Time to talk - Have your Say

OUR CHILDREN: TIME TO TALK - PRIME MINISTER AND ED BALLS LAUNCH NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DEBATE AT FIRST EVER BSF (Building Schools for the Future) SCHOOL - £21 billion to rebuild 21st century schools.

‘Our children, Time to talk’ is the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF) biggest ever consultation with parents and young people. The consultation is called Time to Talk because for six weeks, the public will be able to enter into a national discussion about issues they care about relating to children and families. Public responses from the consultation will help to shape the Children’s Plan, the Department’s forthcoming strategy document that will set policy for the next ten years. The consultation was launched on 6th September by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State, Ed Balls, in Bristol. The public are having their say via:

• A day of deliberation on 29 September when over 400 parents, young people, stakeholders, practitioners and policy experts will debate key issues at forums in Leeds, London, Birmingham and Plymouth
• Regional discussion groups with children
• Through an e-consultation available at Timetotalk
• The Time to talk Diary Room will visit schools nationwide as part of a regional roadshow
• Consultation leaflets sent to doctors’ surgeries, student unions, supermarkets and other public spaces

The official consultation questions aimed at parents are listed below and available at the above website link -

• What the best experience you’ve had of support for you and your family?
• Which bits of the support from others that you and your family get would you improve, and how? Is there anything that you would stop?
• How can we make sure that the support you get from others is what you need the most ?
• What is the job for your parents or carers when it comes to supporting you? What help do they need to do it?
• What is your local community’s job when it comes to supporting you? Should they be doing anything else?
• What is the government’s job when it comes to supporting you? Should they be doing anything else?
• How can we keep children and young people out of trouble?
• What more could be done to keep you happy, healthy and safe?