Update no 555 5th May 2023

If you have any news that you would like included in our Friday Update, please contact Richard Tyndall (details below)

Three children playing happily together

Newsletters

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

Our Impact Report published in March 2023 can be found here

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

Updates

Aspirant DCS Programme:

Applications for the 2023 upon Aspirant Directors Programme open on 9 May

Webinars:

The Staff College is ready to provide the skills and knowledge needed by future leaders of Children’s Services.

With applications opening on 9 May, The Staff College is inviting you to the most popular route into applying: the webinars.

  • 16th May 2023 – 10:00 – 11:00
  • 18th May 2023 – 13:00 – 14:00
  • 23rd May 2023 – 11:00 – 12:00

Further details:

Join upon for a live webinar to know:
• Who they are looking for and does this programme work for you
• How to apply and what’s involved
• What you should highlight in your application

Gone Too Far:

Become, the charity for children in care and young care leavers, has published Gone Too Far

Report:

On 25 April Become published Gone Too Far as part of its new campaign to keep children in care close to the people and places that matter to them

Gone Too Far Report pdf 24 pages

Gone Too Far summary pdf 2 pages

Further details:

They are calling on the government to

  • Commit to stop children being moved miles from home (unless in their best interests)
  • Develop and publish national and local strategies to increase the supply of appropriate local options, so that children don’t have to be moved miles away from their support networks.

Post-16 Education:

Government must pause post-16 education shake-up or risk making skills shortages worse

Report:

On 26 April the House of Commons Education Select Committee published its report on The future of post-16 qualifications

Future of post-16 qualifications report pdf 63 pages

Future of post-16 qualifications summary html 13 paragraphs

Further details:

The report urges DfE to place a moratorium on the withdrawal of funding for AGQs until there is robust evidence that T Levels are demonstrably more effective at helping students progress, meeting industry needs and promoting social mobility. This argument was made by the vast majority of those who submitted evidence to the inquiry.

Reminders From Previous Weeks

Reminder:

Future dates for network meetings

Network dates:

Lead Members Group: Wednesday 7 June 4–6.30pm. Expert Workshop #9 SEND: Developments and Difference. More from Deborah Glassbrook (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: Friday 16 June 2023 – 10am – 3.30pm London in person. More from Chris Owen (contact details below)

Network dates:

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

QA Network: Thursday 15 June 2023 at 2 p.m. More from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

Fostering Network: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Wednesday 12 July 2023 More from Luke Ede (contact details below)

SEND SE19: Thursday 11 May 2023 12:00 – 13:30 via Teams: SE19 SEND Operational Leads. More from Sheelagh Sullivan (contact details below)

Early Help: 8 June 2023 10am-11.30am. More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

MCA:

Mental Capacity Act at 16+ years Integrated care working – a virtual Lunch and Learn Event

Save the date:

On Thursday 15 June 11:00-13:00 there will be a virtual Lunch and Learn Event for health, social care and children’s services staff across the South East.

Further details:

For further information please contact Kam Padda, DoLS (LPS) Team Manager, Wokingham Borough Council. kam.padda@wokingham.gov.uk

Practice review:

Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings

Update:

On Thursday 20 April the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national safeguarding practice review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex needs in residential settings.

Headlines:

The phase 1 report (pdf, 90 pages) examines allegations of abuse and neglect to children living in three private residential settings located in Doncaster and operated by the Hesley Group:

  • Fullerton House
  • Wilsic Hall
  • Wheatley House

The phase 2 report (pdf, 110 pages) sets out recommendations to improve the safety, support and outcomes for children with disabilities and complex health needs living in residential settings.

Education statistics:

Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England

Update:

On Wednesday 12 April DfE updated the report for the year ending 31 March 2022 for children in social care.

Headlines:

For all children in need (CIN), almost half had SEN compared to 16% of the overall pupil population.

58% of CIN were eligible for free school meals. This compares to 23% for all pupils.

Education statistics:

Permanent exclusions and suspensions in England for spring term 2022

Headlines:

In spring term 2022, there were 2,200 permanent exclusions (200,800 suspensions). This is an increase compared to 2,100 (183,800)  in the autumn term, but is lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The spring term rate was 3 permanent exclusions (24 suspensions) for every 10,000 pupils.

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 2022

On 11 May the DfE closes two separate consultations: one on their proposed Children’s social care national framework and dashboard; the other on Child and family social worker workforce.

On 26 April the House of Commons Education Select Committee published its report on The future of post-16 qualifications

On 25 April Become published Gone Too Far as part of its new campaign to keep children in care close to the people and places that matter to them

On Tuesday 25 April DfE updated the statistics on suspensions and permanent exclusions across state-funded schools up to spring term 2022

On Thursday 20 April the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a national safeguarding practice review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex needs in residential settings.

On 20 April UNICEF UK and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL) published Understanding and supporting mental health in infancy and early childhood.

On Wednesday 12 April DfE updated the report for the year ending 31 March 2022 for children in social care.

On 5 April DfE updated the Information for Applicants to the Trust Establishment and Growth Fund.

On 31 March DfE published revised Inspector’s Hanbook for Further Education and Skills; and a revised “operational note” for Ofsted inspectors who are carrying out summary evaluations of multi-academy trusts (MATs),

On 31 March DfE published revised guidance for inspection of adoption and fostering agencies:

On 28 March DfE published Academies regulatory and commissioning review

On 23 March DfE published its response to the consultation on proposed regulations and guidance for supported accommodation for looked after children (LAC) and care leavers aged 16 and 17.

On 20 March the Commons Education Committee launched a new inquiry into teacher recruitment, training and retention in state-funded English schools.

On 16 March DfE published Pupil absence in schools in England (academic year 2021/2022)

On 16 March DfE published twenty new Safety Valve agreements, including five in the south east

On 9 March 2023, Social Work England published Social work in England: State of the nation 2023

On 8 March 2023, the Children’s Commissioner published Children’s mental health services 2021-2022

On 27 February Spurgeons Children’s Charity published a Family toolkit resources on young people and eating disorders

Contact Details

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

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

SESLIP Consultant and LGA SEND Improvement Adviser: Deborah Glassbrook (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

deborah@optimisingpotential.co.uk

07882 158959

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

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

isabelle@firstcareconsultancy.co.uk

07931 586784

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

krista.pickering@segfl.org.uk

07872 014083

Data and Information Manager: Luke Ede (East Sussex)

luke.ede@eastsussex.gov.uk

07925 148597

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

Mark@markevansconsulting.co.uk

07803 147072

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