UPDATE NO 514 15 July 2022

Newsletters If you would like to know more about the Programme, click on the main section icons shown above. At SESLIP we are always on the look-out for good ideas that might be better implemented regionally rather than locally. If you have any suggestions, please contact Richard Tyndall, SESLI Programme Manager (details below).  Our Regional […]

Three children playing happily together

Newsletters

If you would like to know more about the Programme, click on the main section icons shown above.

At SESLIP we are always on the look-out for good ideas that might be better implemented regionally rather than locally. If you have any suggestions, please contact Richard Tyndall, SESLI Programme Manager (details below). 

Our Regional Improvement Plan for 2022-2023 (July 2022) can be found here

If you would like to work for the programme, ESCC has advertised the SESLIP Freelance Consultant Approved ListPlease address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)

UPDATE NO 514 15 July 2022

Programme:

New SESLIP MoU issued

Update:

On 1 July, SESLIP Steering Group issued a new Memorandum of UnderstandingThis reflects extended agreements on data benchmarking on a national basis. Thanks to Portsmouth for returning the first signed copy, available here.

Action Required:

We ask the Director of Children’s Services, the Chief Executive and the Lead Member for Children’s Services for each authority to sign this document to symbolise the professional, corporate and political commitment to joint working in the interests of promoting better outcomes for children and young people.

Programme:

KS2 national headlines for 2022

Update:

On 5 July DfE published Key Stage 2 attainment 2022 national headlines

Action Required:

59% of pupils met the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths, down from 65% in 2019, the last year of publication.

The full tables are here

Programme:

LG Ombudsman publishes Out of school, out of sight?

Update:

On 7 July the Local Government Ombudsman published Out of school, out of sight? about children unable to attend school, due to medical needs, exclusion or ‘otherwise’ and cases found against LAs provision of ‘suitable education’.

Action Required:

The report calls for LAs to work with schools and parents about these provisions and to keep the education offered under regular review. It says “The key learning point we want to highlight in this report is that the local council has the duty to arrange alternative education, not the school a child attends.”

The full report is here

Programme:

HoC Ed Select Committee report – Educational Poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it

Update:

On 8 July, the HoC Education Select Committee published “Educational Poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it”

The report is very critical of current arrangements that result in about 7% of care leavers achieving level 5 or above in English GCSE and ending of pupil premium at 16 contributes to a post-16 cliff edge for these young people. 

Action Required:

There are 3 recommendations:

  1. End the culture of impunity: hold schools accountable for refusing to admit looked-after children and introduce sanctions for schools who block admissions from looked-after children.
  2. Extend Pupil Premium Plus funding beyond age 16 to ensure looked-after pupils are receiving the support they deserve to do well throughout their education.
  3. Roll out Staying Close nationally, as the Minister agrees that it has produced very good evidence (including from a pilot in Portsmouth)

The press release is here. A summary is here. The full report is here.

Reminders from previous weeks

Programme:

Future dates for network meetings

Update:

Lead Members Group: Friday 22 July 10.00am.  More from Alison Michalska (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Tuesday 15 September 10:00am More from Alastair Lee (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: Wednesday 20 July 10.30am-12noon More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Action Required:

AD EducationFriday 14 October 10:00am. More from Chris Owen (contact details below)

AD Safeguarding: Friday 9 September 10:00am. More from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: Wednesday 14 September at 2pm. More from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

Fostering Network: Wednesday 19 October 10-11.30am More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SEND SE19: Wednesday 20 July 2022 12-13:30 Joint Conversation: LAs, Health, DfE, NHSE/I & NNPCF. More from Sheelagh Sullivan (contact details below)

Early Help: Monday 12 September 1.30pm. More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Family Hubs Community of Practice: Governance and commissioning workshop via Teams Tuesday 19 July 9.20 – 11.30. More from Carly Bain (contact details below) 

Programme:

Where have all the workers gone? blogpost from Lucy Butler

Update:

On 1 July ADCS published “Where have all the workers gone?” a blogpost written by Lucy Butler (DCS West Sussex)

Action Required:

The post starts, “Is it me, is it the South-East, but have all the workers disappeared? And when I ask where have all the workers gone, I am not just meaning social workers, but I will get on to those … ” read on here

Programme:

UK Trauma Council guide to brain changes following child trauma

Update:

On 1 July, UK Trauma Council published CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, THE BRAIN AND THE SOCIAL WORLD by Eamon McCrory Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology, UCL and Co-Director, UK Trauma Council

Action Required:

The guide illustrates the importance of social relationships for mental health and explains that children with a history of maltreatment could face social difficulties such as bullying. Recommendations include: prioritising the social experience of children and providing support for parents, carers and professionals.

The full report is here

Programme:

Sharp rise in children with special needs approaching councils for support

Update:

On 29 June LGA released a press statement on the rise in demands on English council’s SEND services. It was based on the latest EHC plan figures published by the DfE and statistics from 2014

Action Required:

The number of children in England approaching councils for special needs support has increased by almost a quarter in a year, latest figures reveal, with 170 young people now starting support plans each day.

There are now nearly half a million children and young people (473,255) on ECH plans – an increase of over 100 per cent since eligibility for SEND support was extended in 2014 to people aged 16-25.

Programme:

Staffing crisis in children’s homes – ICHA

Update:

On 27 June ICHA published its 2022 State of the Sector report. It warns of a staffing crisis- children’s homes are facing the highest level of staff turnover on record

Action Required:

Large providers have been worst hit by high staff turnover compared with smaller providers, it adds, noting that 17 per cent of large respondents reported levels of staff turnover below 10 per cent compared with 21 per cent of small providers.  High staff turnover contributes to “challenges faced by providers and the sector-wide barriers to improving sufficiency”, Peter Sandiford, chief executive of the ICHA said.

The full report is here

Programme:

Schools causing concern – revised guidance from DfE

Update:

On 30 June DfE published revised guidance for local authorities and regional directors on Schools Causing Concern which will come into force on 1 September 2022

Action Required:

This statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow the guidance unless you have a very good reason not to. The document marked ‘from 1 September 2022’ is updated guidance which will take effect from that date. This follows the recent consultation on supporting schools that are not making necessary improvements.

Programme:

Local authority school places scorecards: academic year 2020/21

Update:

On 30 June DfE published Local authority school places scorecards for 2020/21 which display a snapshot of the progress each local authority across England is making towards ensuring there are sufficient good quality school places.

Action Required:

You can view the progress for England as a whole or for any individual local authority. To do this click on LA scorecards

Programme:

Updated guidance for virtual school head role extension to children with a social worker

Tools & Templates

We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2022) which will underpin activities while we await publication of the DfE’s reponse to the McAllister Care Review, which is anticipated in Autumn 2023

On 8 July, the HoC Education Select Committee published “Educational Poverty: how children in residential care have been let down and what to do about it”

On 7 July the Local Government Ombudsman published Out of school, out of sight?

On 5 July DfE published Key Stage 2 attainment 2022 national headlines

On 1 July SESLIP Steering Group approved the Regional Improvement Plan 2022-2023 and the SE19 SEND Regional Improvement Plan 2022-2023.

On 1 July UK Trauma Council published CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, THE BRAIN AND THE SOCIAL WORLD by Prof. Eamon McCrory 

On 30 June DfE published guidance on Schools Causing Concern which will come into force on 1 September 2022

On 30 June DfE published Local authority school places scorecards for 2020/21

On 30 June DfE published updated guidance on virtual school head role extension to children with a social worker

On 29 June LGA released a press statement on the rise in demands on English council’s SEND services. It was based on the latest EHC plan figures published by the DfE and statistics from 2014

On 27 June ICHA published its 2022 State of the Sector report

On 23 June DfE published an updated version of Sustainability in high needs systems Guidance for local authorities 

On 20 June Ofsted launched a consultation on proposals for a new judgement on the experiences and progress of care leavers within the ILACS framework

On 16 June DfE published Special educational needs in England: January 2022

On 9 June DfE published School workforce in England data

On 9 June DfE published Schools, pupils and their characteristics

On 1 June HM Inspectorate of Probation published Effective practice guide Education, training and employment

On 25 May DfE published Local authority established MATs: registration of interest

The Liberty Protection Safeguards and the Draft Code of Practice: Considerations for Consultation briefing from Dr Camilla Parker on 20 May 2022

Senior mental health lead training  guidnace for schools and colleges published by DfE 12 May 2022

Consultation on new education and training approval standards for approved mental capacity professionals published by SWE on 9 May 2022

Working together to improve school attendance published by DfE on 6 May 2022, to apply from September 2022

Disrupting the routes between care and custody for girls and women published by CFJ 4 May 2022

Children in custody: secure training centres and secure school published by NAO 28 April 2022

Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s annual report for 2021-2022 published by IASC 27 April 2022 

State of the Nation’s Foster Care 2021 published by The Fostering Netowrk on 27 April 2022

Decisions in Education in England Panel (DEEP) survey launched by EPI 25 April 2022

The MoC area of the SESLIP website now includes details of its relaunch on 1 April 2022.

Contact Details

Data and Information Manager: Luke Ede (East Sussex)

luke.ede@eastsussex.gov.uk

07925 148597

LGA Children’s Improvement Adviser: Helen Watson (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

helen.watson5@icloud.com

07810 011892

Children’s Services Performance Manager: Amanda Meadows (Hampshire)

Amanda.meadows@hants.gov.uk

03707 794752

Service Manager, Early Help, Family Hubs and Supporting Families: Anna Clarke (Isle of Wight)

anna.clarke@iow.gov.uk

Education Network: Chris Owen (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

chris@bright-spark.net

07825 862330

SESLIP Education Data Group Lead: Daryl Perilli (Brighton and Hove)

Daryl.Perilli@brighton-hove.gov.uk

The Staff College Assistant Operations Manager: Ellie Bevis (The Staff College)

ellie.bevis@thestaffcollege.uk

0161 729 1065

NHS (SE) CYP mental health: Gavin Lockhart (NHS England (South East))

gavin.lockhart1@nhs.net

07879 488307

South East Grid for Learning – Consortium Manager: Krista Pickering (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

krista.pickering@segfl.org.uk

07872 014083

SESLIP Consultant: Isabelle Gregory (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

isabelle@firstcareconsultancy.co.uk

07931 586784

CSC Workforce, PSW and AD Safeguarding Network Lead: Mark Evans (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

Mark@markevansconsulting.co.uk

07803 147072

Regional Development Manager Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (SE Region): Martin Tuck (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

martin.tuck@hants.gov.uk

03707 793651

LGA Corporate Improvement Adviser: Philip (Phil) Simpkins (LGA)

philip.simpkins@btinternet.com

Adoption; Fostering; Kinship and Early Help Regional Networks: Rebecca Eligon (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

rebeccaeligon@gmail.com

07944 996219

SESLI Programme Manager: Richard Tyndall (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

richard.tyndall@richardtyndall.co.uk

07880 787007

S.E. Region SEND Network Programme Co-ordinator: Sheelagh Sullivan (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

sheelagh.sullivan@outlook.com