Lead Members' Group
The role of Lead Member is key to the leadership of Children’s Services.
We recognise the wealth of experience, enthusiasm and talent of our Lead Members and as with our DCSs, the support of colleagues and safe environment to share ideas and learn from each other is beneficial to all.
The SESLIP Programme Board has agreed to develop a work-stream to support the learning and development of Lead Members as a part of the SESLIP Improvement Plan.
The Self-Assessment tool and outcomes of the triad sessions will help to shape and inform the LM work-stream and is complementary to the DCS-led self-assessment and peer challenge & support.
The Lead Member Sponsor is Cllr Gareth Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People & Learning for Bracknell Forest.
South East Region's Lead Members Group is supported by Alison Michalska, the LGA Regional Children's Improvement Advisor, as part of LGA's ongoing sector-led improvement offer.
Governance & Reports
Confidential organisational information is shared under the terms of the current SESLIP Memorandum of Understanding.
Useful resources
Check out the LGA website for a wealth of helpful resources to support you in your role as Lead Member for Children's Services. We have picked out five key documents below as starters.
- Link to the ‘must know’ guide for lead members
- New lead members guide (first 10 days)
- A guide to the 10 questions to ask when scrutinising LAC services -
- What happens if your children’s services are judged inadequate by Ofsted?
- Corporate parenting resource pack
Useful tools and links
Save the Dates for Lead Members' Expert Workshops 2021
We are delighted to announce two workshops which have been devised to respond to critical areas of concern for our South East member colleagues with senior leadership responsibility.
The first of these will take place on Friday 5 March 2021, with the topic:
How Councillors can assist in improving support for Care Leavers.
We warmly welcome Leaders, Lead Members, Councillors on Coprorate Parenting Board and Chairs of Scrutiny.
This virtual workshop will be led by Mark Riddell MBE, the Government’s National Adviser for Care Leavers. His role is to advise on:
- the care leaver aspects of the C&SW Act 2017,
- how LAs can strengthen their Corporate Parenting responsibilities,
- how Lead Members can become more pro-active, and
- new ways of organising Corporate Parenting Boards that he has seen in best practice visits to LA’s across the country.
Date: Friday 5th March Time: 10am - 12 noon
Teams invite to follow.
The second workshop will take place on Friday 19th March, on the topic: Child Poverty - understanding the role of Councillors in tacking child poverty
This event will be led by Lisa Faulkner Bunyan (Child and Family Poverty/ Children's Services expert).
Date: Friday 19th March Time: 10am - 12 noon
Teams invite to follow.
Please email Richard Tyndall at richard.tyndall@richardtyndall.co.uk to register for the workshops.
Please contact Alison Michalska (details below) if you have any questions about the content of the workshops.