Children and young people

Nottinghamshire is one of the largest children services authorities in the country, serving a population of over 700,000. The Children and Young People's Services department is working in partnership to improve the life chances of all 182,000 children and young people living in the county.

The new department has a particular focus on designing support services around children and families needs rather than around the needs of those who provide them. This means that the department has systems and processes that ensure the voice of children, young people and their families is heard and taken account of in planning and evaluating services.

Pre-school
Starting school
At school
Out of school activities
Social care and health
Service standards
FAQ's and contact us

Pre-school
Beginning with pre-school education, the Nottinghamshire Early Years and Childcare Services plans and co-ordinates local early years and childcare services.

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Starting school
Once the time comes for your child to start school, we provide a wide variety of information to help make the transition as easy as possible. We tell you what you should look for in a school and what you need to know in order to get a school place for your child. In addition, we provide advice on how you can support your child and whether you may be able to receive extra help from us. We also offer full support and provision for children with special educational needs.Our SEN provision is currently under review.

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At school
Once your child is at school, what they learn is governed by the National Curriculum. In Nottinghamshire, we also provide a comprehensive range of out of school activities which aim to enhance the education your child receives.

Children receive statutory schooling until the age of sixteen, when they are faced with making a choice. Do they stay on at sixth form, move on to a college of further education or look for a job? We provide access to advice to help make the choice that’s right for them, and our student support service is on hand to provide financial support and assistance to students in further and higher education.

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Out of school activities
A wide range of out of school activities which aim to enhance your childs education including play schemes, the play service, arts support - music dance and drama, and clubs and activities. Visit YouthZone for more activiites for young people.

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Social care and health
We also have a responsibility to any child or young person whose health and welfare may suffer if they do not receive our help. These children are defined in law as children in need. We provide a range of support services to help them and their families, with the kind of help offered dependent on their situation.

Child Protection means protecting children from abuse. Child abuse of any kind is very serious and action must be taken quickly.

We provide a range of services for disabled children and their families. The kind of help we offer depends on the disability and the needs of the family. We might also be able to provide services to help deaf children and their families.This includes lending you certain items of environmental equipment.

'Looked After' means children cared for by the local authority. These are services for children who cannot live with their own family, either temporarily or permanently. If you are leaving care or have recently left care, we can help you to become independent in many areas of your life, including offering support both personally and financially as well as with issues surrounding education and work.

Adoption and Fostering

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Service standards
All the services we provide in relation to children and families are governed by standards which you can reasonably expect from us.

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FAQ's and contact us
We hope you will find the information you are after within these pages. If you can't find what you're looking for, try our frequently asked questions on learning and work or please contact us.

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