The new Single Children and Young People's Plan for Pembrokeshire was the focus of a vibrant multi- agency conference at the Nant-Y-Ffin Motel, Llandissilio, last week.

The Pembrokeshire Children and Young People's Partnership hosted the event which drew a hundred participants from the health services, local authority (social care, education, and community re- generation), police, youth justice and independent and voluntary sector providers.

The aim was to inform participants of the progress made in establishing new partnership arrangements for meeting children's needs more effectively, and to consult on proposed partnership activities to achieve this over the next three years.

Gerson Davies, director of education for Pembrokeshire County Council, delivered the keynote speech, emphasising the strength of current partnership working and the 'bottom-up' way in which the new plan had been developed. He also spoke of the nature of the challenging journey ahead, which required commitment and participation by all partners.

Isobel Hall from the Hywel Dda NHS Trust led a panel presentation and question and answer session about arrangements for new multi-agency Teams-Around-Children (TAC).

The TACs will be organised within each local community or family of schools. They will bring together young people, parents and practitioners, regardless of agency boundaries, into a small individual team for each child who has been identified as having additional needs.

Workshops based on the seven core aims of the plan gave opportunity for lively debate about what participants would wish to see in the action plans which are currently being developed.

The plan will be published in September.