When the first Children’s Services Committees were established in 2007, they were given a broad outline of the purpose of their work. The DCYA wanted to ensure that the initiative was designed and implemented from the ground up and that local needs were being addressed. The result of this approach was that the Phase I CSCs were given considerable flexibility to develop their own structure and modus operandi.

When the DCYA was preparing to establish a second phase of CSCs, the feedback received from the Phase I CSCs suggested that further assistance and direction would be useful. In response, a Toolkit for the Development of a Committee (2009) was developed, which set out a 6-stage framework to assist CSCs in the setting-up process. Since the publication of that toolkit, there has been much progress in the development of the Working Together for Children initiative, for example, in the areas of governance, communications and preparing a Children and Young People’s Plan. Thus, this 2nd edition of the CSC Toolkit has been updated to reflect these developments. It will assist not only those in the early stages of setting up a CSC, but also those who are considering setting up a CSC.