Draft Children and Young People's Partnership Strategy for Gateshead (2025-2030)
We are currently consulting on this draft strategy. Consultation closes Friday 4 July.
Give your views on the draft Children and Young People's Partnership Strategy
View the draft strategy on the webpage below or download it as a PDF (PDF, 242 KB)(opens new window).
- Our vision
- Strategic context
- Our children and young people
- Our strategic partnership approach
- What we have heard from our engagement work
- Our intended outcomes
- Responsibility for implementation
Our Children and Young People's Partnership Strategy sets out our commitment to achieve better outcomes for all Children and Young People in Gateshead.
Our vision
Make Gateshead a place where every child and young person has the building blocks to thrive and are supported to live fulfilled, safe, happy and healthy lives, with the education and skills to enable them to realise their potential.
Strategic context
Our strategic approach, Thrive, has the ambition of making Gateshead a place where everyone can thrive. Our Thrive pledges include; to tackle inequality so people have a fair chance and to put people and families at the heart of everything we do.
Our joint Health and Wellbeing strategy for Gateshead is how we will work together to tackle the health inequalities which exist in Gateshead and how we will deliver 'Good jobs, homes, health and friends', to improve health outcomes for our residents. This includes policy objectives to give every child the best start in life, and enable all children and young people to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives.
Our children and young people
Our data on all Children and Young people in Gateshead (ages 0-17) comes from the population level data (Census - 2021) and our latest self evaluation for Children's services which we share with Ofsted annually (Oct 2024)
The issues faced by children in Gateshead are taken from the Gateshead Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Priorities: Best start in life.
We know that the Income Deprivation Affecting Children (IDACI) index ranks Gateshead as 68th out of 317 councils, with 31% of our under 16s living within one of the 20% most deprived areas in England. These areas of deprivation tend to be within Central Gateshead.
740 of our school-age children attend special schools (2023).
Our strategic partnership approach
To achieve our vision we know the importance of working together, across Gateshead, for the benefit of all our children. This partnership approach; the council and its partners will be responsible to improve outcomes.
Our Strategy has been developed and agreed by our strategic partners. It will be delivered with the different organisations in the Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board.
What we have heard from our engagement work
Key themes heard from our engagement work with children of all ages included:
emotional wellbeing and mental health support
accessible and improved public transport
more safe, social and green spaces and access to inclusive community and leisure activities
more job opportunities
knife crime and safety concerns
life skills and finance and budgeting education
climate change concerns and protecting our environment
no discrimination and equality issues
When we use the term children and young people in this strategy we mean everyone who lives in Gateshead between the ages of 0-17, and all young people up to age 25 who have special educational needs and disabilities or who have experience of being in care.
Our intended outcomes
Our intention is for all children and young people in Gateshead:
To be heard and have influence
To be happy and healthy
To feel safe in their families and communities
To achieve their potential and feel ready for their next steps
We will work together:
For all children to be heard and have influence:
take action to protect the environment from climate change
tackle stigma and discrimination for all, particularly those most vulnerable
to be responsive to the issues that matter to children through regular listening, action and feedback
For all children to be happy and healthy:
support communities and families to give every child the best start in life
improve social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people
ensure affordable, sufficient, safe, stable and secure housing for families and children, and for young people living independently
increase access to affordable and safe places to go and to play and have fun for children of all ages
enable good levels of physical activity, healthy eating and reduce food insecurity
For all children to feel safe in their families and communities:
support children and parents to live in safe, supportive families
ensure that the most vulnerable children are supported and protected from harm
challenge the factors that influence young people's abilities to make good choices in order to minimise risk taking behaviour
develop and enhance the physical and digital environments and public spaces where children live, play and socialise to promote better health and sense of safety
For all children to achieve their potential and be ready to take the next steps:
increase the number of children and young people participating and engaging in learning through removing barriers to education
improve achievement and attainment for all pupils through inclusive education
improve educational progress for pupils vulnerable to poorer learning outcomes
help young people into adulthood, to develop life skills and be ready for training and work
improve access to safe and affordable transport for young people to access education, skills, work and social opportunities
Responsibility for implementation
In Gateshead we all have a responsibility for ensuring that partners proactively work together to deliver the commitments for our children.
Our strategic partners:
Gateshead Council
NHS Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
NHS Gateshead Health
NHS Integrated Care Board - Newcastle Gateshead
Gateshead Safeguarding Children's Partnership
Connected Voice
Northumbria Police
We will report on progress made against the strategic outcomes into the Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board annually
We will review this strategy every five years.