CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DIRECTORATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DELIVERY PLAN
(UNDER DEVEOPMENT - TO BE FINALISED JULY 2009)
Introduction – draft delivery plan
Following a review of the Children and Families Directorate (CFD) CFD sustainable development delivery plan in late 2008, it was decided to build on existing good work
by developing an enhanced strategic approach through focusing efforts on core areas where significant on-the-ground impact could best be achieved. Mapping of CFD
project level activity followed on, and a seminar for identified policy leads was held in March 2009. Key policy areas and a phased schedule for developing commitments
were discussed and agreed with policy teams identified through this process.
Table 1: Key Policy and Delivery Areas with Existing and Proposed Actions
There are 5 overarching thematic policy themes under which reporting to the Sustainable Development Programme Board will take place. It is considered that all of CFD
work fits under one or more of these headings and they are consistent with sustainable development policy. The headings are: Early Years Provision, Parents and Carers
(inc. children’s workforce), Local Delivery, Healthy Lifestyles, and Child-friendly Communities. There is also an internal project management heading; Embedding
Sustainable Development in CFD Policy Making.
Underpinning the 5 thematic groupings are actions of individual policy teams. These are identified in phases based on the current state of readiness of each policy team,
which are in turn related to timings for close working with the CFD Sustainable Development Adviser to further develop actions and embed sustainable development
thinking in their policy area.
Phase 1: Play, Children’s Centres, and Obesity
Phase 2: Local Delivery, Research and Analysis, Safe Guarding, Families, and Health
Phase 3 will be incorporated into the next iteration of the plan, but as teams under consideration for the next phase have not been directly working up actions at the
current time they are not included on the plan.
It is intended to retain a cap on the number of teams directly included on the delivery plan, to allow for a more targeted and focused approach on key areas with the most
potential impact rather than the broad brush involvement of every policy team. All other policy areas will be considered for inclusion on the plan, but these will rotate over
time with teams on the existing plan whose key deliverables are completed and a more significant potential impact is identified elsewhere, thus retaining a targeted and
focused approach to delivery.
A review of the new delivery plan framework and process will take place in 6 months to assess its effectiveness.
KEY to Table 1
Headline overarching policy themes for reporting purposes
Phase 1: Team / policy area with agreed commitments and specific actions (March-May 09)
Phase 2: Team / policy area currently developing commitments and specific actions (May-July 09)
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Table 1: Key Policy and Delivery Areas with Existing and Proposed Actions
Commitment
EARLY YEARS PROVISION
How it will be delivered
Outcomes / Timing
Children’s Centres
Rationale: Sure Start Children’s Centres are a very visible capital build programme and have the potential to become beacons of sustainable development for their local communities
promoting positive sustainable behaviours which also promote child wellbeing. As local authority buildings, Children’s Centres will be included in the forthcoming Carbon Reduction
Commitment and a high level of energy efficiency is desirable.
Enhance sustainable development approach to the
design and build of outstanding Phase 3 sites.
Encourage Local Authorities to ensure that all
Children’s Centre work towards increasing energy
efficiency, improving waste management and
encourage sustainable lifestyles.
Review of Phase 3 sites to assess current status and best practice and identify what is
needed to enhance sustainable development approach to planned builds and
refurbishments.
March/ April 2009
Implement appropriate actions to enhance sustainable development approach to
planned builds and refurbishments arising from the review.
June/July 2009
Commission guidance for Local Authorities and CC's outlining a range of sustainable
principles for CCs and also indicating how these can be adopted across the three
stages of a CCs lifespan and providing a self assessment measure consistent with
Sustainable Schools.
March/ April 2009
Promote good practice examples of sustainable development approaches to Children’s
Centre design and delivery in DCSF publicity.
May 2009
Promote good practice in energy efficiency, waste management and buildings which
offer value for money over the life span of the building in the update of Capital Grant
Guidance.
June 2009
PARENTS AND CARERS (inc. children’s workforce)
Families
Rationale: Influence of families and parents are key to enabling children to interact with nature, develop healthy eating habits, play etc. Through Families delivery it is anticipated that
sustainable development can be strategically embedded to raise both practitioner and parental awareness on the benefits of outdoor activities and environmental exercise to child
development as well as the cost saving to be had from efficient use of resources.
Embed sustainable development thinking in our
approach to policy and delivery
Promote the benefits and opportunities of outdoor play,
environmental initiatives, walking and cycling as well
Presentation on sustainable development to management team.
July 2009
Complete an audit on existing policies to identify where a sustainable development
approach can add value.
October 2009
Implement actions arising from the audit
From October 2009
Activity being further explored:
- Parent Know-How
(TBC)
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as energy saving initiatives to parents and carers.
- Magazine and helplines
- Family information services
- Natural England Programme
Encourage local partners to incorporate make best
use of family learning approaches incorporating
sustainable development as well as approaches which
have an environmental element to support struggling
families build better relationships, learn new skills and
improve their local environment.
Activity being further explored:
- Intervention projects/pathfinders
- Innovation fund
- Respect Parenting Practitioners
- Parenting Experts
- FIPs
- National Academy
- Parenting Fund
(TBC)
Ensure that practitioners learn about the benefits of
sustainable development approaches and available
resources as part of workforce development
programmes.
To explore work with Early Years and Schools colleagues to promote family focused
behaviour and ways of working.
(TBC)
LOCAL DELIVERY
Local Area Policy
Rationale: Children’s Trusts and Local Partners should work in partnership to ensure that local planning and commissioning structures for both service delivery and the built environment
work effectively to address the environmental determinants of child health and well-being. Children and Young Peoples Plans should be linked strategically with the local vision of
sustainable development at the heart of the Sustainable Community Strategy.
Develop a programme to introduce a sustainable
development approach to policy making.
Louise Lord to present on DCSF’s approach to sustainable development at the May
team meeting
May 2009
Ensure that Children’s Trusts and partners understand
that improvements to the places where children and
young people live, learn and play can contribute to
better outcomes and that all available data on the
environmental determinants of child health and wellbeing are utilised in local planning and delivery.
Consultation on new guidance for Children’s Trust Boards and the preparation of the
Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), following Royal Assent of the ASCL Bill, will
include advice on how to develop a strategic approach to address the environmental
determinants of child health and well-being, e.g. traffic calming measures, access to
quality green spaces and providing sufficient opportunities for safe outdoor play and
safe places for teenagers to meet
Autumn 2009 (consultation)
Consultation on new guidance for Children’s Trust Boards and the preparation of the
Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), following Royal Assent of the ASCL Bill, to
explore how local partnerships should embed sustainability thinking in leadership and
management across children’s services, and in the CYPP, ensuring that 21st century
services for children are able to deal with 21st century challenges
Autumn 2009 (consultation)
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Health
Rationale: The health of children and young people is important to their long-term future and is a cornerstone of sustainable development thinking. The joint DH-DCSF Child Health
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Strategy, published on 12 February – Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures (HLBF) – will consider next steps, and has strong inter-departmental working aspects and the opportunity to
influence on a wider, cross-Government basis.
Physical activity: Promote the environmental benefits
of physical activity through a range of programmes,
inc. the DCMS/SD-led PE/Sport Strategy, the
DCMS/CFD-led Play Strategy and the DH/DCSF
Obesity Strategy.
Ensure HLBF communication plans reiterate and reinforce the mutually-reinforcing
environmental benefits of these policies, so that more of our young (and their parents)
come closer to meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation for all children and
young people to engage in at least 1 hour per day moderate intensity physical activity.
June 2009
Nutrition: Promote the environmental and sustainable
development benefits of better nutrition through a
range of programmes, inc. taking forward a more
outcome-focussed healthy schools programme
(DH/SD-led) and the improved nutrition aspects of the
DH/DCSF Obesity Strategy.
Ensure HLBF communication plans reiterate and reinforce the mutually-reinforcing
environmental benefits of these policies, so that more of our young (and their parents)
improve their nutrition, improve their cooking skills and are less reliant on low-quality
processed food. Improved nutrition will reduce the rise in obesity, reduce the
consumption (and therefore the production) of processed food and will improve life
quality and longevity.
June 2009
Better joined-up locally: Improved joint planning and
commissioning of child health services through
Children’s Trusts – with Local Authorities and Primary
Care Trusts key partners within the Trusts. This is a
key aspect of improving delivery of the child health
strategy.
Better join-up should result in more effective services, delivering better child health
outcomes within existing resources held by LAs and PCTs. This should also have
indirect benefits in terms of: (a) improved co-location (through more efficient use of the
public sector estate; improved walking access for families in urban areas); (b) create
innovative and more sustainable solutions to improving support for families; and (c)
better use of the skills and capacity within the existing workforce.
September 2009
Better information: Improved development and use of
information and knowledge, in assessing need,
identifying better solutions to support and improve
inter-agency collaboration through information sharing.
Making better use of information is a key strand of HLBF. The benefits in terms of
sustainable development are to do with maximising the use of available evidence to
plan and deliver services and support, thereby making better use of existing resources
– both human and physical – through a range of innovations such as Contact Point,
child health mapping.
April 2010
Obesity
Rationale: There are sustainable development benefits from addressing obesity through increased physical activity and healthier eating. Healthy places: Healthy people - Improved
infrastructure and local planning processes can promote child health by increasing levels of walking, cycling, active play and other outdoor activity and greater equality in health and social
outcomes as well as addressing climate change through reducing carbon emission caused by road traffic. Value can be added through messages about healthy eating, e.g. ‘me-sizedmeals’ reduce food wastage and that as well as being healthier, fresh food has the potential for less environmental impact than processed food.
Promote the benefits of walking, cycling,
environmental exercise, and outdoor play both for
health and climate change to parents and children.
Develop an evidence based message on environmental contributors to obesity and the
potential of existing delivery mechanisms to promote physical activity as part of the
early year’s evidence base working group
June 2009
Add value to Change 4Life campaign for early years by incorporating the above
evidence based messages on the environmental benefits of physical activity.
June 2009
Develop a shared approach to sustainable
development across the Cross Government Obesity
Team.
Presentation/ seminar on sustainable development with Cross Government Obesity
Team and Change4Life Team
July 2009
Promote the benefits of walking, cycling,
environmental exercise, and outdoor play for health
and climate change to local partners.
Incorporate evidence based messages for practitioners as part of the Healthy Child
Programme.
December 2009
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Develop economic and environmental arguments for
the benefits of improved walking and cycling
infrastructure.
Develop and implement a project brief and methodology incorporating literature reviews
and, potentially, commissioned research.
March 2010
Develop the evidence base on a sustainable approach
to healthy eating focused on cost effectiveness for low
income families.
Develop and implement a project brief and methodology incorporating literature reviews
and potentially, commissioned research.
March 2010
CHILD-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES
Child Safety
Rationale: Poor quality local environments contribute to bullying, crime and anti-social behaviour and accidents threaten both child safety and objectives to encourage physical activity,
play and community involvement.
Develop and deliver evidence-based messages on
accident prevention and ensuring child safety which
incorporate environmental contributors and address
parental concerns and which also support
departmental objectives on play and outdoor activity.
£9M communications strategy, aimed at the public and practitioners, designed to raise
awareness of child safety issues and increase confidence and capability in handling
those issues
June 2009 - March 2011
Influence other Government Departments and partners
to support child wellbeing through improved local
environments and travel infrastructure and by
developing community responsibility for children
through the Staying Safe programme.
Exploring possibilities under collaborative work between DfT and DCSF to build on the
initiatives already underway to reduce the number of child road casualties, inc. traffic
calming, 20mph zones, child road safety training, priority review of accidents etc.
(TBC)
Play
Rationale: Play has benefits for children’s health, wellbeing and development. The strategy has much cross-cutting policy of relevance, such as actions on child-friendly built environment
planning and transport. The Play Strategy capital programme is also building up to 3,500 play spaces, and these should be designed with sustainable development principles.
Ensure Play Strategy promotes sustainable
development, and will provide access to green space
and free play through implementation of the strategy.
Ensure capital programme adopts sustainable
development principles, and Pathfinders and
Refresh Sustainable Development Impact Assessment for final Play Strategy.
COMPLETED December 2008
SD indicators in play evaluation
IN PROGRESS
Timeline TBC
Up to 3,500 new and refurbished play sites
March 2011
Ensure delivery partners, guidance and events support SD.
IN PROGRESS
Timeline TBC
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playbuilders utilise and promote sustainable
development.
Ensure wave three tender specification and tender review process includes sustainable
development criteria.
COMPLETED in current reporting
period
Influence other Government Departments, local
authorities and partners to develop community
ownership of children’s play and raise awareness of
the benefits of green space.
To engage with DfT and CLG on child-friendly communities, esp. built environment and
transport planning - specific actions to be identified and included in plan
Timeline TBC
Joint letter to Highways Offices, Directors of Transport and Directors of Planning from
DCSF, DCMS, DH, DfT, CLG.
COMPLETED Issued alongside
publication of strategy in December
2008.
Guidance for local planners.
IN PROGRESS
Timeline TBC
Children’s Plan commitment to work with CLG to improve training for planners,
highways officers, green space managers and those who supervise public space, to
ensure road traffic and neighbourhood design are not barriers to accessing playable
space in children’s own neighbourhoods.
IN PROGRESS
End 2009.
EMBEDDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CFD POLICY MAKING
Sustainable Development Commission / Child & Wellbeing Unit support team
Rationale: Inward facing actions to support embedding and development of sustainable development policy in CFD.
Develop and integrate a strategic approach to utilising
sustainable development across CFD.
Conduct a seminar with senior staff to develop 5 or 6 headline areas of work with most
impact potential to group sub-activity around, with a strong delivery mechanism and
evaluation methodology.
COMPLETED
Seminar held 9 March 2009.
Produce revised delivery plan with a more strategic approach, with 5 or 6 headline
policy areas forming the backbone of the plan.
IN PROGRESS
6 July 2009
Agree a review and reporting process across CFD teams involved.
IN PROGRESS
6 July 2009
Develop a checklist to support teams to consider sustainable development in policy
making.
June 2009
Develop case studies to illustrate how colleagues can incorporate sustainable
development in policy making
June 2009
Colleagues involved in delivery plan include sustainable development in objectives for
year.
IN PROGRESS
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Timeline TBC
Research and Analysis
Rationale: Research and analysis supporting policy development should take into account the environmental determinants of child health and well-being and incorporate sustainable
development in economic modelling.
Development of a programme to incorporate
sustainable development into DCSF research, analysis
and evaluation.
Sustainable development colleagues and Rob Sinclair to meet with Karen Hancock to
identify options.
May 2009
Incorporate articulation of how local partners can best
use the NIS to develop a strategic approach to
address the environmental determinants of child health
and well-being.
As part of the planned review of the NIS, include an assessment of how key NI’s on
environmental could contribute to child health and well-being.
July 2009
Table 2: Historical Record of Previous Achievements in Delivery of Sustainable Development Objectives in CFD
Commitment
How it will be
delivered
Outcomes / Timing
Progress and Comments
To assess third sector grant
applications that support the five ECM
outcomes using sustainable
development principles.
SD team and grants team
liaise to ensure 3rd sector
grant proposals are
assessed for SD in 08-09.
COMPLETED
CFD funding Open House sustainable building project and Lancashire
Wildlife Trust. Louise Lord and Louise Jordan are Link Workers for
these projects and will link to SDU Young Activists Project.
For SEN and disability policy staff to
work with SD team to ensure that SEN
policy and guidance reflects the Every
Child’s Future Matters
recommendations on the positive value
of green space and problem of sensory
challenges, including noise pollution, for
many children with SEN and
disabilities.
Short Breaks scheme to
consider SD issues as part
of the broader remit. To
review if guidance is being
applied.
COMPLETED.
Play strategy to address SD
and disabilities issues. Play
strategy and pathfinders to
include a focus on the needs
of disabled children.
COMPLETED
Short Breaks: Implementation guidance on the national short break
programme for disabled children (£90m capital spend - over 2008-11).
Para 97: “DCSF also encourages local authorities to strive to minimise
carbon emissions from capital developments and considers that all
significant new buildings and refurbishment projects undertaken with
AHDC funding should make use of best practice in securing energy
efficiency.”
Early Years policy staff to consider
sustainable development materials and
guidance in the 2010 review of EYFS,
in line with Every Child’s Future Matters
recommendations.
Early Years policy staff to
include sustainable
development staff from an
early stage in their review of
EYFS.
IN PROGRESS
Medium term commitment.
Review to start in 2009.
Review is due to commence in 2010 and terms of reference are yet to
be finalised, sustainable development colleagues commented on the
draft scoping paper. The early years team will invite comment from
sustainable colleagues at the next appropriate stage in this process.
The Centre for Excellence and
Outcomes in Children and Young
SD contributions made to
the tender document to
COMPLETED
C4EO consortium was selected to run the Centre and launched on
10/7. C4EO has developed itsinfrastructure and delivery plans and has
Play Strategy: Play Strategy includes consideration of disability issues.
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People’s Services will be expected to
incorporate sustainable development
issues within its mode of operation.
Commitment
Promote sustainable development
approach to child health and well-being
via DH physical activity guidance.
support appropriate working
methods and operation.
How it will be
delivered
Play team and SDC colleagues
to input into DH consultations
on their Physical Activity
Strategy
adopted mainly virtual working practices with a small office presence
based at NCB.
Outcomes / Timing
COMPLETED – Guidance
published January 2009
consistent with most DCSF
comments.
Progress and Comments
Positive response received from DH colleagues and significant changes
made to consequent drafts. Final version promotes active travel and
outdoor play from early years onwards as well as infrastructure to
promote walking and cycling.
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TABLE 3: ACTIONS ACHIEVED PRIOR TO REPORTING PERIOD JUNE-OCTOBER 2008 – SDPB November 2008
Commitment
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3RD SECTOR GRANTS
To assess third sector grant
applications that support the five ECM
outcomes using sustainable
development as a mode of delivery.
How it will be
delivered
SD team and grants team
liaise to ensure 3rd sector
grant proposals are
assessed for SD in 07-08.
Outcomes / Timing
ACTION COMPLETE
February 2008.
Progress and Comments
Policy Official Report: The Lancashire Wildlife Trust is
implementing a 3 year programme, ‘Growing Healthy
Naturally’ to improve the health of children in the North of
England by encouraging lifestyle changes through
engagement with the outdoors.
SDC comments: The third sector grants provide an
opportunity to develop and show case projects which
demonstrate the effectiveness of sustainable
development in supporting the 5 ECM outcomes. We
welcome opportunities for similar projects in 2008
and have advised fitting organisations of the grant.
We also welcome mechanisms for further embedding
SD into the grants application process for 2009.
Note: policy officials say that there will not be another
round of 3rd sector grants until 2011.
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PLAY STRATEGY
To explore in the play pathfinders
whether playground refurbishments
and pilot adventure playgrounds can
include natural environment elements,
and be built according to sustainable
design and construction principles.
Road traffic, noise and pollution
assessments to form part of the criteria
for site selection in some pathfinders.
Pathfinder bid criteria to LAs
asked to consider traffic
calming and sites using
recycled and sustainably
sourced materials, and to
include areas of natural
environment.
ACTION COMPLETE
March 08.
Policy Official Report: Some bids showed existing
/ planned links with highways departments
to develop a traffic management and calming
strategy. Some bids showed an appreciation
of how using natural materials can enhance
play and practical ways of incorporating
natural materials into designs.
SDC comments: It is positive that some
bids showed signs of utilising sustainable
development. We would like to see all play
pathfinders leading the way in utilising
sustainable development to enable child
well-being.
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B11
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PLAY STRATEGY
A sustainable development impact
assessment (SDIA) will be carried out
on the Play Strategy (this model will be
developed for use by other
Departmental policies).
a. SDIA adapted Defra’s
Stretching the Web to
develop a model of SDIA.
ACTION COMPLETE
April 2008. (Fair Play
Consultation Strategy)
For sustainable development staff to
contribute to the play space design
guidance for local authorities.
b. SD staff to ensure there
are references to
sustainability in play site
design and construction.
ACTION COMPLETE
April 2008.
CHILDREN’S HEALTH
Where healthy lifestyles are promoted
within the child health strategy, to
ensure messages and suggested
activities are environmentally friendly,
e.g. increased walking and cycling and
physical activity. These support SD
objectives of reducing traffic congestion
and pollution, and the proven physical
and psychological benefits of contact
with outside and green spaces.
Include SD in Healthy
Weight, Healthy Lives: A
Cross Government Strategy
for England (the ‘obesity
strategy’).
ACTION COMPLETE
January 2008.
CHILDREN IN CARE
We will ensure that the Care Matters
Implementation Plan encourages local
partners to provide children and young
people in care with time in green space
in recognition of the value this has for
wellbeing.
Through contribution to Care
Matters: Time to deliver for
children in care
SDC comments: sustainable development
opportunities were considered from the
commencement of policy development and were
enhanced by the SDIA at the later stages. This
resulted in a consultation document with clear use of
sustainable development principles to enhance child
health and well-being.
SDC comments: Play England’s Design for Play: A
guide to creating successful play spaces is an
excellent example of how sustainable development
can support child health and well-being. We welcome
further actions to ensure implementation.
Policy Official Report: References to SD included in
Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross Government for
England. Prime Ministers Foreword and pp 20-21 on the
built environment.
SDC comments: There were good SD references in
Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives.
ACTION COMPLETE
March 2008.
Policy Official Report: (March 2008). See pg 17: ‘Either
structured or unstructured time spent in green spaces
during leisure time is very valuable. It helps us to relax
and helps recovery from mental fatigue and stress. Time
in, or sight of, even small amounts of green space can
reduce aggression. Having the time, space and
opportunity to play freely and safely is one of the defining
characteristics of a good childhood.’
Note: change of lead policy official. To follow up with new
post-holder.
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