Children’s Trust Directory of Partners and their Services
This document provides a summary of each of the partner organisations who make up Halton Children’s Trust. Click on the name of each partner organisation to find out more information
NHS Halton & St Helens
NHS Halton and St Helens (formerly Halton & St Helens Primary Care Trust) provides NHS services in the community and also works with other local health trusts, local authorities and other organisations to ensure that health services are provided, and that the health needs of local people are being met. By working closely with our partners, patients and the public we aim to deliver a better, more responsive health service and improve the health of local people
Halton and St Helens Primary Care Trust was established on 1 October 2006, replacing the former Halton PCT and St Helens PCT. The organisation matches the boundaries of Halton Borough Council and St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council.
The PCT looks after the health of around 300,000 people and we aim to ensure you find it easy to access the best possible services when you need them. Most of our £430 million budget is spent on buying NHS care for local people from a variety of service providers, including other NHS organisations, family doctors, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists and a variety of other healthcare organisations.
We also aim to enable people in Halton and St Helens to improve their overall health and wellbeing so that we can all lead healthier, happier lives. The PCT has a highly dedicated workforce of around 2,000 people. Many of these are frontline staff such as district nurses and health visitors who provide services directly to local people.
Halton & Warrington Youth Offending Team
Provides a joint service for the two unitary authorities of Halton and Warrington. The YOT supervises 10 17 year olds, resident in either borough, sentenced by the Court to a community-based or custodial statutory Order. Alongside our partner agencies, we provide a targeted service focusing on the factors that have been instrumental to the young persons offending. The YOT comprises three operational teams; Prevention (including health and education specialists), Criminal Justice (Court liaison and completion of Pre-Sentence Reports) and Restorative Justice (Victim Liaison and Reparation to the wider community).
Cheshire Constabulary
Responsible for policing nearly a million people, there are nearly 2,200 regular Police Officers, nearly 250 Police Community Support Officers, nearly 250 Special Constables and more than 1,500 civilian Police Staff. The Constabulary is split into three Areas, and Halton is in the Northern Area along with Warrington. Widnes and Runcorn are each policed by a Neighbourhood Policing Unit run by an Inspector. Each Unit is split into Neighbourhood Policing Teams,to offer a truly local service.
The Constabulary work with communities to stop crimes and anti-social behaviour so that the public are safe and feel safe. They understand that to really tackle the issues in the community, they need to work with other agencies such as Halton Borough Council, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, schools and housing associations. Halton’s Community Safety Partnership brings together these agencies, along with many more, to fight crime and the causes of crime through numerous projects.
Cheshire Police Authority
An independent body responsible for ensuring Cheshire Constabulary delivers an efficient and effective police service. It is made up of 17 local people including councillors, and members of the public. The Authority ensures that the Constabulary is accountable to the people of Cheshire and ensures that citizens have a say in how they are policed. The Authority is responsible, amongst other matters, for setting the budget for the Constabulary and, following consultation with local communities, mapping out the strategic direction of policing. This includes agreeing policing priorities and setting the Constabulary challenging targets to drive performance higher.
Riverside College
Was established on the 1st August 2006 following the merger of Halton College and Widnes & Runcorn sixth form college. Our focus is to deliver a varied and strong curriculum, improved facilities and excellent student support.
Riverside College is for people of all ages, abilities and ambitions. The College encompasses an extensive portfolio of full and part time courses including Basic Skills, Vocational Education, A levels, Higher Education, Business and Professional Training.
Jobcentre Plus
A government agency which aims to help more people into paid work, employers fill their vacancies, give people of working age the help and support that they are entitled to if they cannot work. They offer a number of services and programmes to help jobseekers, unemployed people, particularly long-term unemployed people, people with disabilities and others who may need extra help in finding work. Jobcentre Plus has one of Britain’s largest databases of job vacancies, which is updated constantly. Customers can search the database and find a job to suit them using the jobs and skills search, and also for training, career information, voluntary work and childcare providers across the UK
Halton Borough Council Children’s Services
From 0 to 19, we offer services and support for children and young people to help them reach their full potential.
For young families we can direct you to on registered childcare, including child minders, nurseries, play groups, holiday schemes, crèches and school pick-ups.
For children of school age we offer out of school clubs, homework clubs and for their parents, information about schools, the admissions process, allowances such as free school meals and much more.
There are a wide range of activities on offer including youth clubs and projects where young people can meet with friends or make new ones. There is information and advice on relationships, bullying, health issues, the law and just about anything else available.
We provide specialist support to children in need, vulnerable children, and children at risk, children with disabilities and their families. We assess and review the needs of these children and their families and work with other providers to arrange the right support, with a strong focus on early help and prevention.
Children & Young People’s Voluntary Sector Forum
Provides a place for voluntary, community and faith sector groups who work with children, young people and families across Halton, to come together. The partnership provides an opportunity to talk about and share experiences of working with children, young people and families, and also strengthens opportunities for young people to have their say in issues affecting them. Support for partners includes:
• regular updates on issues affecting children and young people • a range of learning opportunities and workshops • distribution of policy briefings and fact sheets • influence on the issues within local and national agenda for Children’s Services
Halton Family Voice
This parent led group was established in 2005, with the aim of giving parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-19 years the opportunity to take part in consultation, engagement and participation activities that would help shape the future of family services offered in Halton.
The group has representation on the Children’s Trust Board, Executive and subgroups and also the HBC Children and Young People’s Policy and Performance Board and the Employment, Learning and Skills Specialist Strategic Partnership
Members take part in various training and development opportunities, and are actively involved in consultation activities on a regular basis which influence the development of services for children, young people and their families.
Connexions
- Connexions are an independent careers advice service for ages 16 upwards, with a focus on:
- Providing targeted support for post-16 young people who fall out of learning
- Providing a further education place offer for all 16 and 17 year-olds in September each year
- Providing extended help for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD)
- Tracking the education and employment circumstances of young people in Halton up to the age of 19 (or 25 if Learning Difficulties and Disabilities) as required by central government
Halton Housing Trust
The largest social landlord in the borough of Halton, with 6,100 homes in Widnes and Runcorn which are made up of a range of different types. We provide a range of services, but our primary focus is on providing housing that benefits the local community and creates communities where people want to live.
We aim to provide affordable homes for people who may not have the means to buy or rent a home privately, help people who are homeless and provide support to older or disabled people to help them live independently in their own home. Anyone over 16 years old can apply to go on our housing register, however we only re-house under 18’s in exceptional circumstances.
Halton Safeguarding Children Board
A statutory body consisting of agencies and professionals responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people across the borough. The Agencies include Health, Social care, Education, the Police, Probation, Connexions, the NSPCC, Youth Offending Service, CAFCASS, Community Services and voluntary or independent organisations that work with children and young people. A parent representative also sits on the board.
The Board carries out a range of activities to safeguard children and young people in Halton, aged between 0-19. The role of Halton’s Safeguarding Children Board includes: • Developing schemes to reduce harm to children
• Create, watch over and review inter-agency Safeguarding Children procedures • Collect and study information related to safeguarding children
• Promote and provide training • Increase professional and public awareness of safeguarding agenda • Enquire into cases of abuse and neglect where a child has died or suffered serious harm and to review important issues arising from such enquiries
Safeguarding children and young people is not the sole responsibility of the Safeguarding Children Board, or the professionals who care for children. Safeguarding children is everyone’s business.
Halton Association of Secondary Headteachers
An association of Headteachers from each of the Secondary Schools in Halton and also Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units with children of secondary age. The association operates to ensure the best possible provision for young people in Halton’s secondary schools through mutual support between colleagues, effective partnership with the Local Authority and other agencies and supporting the professional development of teachers at all levels.
Halton Association of Primary Headteachers
An association which is run by primary heads for primary heads. The group supports all primary headteachers in their leadership and management roles and works to promote and improve primary education in Halton in collaboration with the Local Authority other education partners
Halton Clinical Commissioning Group
Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is made up of representatives from each of the 17 GP practices across Runcorn and Widnes.
They are responsible for planning NHS services across the borough, and work with other clinicians and healthcare providers to ensure they meet the needs of local people. This includes: – Elective hospital care – Rehabilitation care – Urgent and emergency care – Most community health services – Mental health and learning disability services Halton CCG work with patients and healthcare professionals, as well as in partnership with local communities and the Children’s Trust to make sure that health and social care is linked together for people whenever possible. In addition to GPs our governing body will have a least one registered nurse and a doctor who is a secondary care specialist.
5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provide treatment, support and guidance for people affected by mental ill health and learning disabilities. We’re here for people of all ages, living in the boroughs of Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Wigan, and offer day care, in-patient care and community services. We help people to enjoy positive mental health, and support those who are experiencing difficulties. With a team of dedicated and expert staff, and working closely with our local partners in each borough, we provide a better view on mental health.
Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust
Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Trust (Bridgewater) is a leading provider of community health services in the north west of England. We provide high quality community and specialist services to 1,015,370 people living in:
- Ashton, Leigh and Wigan
- Halton and St Helens
- Trafford
- Warrington
- Community Dental (provides services in all of the above areas plus Bolton, Tameside, Glossop, Stockport and western Cheshire)
The majority of our services are delivered in patients’ homes or at locations close to where they live, such as clinics, health centres, GP practices, community centres and schools. As a provider of both mainstream and specialist care our role is to focus on providing cost effective NHS care by keeping people out of hospital and supporting vulnerable people throughout their lives.
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust provide a full range of acute in-patient, out-patient, day case and emergency services to the local communities of St Helens, Knowsley, parts of Halton and Liverpool, extending to the whole of Cheshire, Merseyside, North Wales and the Isle of Man with the Regional Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit.
As a Trust our aim is to provide a high quality service to all our patients. We strive to meet the best standards for professional care whilst being sensitive and responsive to the needs of individual patients.