The Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Children's Plan

Book excerpt: This second report, entitled "The Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Children's Plan", (HCP 213, session 2007-08, ISBN 9780215514691) from the Children, Schools and Families Committee examines the creation of the new Department for Children, Schools and Families. The Department has sole responsibility for early years education and the schooling of children between 5 and 13, but in other areas, such as education for 14-19 year olds, it operates jointly with other Government departments, in partcular the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The Committee welcomes the Departmental focus on children, but expresses some reservations in regard of joint responsibility which it sees as leading to a lack of clarity in regard of responsibility and a dilution in decision making. The Committee believes clarity on which Department has specific responsibility is important, particularly with the introduction of the new Diploma system for 14-19 year olds. Also the Departments' Children's Plan does not at present have a timetable of action or a clear set of priorities and that the Department needs to be explicit on how it intends to drive improvements in services for children and familes. In total the Committee has set out 14 conclusions and recommendations covering: the new Department; the Children's Plan; Public Service Agreements; schools' funding; efficiency and productivity.