Welcome To Wirral

In each Area there will be a multi-disciplinary team called a Children Services Team composed of people from different professions working together for and around children and young people. There will be 11 Areas in Wirral and children and young people will “belong” to the Area where they live unless a Team from another Area has agreed to provide services to them, for example, because they go to school in the other Area. Most children and young people will receive additional support, if they need it, from the Team which serves the Area where they live and go to school.

The Areas

• Bidston and St James/Claughton
• Prenton/Oxton
• Birkenhead and Tranmere/Rock Ferry
• Clatterbridge and Bebington
• Bromborough/Eastham
• Liscard/Seacombe
• New Brighton/Wallasey
• Leasowe and Moreton East/Moreton West and Saughall Massie
• Pensby and Thingwall/Heswall
• Hoylake and Meols/West Kirby and Thurstaston
• Greasby, Frankby and Irby/Upton

 Each area will be responsible for:

• Overseeing the implementation of the Children and Young People’s Plan at local level
• Implementing the Council’s policies and procedures and where relevant, those of the Council’s partners
• Agreeing local priorities for children and young people’s services within the context of this Plan
• Engaging children and young people in decisions about local services
• Ensuring that effective responses are made to Child Protection concerns through the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board procedures
• Managing Child Concern procedures
• Co-ordinating targeted support for children and young people through the Children’s Services Team
• Co-ordinating activities with local voluntary and community sector organisations
• Managing statutory functions with respect to school attendance and safeguarding
• Ensuring that arrangements are in place to provide education for children excluded for fixed periods
• Overseeing the SEN procedures for external specialist support at School Action Plus
• Co-ordinating pre and post school, early years and child care arrangements in the Area and other activities arranged by Extended Schools and Children’s Centres
• Overseeing the provision made by extended schools and Children’s Centres
• Overseeing arrangements for activities for children in school holidays
• Deploying resources for supporting children and families according to the needs of children and young people in the Area
• Making recommendations on the efficient and effective use of resources
• Monitoring the outcomes for children and young people in their area in terms of the five Children Act outcomes

The Area, or groups of schools within the area, may also decide to act collectively in providing:

• SEN support
• Child protection training in collaboration with the Local Safeguarding Children Board trainer
• Curriculum support and development

 Children’s Services Teams

There will be a Children’s Services Team in each Area. The Team will comprise education and social care staff and will establish strong partnerships with health staff.

Teams may not initially be co-located in their base but we expect that progress towards co-location will be made over the lifetime of this plan.

The team will be responsible for:

• Identifying children as being in need or at risk of significant harm through the Child Concern Model
• Undertaking child in need assessments
• Managing statutory functions in relation to school attendance
• Providing advice and guidance on special educational needs
• Providing Educational Psychologist and other reports towards statutory assessment of SEN
• Co-ordinating assessments of children and young people’s needs, where appropriate, and co-ordinating the provision of services to meet those needs
• Providing family support for children, young people and their carers where this is required
• Providing youth work support for young people in the area
• Co-ordinating support for children, young people and families with local voluntary and community sector organisations
• Providing such reports and advice to the Director of Children’s Services as may be required.

 Specialised Services

Children and young people who need specialised services because they have very complex or low incidence needs, for example, a hearing or visual impairment, or are in care or need safeguarding, will have those needs met through specialised services. Descriptions of these will be found under the relevant headings in this Directory.