Yesterday I attended a major conference organised by the County Council at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, attended by about 150 people representing a wide range of organisations involved in the provision of services for children, young people and families in Warwickshire - spanning education, social services, health, police, the voluntary sector etc. The aim of the conference was to develop priorities for the new Children & Young People Plan for Warwickshire.

The day demonstrated both the opportunities and difficulties for partnership working across so many different bodies in trying to deliver “joined-up” services, working together to avoid duplication of effort and resources. This principle is of course right in principle, but making it work in practice is not easy!