Resources – Key documents

Every Child Matters

The Every Child Matters agenda represents a massive change in the operation of children’s services and the support given to parents. The paper outlines five key outcomes for children which form the basis of all work in the sector. These are:

• Being healthy
• Staying safe
• Enjoying and achieving
• Making a positive contribution
• Economic well-being.

Every Child Matters will influence the way in which every adult in a school interacts with the children. Some of the key requirements for staff include:

• understanding when and how to intervene, and how to hand over responsibility when appropriate
• recognising and reporting uncharacteristic behaviour
• communicating and engaging effectively with children, young people, their families and carers
• working with professionals from other agencies when appropriate.

See the full document on the Every Child Matters Web site.