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Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families (Camden Council)

Councillor Angela Mason (Lab). The role is:

Summary  

Leading on keeping children safe, reducing child poverty, supporting families, excellence in education for all and reducing domestic violence (including early intervention early years, schools, keeping children safe, domestic violence). 

Detail

To take responsibility for delivery of the aspects of Our Camden Plan that relate to the portfolio functions outlined below and in particular the following:

  • working to protect Camden’s family of schools and our shared vision of a collaborative and cooperative local comprehensive education system
  • seeking to help all our young people to achieve academic excellence and grow up to be active and engaged citizens
  • ensuring that young people are well-prepared for adult life, investing in education and learning from the early years onwards, so that young people have the knowledge, resilience, and relationships they need to succeed
  • renewing our target of reducing domestic violence and its impacts, identifying early signs of abuse and supporting victims as early as possible
  • keeping safeguarding children as a priority protecting the most vulnerable and finding ways to support people to keep themselves and others safe
  • working to promote gender equality in Camden
  • ensuring that all children have the best start in life through early intervention programmes and are kept safe and free of crime. 

To have lead responsibility for all the functions within the remit of the Cabinet which relate to children’s social care, health, education attainment and play.

To be the lead Member for Children as defined in the Children Act (both now and as it may be amended) and in the subsequent guidance from the Government, and to fulfil all the necessary duties and responsibilities of this role. 

To lead on keeping children safe, reducing child poverty and supporting families, including early interventions and early years.

To ensure the Council is the best possible Corporate Parent to children in its care. 

To lead on excellence in education for all, including schools. 

To lead on reducing domestic violence including keeping children safe, domestic violence. 

To be responsible for the health and safety issues that fall within the remit of this portfolio. 

To be responsible for adult and community learning. 

To have responsibility for schools and the Councils relationship with schools in the Borough seeking innovative improvements to obtain the optimum outcomes for all children and young people. These responsibilities include, but not exclusively, relevant executive matters dealt with by the Early Intervention & Prevention, Education Commissioning & School Organisation and Children’s Safeguarding & Social Work Divisions of the Supporting People Directorate but may also include other matters from time to time such as the appointment or removal of and partnership with school governors, learning and standards of achievement in schools and Children’s Centres and school effectiveness, school organisation matters and planning school places, schools capital developments and corporate programme. 

The Cabinet Member will also be responsible for the quality and performance of traded services to schools, the quality, commissioning and performance of schools in partnership with Camden Learning, contracts: school meals, school cleaning, policies and strategies on school exclusions and attendance, Special Educational Needs Provision/support services and policies. 

The portfolio holder will have lead responsibility for matters relating to the NHS Children's Services and the range of Children’s Social Care Services and their commissioning with a particular focus on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and to take a strategic lead on issues around complex families in the borough. 

To have responsibility for the provision of play services in Camden. 

For decisions relating to the removal of school governors, should the Cabinet Member not have made the initial decision, receive the recommendation from the Governors Appeal Panel after an appeal.

To be responsible for the aspects of the council’s response to HS2 and Euston Station that fall within these portfolio responsibilities.

Contact details

Contact Name
Olivia Mensah
Contact Position
Head of Member Support
Telephone
020 7974 6409
E-mail
angela.mason@camden.gov.uk
Website
www.camden.gov.uk/democracy 
Alternative Contact
olivia.mensah@camden.gov.uk

Address

Address
c/o Member Support
Camden Town Hall
Judd Street
London
Postcode
WC1H 9JE

Further details

Parent Body
Camden Council Corporate Services Directorate
Last checked date
09/09/2020
Record ID
9929
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