Leeds Children and Young People's Plan 2023-2028

Developing quality connections, conversations, and relationships with children, families, and professionals is how we work in Leeds.

• children live in families
• families create communities
• communities create cities

Always remember...  

• do the simple things better
• the child is the client
• safeguard and promote the welfare of children

We want Leeds to be a city of equal opportunity, an inclusive city where everyone has a fair chance and people from all backgrounds take part in community life, creating a society that is varied, vibrant and proud. The CYPP will help reduce the impact of poverty and reduce inequalities and discrimination that still exist within some of our communities within Leeds.

What is it like to be a child or young person growing up in Leeds and how do we make it better?

Our vision is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK and the best city for children and young people to grow up in, to thrive from early years into adulthood. We want Leeds to be an inclusive and welcoming child friendly city where children live in loving and nurturing families.

We invest in children and young people to help build an increasingly prosperous and successful city by improving outcomes and providing young people with the skills for life, as well as opportunities for play and having fun. In ensuring our children are starting well, we recognise the need for outcomes to improve faster for children and young people from vulnerable and deprived backgrounds.

All children and young people:  

1. Are safe from harm
2. Do well at all levels of learning and have skills for life
3. Enjoy healthy lives
4. Have fun growing up
5. Are active citizens who feel they have a voice and influence

1. Help children and parents to live in safe, supportive, and loving families
2. Ensure that the most vulnerable children and young people are protected
3. Support families to give children the best start in life
4. Increase the number of children and young people participating and engaging in learning
5. Improve achievement and attainment for all pupils
6. Improve at a faster rate educational progress for pupils vulnerable to poorer learning outcomes
7. Improve social, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people
8. Children and young people have safe spaces to play, hang out, and have fun
9. Promote and enable physical activity and healthy eating
10. Support young people to make good choices and minimise risk taking behaviours
11. Help young people into adulthood, to develop life skills, and be ready for work
12. Everyone takes more action to protect the environment from climate change
13. Improve access to affordable, safe, and reliable connected transport for young people
14. Encourage greater use of sustainable transport (such as walking, cycling, scooting, public transport) for children and young people

1. to safely and appropriately reduce the number of children looked after
2. young people in Leeds to attend school, achieve, and attain well, and continue their route of a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination
3. Leeds to be a healthy place for all children; and improve the timely access to healthcare when needed

Before and after birth, we will support parents and babies to create the conditions where stress is reduced, positive bonds and attachments can form, and language and communications skills develop.

Learning underpins wellbeing; so we will place a sharp focus on supporting learning, and children's readiness for learning, in order to support all children and young people to be our future talent, particularly those learners who are vulnerable to poorer outcomes, to realise their potential, and narrow any attainment gaps.

Building on what works well, and reorganising more of our services around the Restorative Early Start approach, we will focus help to where it is needed earlier.

Leeds is a healthy place for all children and young people, where they live within an environment that supports them to be mentally and physically healthy and have timely access to the right care and support when needed.

In acknowledging the scale and impact of poverty on families, we will work with communities and families on children's outcomes, and support children's journeys into secure adulthood in a prosperous city.

Continuing our journey as an Ofsted rated 'outstanding' local authority, our Families First programme, and our investment in social work, we will ensure consistent quality across all our work with vulnerable children and young people.

We will consider family relationships, the role of adult behaviour, and the wider context such as friends and the local community, and how these impact on outcomes for children and young people.

• Total population: 799,873
• 172,651 children and young people aged under 18 (272,300 aged under 25)
• 280 state funded schools
• 195 different languages spoken in Leeds schools

Figures correct at December 2023.

The Child Friendly Leeds Wishes were developed in partnership with children and young people. Top issues and priorities were identified following the review of local and citywide consultations, surveys and ballots, capturing the views of over 80,000 children and young people.  

The Wishes highlight what young people think is important and what they think would make Leeds an even better city for children and young people to grow up in.  

The Wishes have influenced the priorities in the CYPP and a wishes action plan has been developed to ensure children, young people, and families are kept up to date on what actions are being taken to address the wishes.  

Updates on the 12 wishes will be part of monitoring the impact of our CYPP.

The Child Friendly Leeds initiative's ambition is to make Leeds the best city in the UK for children and young people to grow up in.

To help us make this happen, we have a Leeds Children and Young People's Partnership, which brings together leaders from the main organisations working with children and young people, to make sure the work we do keeps children safe from harm, and has a positive impact on improving outcomes.

We work with all partners to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people who live in Leeds. The CYPP is part of the strategic framework that supports the Best City Ambition, which is our overall vision for the future of Leeds. At its heart is our mission to tackle poverty and inequality, and to improve quality of life for everyone who calls Leeds home.