Response - DCSF Children's Trusts Statutory Guidance

By: Francesca Albanese
Published: January 2010

Response - DCSF Children's Trusts Statutory Guidance

Shelter was disappointed that the recent Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 did not extend the duty to cooperate with Children’s Trusts to local housing authorities. Consequently, local housing authorities did not become new statutory relevant partners’ in the Children’s Trust co-operation arrangements operational from January 2010. In our response to the DCSF consultation carried out in September 2009 on legislative options for Children’s Trusts, we also raised concerns that social housing providers had not been named as a ‘relevant partner’.

Despite this, we welcome the strengthened references in the draft guidance to the importance of including housing and engaging non-statutory partners in Children’s Trust co-operation arrangements, including the Children’s Trust Board and in the Children and Young People’s Plan.