The Council had a strong foundation for supporting children and young people, evidenced by two consecutive “Outstanding” Ofsted ratings for Children’s Services and positive recognition for SEND partnership work. The report detailed a wide range of existing initiatives such as Family Hubs, the 5 by 5, and 10 by 10 enrichment programmes, youth forums, free swimming lessons and targeted support for vulnerable children and young carers.

Extensive engagement had taken place with children, young people, families and professionals, including through the Youth Parliament’s “Make Your Mark” ballot, which gathered nearly 4,900 responses. This feedback had directly shaped the Council’s seven “wishes” for children and young people to be healthy, heard, safe, achieving, independent, to have trusted friends and to be happy.

The report proposed a detailed implementation plan to embed the child-friendly approach across the Council, align existing initiatives with the seven wishes and ensure children and young people are involved in decision-making at all levels. It also recommended the Council’s Senior Management Team act as a reporting board to oversee implementation and monitor impact.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report and highlighted how the initiative represented more than a council-led programme but a borough-wide movement to ensure every child and young person had the opportunity to thrive. It was noted that the voices of young people were central to the strategy, with priorities such as being healthy, safe, heard and happy directly shaping the Council’s approach. Members praised the range of initiatives already in place, including free swimming, family hubs, youth grants and the urban games and noted the importance of collaboration with partners and communities to improve the experience of growing up in Telford. They also commended the work of Council’s Public Health team in engaging young people through emotional wellbeing surveys and events such as the mental health summit, which led to the successful Year of Wellbeing campaign and the subsequent development of a digital platform to support young people’s emotional health.

The Conservative Group Leader expressed his support for the Council’s aspiration to make Telford & Wrekin a great place for children and young people to grow up, acknowledging the value behind the child-friendly vision. Whilst supportive of the overall aims, he raised questions about the criteria and standards used to define “child-friendly status,” suggesting that national frameworks such as UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities initiative might offer useful context. He welcomed the engagement with young people through forums and surveys but encouraged greater emphasis on parental involvement, noting that parents hold primary responsibility for their children. He also highlighted challenges such as low secondary school attendance rates and the impact of drug misuse, including substances.

In response to concerns raised in relation to parental engagement, Cabinet Members highlighted the Council’s proactive approach through family hubs, which had supported over 12,000 families in the past year. Led by the Council’s Strengthening Families team, the hubs have proactively reached out to families starting from birth registration and through midwifery and social work visits, providing holistic support and addressing issues such as domestic abuse, addiction and mental health within the family unit. It was also stated that long-standing initiatives such as Crucial Crew, which had supported thousands of Year 6 pupils in preparing for secondary school and understanding key issues such as online safety, drug and alcohol awareness and personal safety.

RESOLVED that – the Telford and Wrekin Council working towards becoming a Child Friendly borough, with SMT operating as the reporting Board for agreeing Child Friendly standards, implementation and impact monitoring be approved.