Vision for Families and Children

This is a statement of our joint ambitions for children and families in our communities. It sets the direction for the council and its partners to plan and provide services over the next three years. It makes a commitment to local people for what we aim to deliver.

We want all children and young people to have the best possible start in life:

• to respect themselves and others, and to engage positively with society
• to be enquiring and keen to learn, to help others and to enjoy life
• to grow up safely and healthily
• to get the extra help they need if they are in difficult circumstances
• to have their achievements recognised and built upon
• to be prepared for active, economically independent, participative adulthood

Families living locally have chosen to live in the inner city and face the stresses and strains that go with this. Demand for affordable housing and secondary school places outstrips supply; green space is limited; the city is noisy and busy, and crime is an everyday reality. We want to produce the best possible experience of city life, but certain constraints will always be with us.

We expect parents to appreciate the significance of their demanding roles and to recognise that being a parent means making choices and sacrifices.

Strong family networks are the foundation on which strong communities are built. We continue to support parents and carers as the main contributors to their children's safety, success and well-being, and to build strong families at the heart of strong communities. We will help families to find the information and services they need before small concerns become major crises.

We will prioritise children with the greatest needs, and those at risk of harm, to ensure their well-being and safety. We aim to be good parents to children and young people in public care.

We are ambitious for the children and young people who live or study in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We are proud of our high educational standards and we intend to improve children's attainment even further.

We want all children to receive excellent teaching, a broad, rich and enjoyable curriculum, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, a positive learning environment and a range of additional support.

We recognise the importance and impact that health can have on the lives of children and their parents and carers, and we want to ensure that we promote access to high quality health services in our community.

Many of our services are run with the involvement of parents and carers in a voluntary capacity. Listening to parents, carers, children and young people helps us to offer relevant, efficient, timely and effective family support and we will consult users more on how we shape services.

We shall be open with parents and carers about decisions we make and about any steps we take to prevent harm to their children.

We recognise the diversity and differing needs of our population and we are committed to treating everyone fairly and respectfully. We aim for our services to be high quality, easy to access, and provided by skilled staff from the relevant professions working together. Services for adults will work closely with children's services. The Council and members of the Kensington and Chelsea Partnership are pledged to work together to improve the life chances of children and young people. We will involve voluntary organisations, community and faith groups who support families and children.