Consultations

For information about all current Department for Education consultations, click here.

Consultations

As the national charity all about children and families, 4Children is regularly invited to take part in consultations and inquiries. These offer a useful opportunity to contribute to policy making on the issues at the forefront of policy makers’ minds.

In order to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in submitting views we have listed below key consultations that are currently ‘open’ – that you can either contribute directly to or let us have your views. If you would like to feed into 4Children’s consultation response on a current consultation, please email ciaran.osbourne@4Children.org.uk.

Submissions to previous consultations are listed at the bottom of this page so that you can read our contributions.

Current consultations

Consultation on Draft Revised Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities on Services and Activities to Improve Young People's Wellbeing

This consultation, aimed at 13-19 year olds, seeks to help young people take control and have more say in the services provided for them.
Local authorities are responsible for publicising activities and services designed to improve the leisure-time of young people.
Young people are encouraged to discuss and provide input into services designed specifically for them via Knowledge Hub--a collaborative effort run by the Local Government Association and National Youth Agency.
With this new consultation, young people will have more opportunities to get involved and shape their communities as well as the services provided for them and their peers.

Launch Date: Monday 5 March 2012
Closing Date: Friday 25 May 2012

Find out more from the DfE

Consultation on Revised Sure Start Children's Centres Statutory Guidance

The Department has revised the Sure Start Children's Centres Statutory Guidance for local authorities, commissioners of local health services and Jobcentre Plus when exercising their functions under the Childcare Act 2006. This consultation invites views on the revised statutory guidance. The revised guidance seeks to make it clearer what local authorities and statutory partners must do because it is required by legislation, and what local authorities and partners should do when fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.

Launch Date: Monday 5 March 2012
Closing Date: Friday 1 June 2012

Find out more from the DfE

Regulation of providers on the Early Years Register

This consultation seeks views on proposals for a revised framework for the regulation and inspection of registered early years provision.

Ofsted’s proposals aim to:

Keep children safe through a robust registration process and taking appropriate and proportionate enforcement action
Allow registered providers more autonomy in managing their own services
Improve outcomes for children through focusing inspection on children’s personal and emotional development; the partnership settings have with parents and the progress children make in their learning
Improve information for parents by carrying out full inspections instead of investigating concerns so that they receive a more holistic report on provision; and making inspection reports more user-friendly.

Launch Date: Monday 9 January 2012  
Closing Date: Friday 6 April 2012