To be moved by Councillor David Ward

Seconded by Councillor Julie Humphreys

The Children’s Society’s “The Good Childhood Report 2018 based upon a national survey of 2,000 children reveals that girls are unhappier with their lives, more likely to have depression and twice as likely to self-harm as boys. The survey also reveals traditional gender stereotypes remain strong and impact on children’s well-being and that those children attracted to the same or both genders have lower wellbeing, higher rates of depression than other children –with almost half engaged in self harming. The Report 2018 concludes that after 15 years of increased levels of children’s happiness with their lives, children’s well-being is now as low as it was two decades ago.

The response to the Future in Mind report and the production of ‘The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’ published in 2016 provides a model for how Bradford could respond to The Good Childhood Report and therefore:

1.    This Council reaffirms the strategic ultimate responsibility it has for the education of all children in the Bradford District whose education is publicly funded.

2.    This Council fully accepts the importance of a child’s sense of well-being on their ability to fully benefit from the formal education that they receive.

3.    This Council undertakes to create a Children’s Wellbeing Task Group including key strategic partners to identify the key factors affecting the wellbeing of young people in the Bradford District with a view to the development of a transformation plan to increase their general sense of wellbeing and of life satisfaction.

Resolved –

The Children’s Society’s “The Good Childhood Report 2018”, based on a national survey of 2,000 children, reflects the huge scale of mental health challenges faced by children nationally. The Future in Mind report and the production of ‘The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’ published in 2016 provides a model for how Councils could respond to The Good Childhood Report.

Bradford Council is signed up to delivering the Future in Mind strategy for the district and a refresh report is due to be presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board in November. This Council welcomes the positive message from the Department of Health Directorate who oversee our Future in Mind delivery programme, which has commended our work as "Fully confident" in September this year.

The Future in Mind delivery group reports to the Mental Wellbeing Partnership Board and to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The district wide Mental Wellbeing Partnership Board is a multi-agency group comprising of staff from BMDC, NHS, independent and community leaders. It has an all-inclusive approach to the wellbeing of children and young people and recognises the important role for learning, education and development. This is reflected in our strategy.

Children & young people’s mental wellbeing is a key priority for the Children's Transformation and Integration Group (Children’s TIG) which reports to the Children's Trust Board, chaired by the Portfolio Holder, and to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The main purpose of Children’s TIG is to identify the key factors affecting the wellbeing of young people in the Bradford District with a view to the development of a transformation plan to increase their general sense of wellbeing and of life satisfaction.

This Council:

(1)       Reaffirms its strategic ultimate responsibility together with partners for the wellbeing of every child in the district regardless of the type of school or setting they attend.

(2)       Fully accepts the importance of a child’s sense of wellbeing on their ability to fully benefit from the formal education that they receive.

(3)       Actively leads on the agenda to promote children’s mental wellbeing in the district within the already established governance and partnership arrangements in place to ensure strong accountability and pace / continuity of our work.

ACTION:        Strategic Director Children’s Services/Strategic Director Health and Wellbeing

A motion was moved by Councillor Ward.

An amendment moved by Councillor Farley, as set out in the resolution below, was carried.

An amendment moved by Councillor Davies was defeated.

Resolved –

The Children’s Society’s “The Good Childhood Report 2018”, based on a national survey of 2,000 children, reflects the huge scale of mental health challenges faced by children nationally. The Future in Mind report and the production of ‘The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’ published in 2016 provides a model for how Councils could respond to The Good Childhood Report.

Bradford Council is signed up to delivering the Future in Mind strategy for the district and a refresh report is due to be presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board in November. This Council welcomes the positive message from the Department of Health Directorate who oversee our Future in Mind delivery programme, which has commended our work as "Fully confident" in September this year.

The Future in Mind delivery group reports to the Mental Wellbeing Partnership Board and to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The district wide Mental Wellbeing Partnership Board is a multi-agency group comprising of staff from BMDC, NHS, independent and community leaders. It has an all-inclusive approach to the wellbeing of children and young people and recognises the important role for learning, education and development. This is reflected in our strategy.

Children & young people’s mental wellbeing is a key priority for the Children's Transformation and Integration Group (Children’s TIG) which reports to the Children's Trust Board, chaired by the Portfolio Holder, and to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The main purpose of Children’s TIG is to identify the key factors affecting the wellbeing of young people in the Bradford District with a view to the development of a transformation plan to increase their general sense of wellbeing and of life satisfaction.

This Council:

(1)       Reaffirms its strategic ultimate responsibility together with partners for the wellbeing of every child in the district regardless of the type of school or setting they attend.

(2)       Fully accepts the importance of a child’s sense of wellbeing on their ability to fully benefit from the formal education that they receive.

(3)       Actively leads on the agenda to promote children’s mental wellbeing in the district within the already established governance and partnership arrangements in place to ensure strong accountability and pace / continuity of our work.

ACTION:        Strategic Director Children’s Services/Strategic Director Health and Wellbeing