Commentary on Sections Part 3 – Children’s Services Planning Section 9 – Aims of children’s services plan
30.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that a children’s services plan should be prepared with a view to achieving the aims of providing children’s services in the area in a way which: best safeguards, supports or promotes the wellbeing of children; ensures that any action to meet needs is taken at the earliest appropriate time and that, where appropriate, action is taken to prevent needs arising; is most integrated from the point of view of the recipients; and constitutes the best use of available resources. “Most integrated” would be where service providers co-operate with each other to ensure that service provision is planned and delivered in a way which best meets the needs of children and families. Also, related services in the area are to be provided in the way which safeguards, supports or promotes the wellbeing of children, so far as this is consistent with the objects and proper delivery of the service concerned.