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Declaration of Interdependence in Children’s Services

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Declaration of Interdependence in Children’s Services Children England, along with many of their member organisations, and the TUC have published a new joint agreement on the future of children’s services commissioning.

The agreement – Declaration of Interdependence in Children’s Services – has been reached following concerns that the government’s narrow market-led approach to provision is having a detrimental impact on both the quality of services for children and employment conditions for staff. The signatory organisations are using the agreement to lead debate on the future of children’s services, targeting local and national government.

Principles included in the agreement:

  • procurement to be based on quality, not price
  • funding settlements for children’s services to be long-term and sustainable
  • exploration of alternatives to competitive tendering, such as grants
  • maximum transparency and accountability when services are outsourced
  • an end to exploitative employment practices like zero-hour contracts, and a commitment to paying the Living Wage.

Download Declaration of Interdependence in Children’s Services [PDF]

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