Children's Services

Islington children are important. We want them to get the best education and care possible. The Children's Services directorate works to make services comprehensive and accessible for Islington children, young people and their families.

We involve and listen to children, young people and their families; we take on board their suggestions and implement them where possible. We place the child at the centre of our services and make it easier for them to get help and support.  We are committed to providing local services for local children.

Our work is driven by the Children and Young People's Plan, which identifies our current priorities.  

The current priorities we work towards are:

• prevention is better than cure - giving young children the best possible start in life
• every child going to school every day
• outstanding learning in every Islington school
• Young people with access to all the support and help they need
• Islington's children in care enjoy the lives we want for our own families
• improve the outcomes and service quality for looked after children and care leavers

We have a number of service areas, all focused upon improving the lives of the children and young people of Islington.

• Children’s Social Care is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in need and children looked after.
  
  

• Young People's Division provide youth clubs, and adventure playgrounds, positive activities for young people, providing information, advice and guidance, and targeted support. The 14-19 Partnership works with the Learning and Skills Council, Schools, City and Islington College, Connexions and work-training partners. Their aim is to enable young people to achieve the outcomes of Every Child Matters through the development of excellent and inclusive curriculum, alongside extended opportunities to learn in and outside formal education.
  
  
• Strategy and Commissioning is the lead for commissioning services for the Children’s Partnership.  They monitor over 60 contracts for the wide range of services to children and young people and parents. They support the Children’s Partnership, lead on involving key stakeholders, and data collection, collation and analysis for performance monitoring and improvement and policy development.
  
  
• Building Schools for the Future work closely with Cambridge Education @ Islington and schools to realise the transformation of secondary education by managing a £140m capital project to rebuild every Islington school in conjunction with Transform Schools. They also manage other capital investments in primary schools and children’s centres.
• Workforce and Organisational Development deliver a wide range of training programmes for all parts of the Children's Service, including our partners in Cambridge Education @ Islington, Islington Primary Care Trust, and the private and voluntary sector.  We cover specialist training as well as leading on all aspects of Integrated Workforce Development and internal communications.
  

Children's services works in close partnership with:

• Cambridge Education @ Islington is the council’s education partner, and has delivered a full range of support services to the borough’s schools since 2000, during which time the academic standards achieved in our schools by our children and young adults has improved considerably across all age ranges. The council’s most recent contract with the company came into effect in April 2006, and runs through until the end of the 2010/11 financial year. Cambridge Education @ Islington is a division of Cambridge Education Ltd., a worldwide leader in educational consultancy and advice, and is a member of the Mott MacDonald group.
  
  
• Islington Primary Care Trust coordinates and provides targeted and universal health services for Islington children and young people.   Services include healthcare for children with disabilities, health visiting service, maternity services, schools nursing, occupational therapy, child protection, community paediatricians, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, children looked after health, child and adolescent mental health services

Contact

Eleanor Schooling
Director of Children’s Services
159 Upper Street
London N1 1RE
Tel: 020 7527 2000
Email:  childrens.services@islington.gov.uk