Meeting: Children and Young Peoples Overview and Scrutiny Board	Date: 22nd April 2024

Wards affected: All

Report Title: Child Friendly Torbay

When does the decision need to be implemented? Immediately

Cabinet Member Contact Details: Cllr Nick Bye, Lead Member for Childrens Services

Director Contact Details: Anne-Marie Bond, Chief Executive

1.	Purpose of Report

1.1	This report has been prepared to provide members of the Children and Young Peoples Overview and Scrutiny Board with an update on the ‘Child Friendly Torbay’ programme.

2.	Reason for Proposal and its benefits

2.1	Following the submission of a successful ‘Expression of Interest’ Torbay Council have recently become part of an ambitious partnership with children’s charity the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) to support us in becoming a ‘Child Friendly’ location.

2.2	Torbay Council is now one of 9 other local authorities taking part in UNICEF UK’s Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme, which will see us put children’s rights at the heart of all our work for children and young people as we work towards international recognition as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly Community.

2.3	The programme is part of Child Friendly Cities – a global UNICEF initiative launched in 1996 that reaches close to 30 million children in 40 countries.

2.4	The programme aims to create cities and communities in the UK where all children – whether they are living in care, using a Family Hub or simply visiting their local library – have a meaningful say in, and truly benefit from, the local decisions, services and spaces that shape their lives.

2.5	The first step towards becoming a Child Friendly Community is the ‘Discovery Phase’, a six-month period during which councillors, council staff, the community, local partner organisations and children and young people will identify six priority areas, or ‘badges’, to guide our work over the coming years.

3.	Recommendation(s) / Proposed Decision

1.	That members of the Children and Young Peoples Overview and Scrutiny Board note the contents of this report and identify how they can play an active role in supporting the programme.

Appendices

Appendix 1: UNICEF Prospectus.

Background Documents

N/A

Supporting Information

1.	Introduction

1.1	As stated above Torbay Council have recently become part of an ambitious partnership with children’s charity the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) to support us in becoming a ‘Child Friendly’ location.

1.2	The programme aims to create cities and communities in the UK where all children – whether they are living in care, using a Family Hub, or simply visiting their local library – have a meaningful say in, and truly benefit from, the local decisions, services and spaces that shape their lives.

1.3	The first step towards becoming a Child Friendly Community is the ‘Discovery Phase’, a six-month period during which councillors, council staff, the community, local partner organisations and children and young people will identify six priority areas, or ‘badges’ (as per the diagram below), to guide our work over the coming years.

1.4	Given the extraordinary breadth of children’s rights as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as well as the wide-ranging responsibilities of local authorities, the CFC programme employs a badge framework which will allow us to focus on defined areas of work during their partnership with UNICEF UK.

1.5	There are three foundational badges (yellow) that we must work towards and three thematic badges (blue) that are chosen from a choice of ten.

1.6	Torbay Council will work with local children and young people to understand which areas, or ‘badges’ they think should be prioritised to make Torbay more child-friendly – feeling safe, or staying healthy, for example.

1.7	The right of the child to have their views heard and taken seriously, for example, will mean that children will have a say in council decisions – from major policies, to decisions around the care they receive – as well as the opportunity to design local services and spaces.

1.8	The work with UNICEF also supports our own Community and Corporate Plan, which outlines our plans for Torbay to be recognised as a child friendly place. We want all residents, including our children and young people, to feel and be safe and to live well within their communities.

1.9	Following the ‘Discovery Phase’ Torbay Council will need to show evidence of sustainable progress in the six chosen badges to be recognised as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly Community.

1.10	Progress will be closely monitored by an independent panel of experts in human rights, child wellbeing and public services, as well as an advisory board of local children and young people. If recognised as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly City/Community, Torbay Council will join cities and communities in 40 countries taking part in this global programme.

2.	Options under consideration

2.1	N/A

3.	Financial Opportunities and Implications

3.1	N/A

4.	Legal Implications

4.1	N/A

5.	Engagement and Consultation

5.1	A full communications plan will be developed for the programme working with both Torbay Council and UNICEF colleagues – this will detail the engagement and consultation activity that needs to take place as the programme progresses.

6.	Purchasing or Hiring of Goods and/or Services

6.1	N/A

7.	Tackling Climate Change

7.1	N/A

8.	Associated Risks

8.1	N/A

9.	Equality Impacts - Identify the potential positive and negative impacts on specific groups

Positive Impact	Negative Impact & Mitigating Actions	Neutral Impact
Older or younger people	Due to the nature of the programme this will have a positive impact on Children and young people as detailed above.
People with caring Responsibilities	Due to the nature of the programme this will have a positive impact on Children and young people as detailed above including our young carers
People with a disability	Due to the nature of the programme this will have a positive impact on Children and young people with a disability.
Women or men	No differential impact.
People who are black or from a minority ethnic background (BME) (Please note Gypsies / Roma are within this community)	No differential impact.
Religion or belief (including lack of belief)	No differential impact.
People who are lesbian, gay or bisexual	No differential impact.
People who are transgendered	No differential impact.
People who are in a marriage or civil partnership	No differential impact.
Women who are pregnant / on maternity leave	No differential impact.
Socio-economic impacts (Including impact on child poverty issues and deprivation)	No differential impact.
Public Health impacts (How will your proposal impact on the general health of the population of Torbay)	No differential impact.

10.	Cumulative Council Impact

10.1	There will be a positive Council Impact should Torbay Council achieve its recognition status as a ‘Child Friendly’ location.

11.	Cumulative Community Impacts

11.1	There will be a positive community Impact should Torbay Council achieve its recognition status as a ‘Child Friendly’ location.