Outline of the Children's Plan

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Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families addresses the DCS/ DASS Annual Conference
It is an honour to be appointed the first ever Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
And let me start by thanking the LGA for inviting me today and for the very valuable work you and your colleagues do – cabinet members, councillors, directors of children’s services and adult social services, on behalf of children and families across the country.
I know that the LGA has done - and is doing - path-breaking work on improving outcomes for children and young people – including the very important piece of work looking at how joining up local services can narrow the achievement gap being led by Christine Davies, former director of Telford and Wrekin Council.
And I am also grateful for the advice that John Coughlan and John Freeman have given me over the past few months, in their role as joint presidents of the ADCS.
Whatever we do or say nationally, it’s what happens locally that really matters. And since the Children Act of 2004, you have made real progress in delivering Every Child Matters - with better arrangements for keeping children safe, better access to universal services such as childcare and early years education, and more effective, closer working between schools and children’s services and targeted support for those families who need extra help.
This revolution is not being dictated from the centre, but being led in local areas across the country – by lead members, Directors of Children’s Services and Directors of Adult Social Services, by head teachers and governing bodies, by health and social care professionals and also by the huge number of extraordinarily committed voluntary sector organisations who are delivering essential services for children and families.