The background to joint commissioning

In 2003, the Government published the Green Paper Every Child Matters, which set out a new vision for children’s services in England, including the way services are commissioned and delivered.

This was followed by the Children Act 2004, which provided the legislation for developing effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. It included a new duty on local authorities and other key agencies to co-operate to improve the well-being of children and young people. The development of Children’s Trusts and policy around joint commissioning is based on this legislation.

The Youth Matters Green Paper in 2005 and subsequent 14-19 education reforms further reflected the commissioning role. The 2005 Schools’ White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All, and the following Education and Inspections Act 2006 set out an education system driven by the demands of parents and needs of pupils in which local authorities take the lead in the strategic planning and commissioning of schools.

Since then a range of key strategies, policy papers and good practice guidance on commissioning have been produced. This section of the website provides easy access to them.