Knowsley Council’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee has received an update on the engagement and consultation that has been undertaken to shape the development of the new Knowsley Children and Families Plan.
The new Children and Families Plan will set out the vision for what the Council and its partners will do to support children and their families to thrive, acting as a driver to deliver the strategic outcomes set out in the Knowsley 2030 Strategy.
The plan will also act as the framework to support the delivery of other Knowsley strategic documents and plans across the partnership – including the new Knowsley Council Plan 2025-2030 as well as considering and responding to the Government’s legislative and policy agenda on issues such as child poverty, the national Youth Strategy, SEND reform, Best Start in Life Family Hubs, Children’s Social Care reforms, children at risk of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), and the National Youth Guarantee.
Engagement around the plan’s development has been undertaken with children and families with key themes identified around belonging aspiration, early intervention and prevention and the youth offer, along with a further survey which ran from May to July 2025, and was co-produced with the Knowsley Youth Cabinet, Merseyside Youth Association, targeting organisations, schools, groups, associations and young people aged 11 upwards. In addition, Merseyside Youth Association also produced a short animation to promote the survey.
In addition to the survey, the views of young people were sought through targeted workshops with Knowsley Youth Cabinet.
This engagement work identified that:-
- Most children and young people reported a strong sense of belonging at home but feel this less in public spaces and public buildings;
- The most frequently cited barrier to accessing both help and support, as well as youth services, was a lack of awareness;
- Young people highlighted a clear desire for places where they can spend time with friends and build new friendships; and
- They also placed significant importance on their future careers, with fear of failure emerging as the most commonly reported barrier to achieving their aspirations.
The findings are already being used to inform the recommissioning of the Integrated Youth Service contract.
Cllr Joan Lilly, Chair of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee, said “It was great to receive an update on the work that has been carried out to date on the development of the new Knowsley Children and Families Plan, and importantly, the different ways that the voice of our young people have been captured.
“We really do want the very best for our children and young people and we’ll continue to ensure their views inform our future work and ensure we are making a real difference to their lives.”
Once developed, the new Knowsley Children and Families Plan will be considered by Cabinet and Council later this year.