UPDATE NO 267 08 September 2017

Improving the Quality of Audit Project

Improving Audit Workshop 1 – s47 Investigations/child’s wishes and feelings

A draft practice standard has been published for consultation, following an initial meeting held on Friday 21^st July. 

More details of the project at the Improving Audit Quality page.

Practice standards are agreed statements that describe the practice that is to be measured by an audit. Your comments on this draft are requested ahead of the second Improving Audit Workshop to be held on Thursday 5 October. 

Already booked for this workshop are colleagues from Brighton & Hove, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Slough. For more information contact David Goosey (details below).

Supporting Radical Efficiencies

There is a now a webpage for the efficiencies project, and it contains access to restricted reports that have been shared between colleagues in AD Safeguarding Group.

The page, and an explanation of how the password protection works, will be demonstrated to the AD Safeguarding Network meeting on Friday 8 September. For more details contact Rosemary Perry (details below).

Topical Peer Challenge Round 9

The rearranged Topical Peer Challenge visit to West Sussex MASH by Andrew Ireland (DCS Kent) and Sonia Johnson (Bracknell Forest) has been fixed for Tuesday and Wednesday October 17 and 18. We are now asking DCSs to nominate two colleagues to join this visit. Please contact Richard Tyndall (details below) for more information.

We are seeking one nomination at Assistant Director level and one at practitioner level. Because of the postponement, this visit has become detached from the rest of Round 9, so the usual mutual resourcing arrangement will not apply. Instead, I’m looking for nominations on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have have any interest (or know of a colleague who might be suitable), please seek the support of your DCS for the nomination and then contact Richard Tyndall in the first instance (details below).

SEND Inspection Preparation

The SEND 19 Group has published “Inspection Preparation: Self Evaluation Framework Peer Review Guidance” 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Tracey Maytas (details below)

SE DCS Peer Challenge 2018

Save the Date Wednesday 22 November. 

There will be a training and preparation session on Wednesday 22 November for hosts, visitors and observers who are planning to participate in the 2018 SE DCS Peer Challenge.

We ask all those planning to participate in SE DCS Peer Challenge 2018 who are new to the process to save the date Wednesday 22 November. There will be an all-day session (venue to be confirmed). Please contact Richard Tyndall or Anna Wright (details below) for more information.

Topical Peer Challenge Round 10

Bookings for Topical Peer Challenge Round 10 are now open. Currently two participants: Buckinghamshire (MASH Front Door) and Wokingham (Virtual School).

Please let Richard Tyndall (contact details below) know if you would like to join in Round 10, the field work for which will be undertaken in late 2017 or early 2018.

Leadership Development

We continue to offer our successful portfolio of Leadership Development Courses all of which have been positively evaluated by delegates.

We are offering LAs the opportunity to train their own trainers for all our courses. Our aim is to increase the capacity and capability across the region  to ensure future sustainability within LAs. Courses can also be delivered with adult services and/or for schools. Please contact Di Smith, details below, if this is of interest to you.

All courses are run in-house in the LA who provides the venue. Each course is accompanied by a range of training resources for the delegates including a comprehensive handbook. The current courses on offer are as follows and details of each course and the costs for each can be found by downloading the April 2016 Leadership Development Prospectus. 

Coaching to Improve Performance

Embedding a Coaching Culture

Leading Change in Times of Austerity

Step Up to Leadership   

We can also arrange one-to-one coaching, especially to support newly appointed 2nd and 3rd tier managers

If you require further details or wish to book a course please get in touch with Di Smith (contact details below)