Change for Children and Young People Plan 2023-2028
We want to make Birmingham a great place to grow up for our babies, children, and young people.
This is why the Birmingham Children and Young People’s Partnership have produced the Change for Children and Young People Plan 2023-2028, so that together we can change the conditions in which our babies, children, and young people grow up.
We want to achieve ambitious outcomes for our babies, children, and young people, and making change together is how we will do it.
The Birmingham Children and Young People’s Partnership brings together organisations that work with children, young people, and families including the Council, Birmingham Children’s Trust, NHS, Police, and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), and education, private, and wider public sectors, as well as with our families and communities. We recognise that many of our children and young people experience inequalities and disadvantages that prevent them from achieving their potential.
Children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. We have created this plan with young people, and it reflects the things that matter to them. Their hopes and challenges matter to us – which is why we are dedicated to the success of this plan. Our partnership is working together to understand and tackle the issues facing our city, so that in the end, our children and young people have the best possible life chances.
“Range of different cultures living side by side, mostly getting along well. The range of leisure activities from shopping centres, sports, parks, and activity centres”
“It is a very happy and fun community to live in”
“A super-diverse city!”
“It’s a welcoming city. Not as crowded as London. There are some nice places. Lots of fun activities for children. Great museums and places to go.”
“The city is alive!”
What are we going to do?
We want to improve outcomes in the following areas, so that our children and young people are all able to say:
HEALTHY
We are healthy and nurtured throughout our life-course.
SAFE
We are safe at home in the wider community.
CONNECTED
We are connected to meaningful opportunities and prepared for adulthood.
CONFIDENT
We are confident to connect with help we can trust, at the right time and the right place.
INCLUDED
We are included, and we can get the best from home, education, and our communities.
HAPPY
We are happy and respected, and our voices and lived experiences matter.
How are we going to do it?
We have three main actions that we have agreed on to achieve our ambitions. To develop these actions, we have used data and evidence, and listened to the voices of our children, young people, and families.
By joining up our offer in local places so that children, young people, and their families connect with help and support they trust throughout the life-course.
Children and families can get help and support at any age, where they live and spend time, and from people they trust. Our families can access further support and information via improved online spaces. Professionals are working together across services, to get the best for our children and families.
Building safety with children, young people, and families at home, and in places outside of home.
Children and young people can feel safe in the spaces they spend time in, including online. They are supported, safeguarded, and protected from harm. We will design structures across our partnership for children, young people, and their families to build enduring relationships that help to keep them safe. Young people will be supported with the transition into adulthood, including those with SEND and additional needs.
Creating an inclusive city where all our children and young people can connect with meaningful opportunities and thrive.
Children, young people, and families can get involved with activities across Birmingham and access the opportunities our city has to offer. Children and young people can feel welcomed and included in the places and spaces that they learn and grow in. Children and young people feel safe in our organisations and services, where there is an inclusive culture that promotes their voices and makes them feel valued. Our partnership can respond early and effectively to babies, children, and young people with SEND and additional needs.
How did we get here?
Our partnership has worked together with children, to create a plan to improve outcomes of children and young people.
Over 4000 children were asked for their thoughts and feedback about the plan in 2020, and they shared with us what they thought were the most important outcomes. Our children and young people voiced a range of their priorities, including tackling bullying in schools and racism, as well as improved mental health support and support for SEND. They voiced that they wanted access more free activities and opportunities in our city. Our children and young people want to feel safe, confident, and included in the spaces and places in which they spend time.
The partnership began to develop a strategic plan to achieve these outcomes in early 2022 (following a recovery period during the pandemic). Throughout the rest of 2022, data was analysed, meetings were held, and priorities were developed and crystallized for the plan, leading to a framework being drafted in the autumn.
The framework was shared with the Extended Council Leadership Team on 7 December 2022, followed by a presentation at Birmingham City Council’s Education and Children’s Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the beginning of January. On 10 January 2023, the Birmingham Children and Young People’s Partnership Board approved the framework for the plan. On 11 January 2023, an online survey was opened for children and young people to share their responses to the framework, to ensure children and young people remain at the heart of everything we do.
Our plan will grow and develop over the next five years. By reviewing the data and evidence, and listening to the feedback from children, young people, and families, we will achieve our aim and outcomes.