Brown keeps UK aim for children and young people high

First indications from the month-old UK administration are that Gordon Brown's children's policy will be 'more of the same', perhaps with greater emphasis on encouraging vulnerable young people to have higher aspirations, and a longer-term possibility that unclaimed cash in dormant bank accounts may be invested in prevention services.

A detailed assessment of the implications for children and prevention policy will appear on this site in the coming days, but the early signals of continuity are likely to be welcomed by policy makers and leaders of children's services organizations who might have been wondering if the days of relative plenty were over.

Some indication of future prospects can be gleaned from the publication from the new Department of Children, Schools and Families called Aiming High for Young People.

The report is part of a broader policy review of children and young people being undertaken by the UK Treasury. The report is intended as a ten year strategy for positive activities.

As might be expected – and probably to the relief of many policy makers – several of the themes are consistent with the previous administration. The report commits the government to raising the life chances of all children and young people, while offering extra support to families caught in a cycle of low achievement. There is an emphasis on selected high risk groups, such as children with disabilities.

There is continuing support for children living in deprived areas. If there is a new slant it is to encourage them to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free time; what North Americans would call 'out-of-school activity.' The objective is helping children to develop new skills and have higher aspirations.

Much of the conceptual basis for policy remains the same. The outcomes agenda remains strong. Engagement with children and young people is reinforced, with local government being encouraged to give young people influence over how resources are used.

Aiming High for Young People will require children's services in England to pool a proportion of their budgets to spend on prevention. And the report announces new money in the form of the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for services for young people for the period 2008-11.

In addition to continued commitment to existing expenditure, the Spending Review will permit further investment in new and improved youth facilities, increased provision to engage the most disaffected young people, and more residential activity.

There are two potentially significant departures. First, the strategy announces more investment in third sector organizations (roughly equivalent to the US nonprofit sector) with a track record in working with vulnerable young people. Second, subject to legislation, there will be reinvestment of unclaimed funds from dormant bank and building society accounts for services for young people. Dormant funds have been at the back-bone of investments in prevention in Ireland.

The report also announces the start of a workforce development programme, part of which seeks to attract more graduates to work with young people and raise their aspirations.