The Children and Young People’s Trust is a partnership. It is led by the local authority, and brings together key Bristol agencies to improve all children’s wellbeing through integrating planning and delivery of services.

The Trust encompasses all commissioners, current and potential providers of Bristol services for children and young people and their families. Its focus is on delivering the five "Every Child Matters" outcomes:

• Be Healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Make a Positive Contribution
• Achieve Economic Well-being

Each partner has specific work and responsibilities which sit solely within their own organisation. The Children and Young People’s Trust is about adding value to services we should do together and our overarching joint priorities are consolidated into the Children and Young People’s Plan. 

The Children and Young People's Plan 2011-2014 has been adopted by the Council and is now published (November 2011).  These are available in the blue downloads box on the right side of this page.  

The Bristol Children and Young People’s Trust structure can be seen in our arrangements diagram.

The national Children’s Plan sets high expectations for Children and Young People’s Trusts and sets out eight key priorities for us jointly to deliver:

1. Narrow the gap in outcomes: place a clear and measurably effective emphasis on narrowing the outcomes gaps between children from disadvantaged backgrounds (for example looked after children) and their peers, while improving outcomes for all;

2. Focus on prevention and early intervention: including for those children and young people at risk of being harmed or falling into anti-social behaviour or crime;

3. Involve children, young people and parents: involve and empower parents, and become more responsive to children and young people themselves;

4. Plan and commission services: ensure effective planning and commissioning of services and the flexible use of pooled budgets (or greater alignment) where that is the best answer locally;

5. Improve infrastructure planning: lead to more integrated and strategic infrastructure planning, making best use of all available assets and funding streams to deliver facilities for children and young people’s services, including through greater co-location;

6. Drive effective integrated working: between all professionals working with children and young people;

7. Support world-class health outcomes: support families in securing world-class health and wellbeing outcomes for their children;

8. Tackle the problem of child poverty.