Update no 590 5th January 2024

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 2023-2024 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. To view the advert follow the link and choose the “Opportunities” tab then search on reference RFX1000055. Please address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)

Updates

Children and Young People’s Advisory Board for children’s social care

Closing date: Monday 15 January 2024

On behalf of DfE, NCB has launched a new Children and Young People’s Advisory Board to provide valuable input on the government’s implementation of its children’s social care strategy ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’.

There are no costs to being a member! All travel and expenses for meetings are covered by NCB, including travel costs for a trusted person to accompany you if needed.

Apply here

Who can be part of the social care advisory groups?

This is open to children and young people (CYP) aged 11-25 including those who:

  • are in care or up to age 25 with care experience
  • are siblings of care experienced CYP
  • are unaccompanied asylum-seekers
  • have ever had a social worker
  • have been a “child in need” under the Children Act 1989
  • have been on a child protection plan
  • have experience of kinship care
  • have parents who are foster carers

Implementing changes to Working Together to Safeguard Children

Tuesday 30 January 2024

Hosted by DfE, a general engagement opportunity to discuss working together to safeguard children and understand what the revisions mean for practice.

Details

Online, 11.00- 12.30 on Tuesday 30 January 2024, open to senior leaders of all statutory safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings. Please register using your workplace email address. 

Introduction to the Children’s Social Care National Framework and Dashboard

Thursday 1 February 2024

Hosted by DfE, and members of the Children’s Social Care National Practice Group, a general engagement opportunity for all safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings.

Details

Online, 13.00- 14.30 on Thursday 1 February 2024, open to senior leaders of all statutory safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings. Please register using your workplace email address. 

Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2023

On 14 December, HMCTS publsihed, at section 8 of the bulletin Annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics for 2022-2023

24% increase in registered SEN appeals compared to 2021/22

In 2022/23, HMCTS registered 14,000 SEN appeals, an increase of 24% compared to the prior year. In the same period, 12,000 SEN appeals were disposed of, an increase of 29% on 2021/22.

The increase in appeals registered is likely a continued effect of the 2014 SEN reforms which introduced EHCPs and extended the provision of support from birth to 25 years of age and the effect of the National Trial which began in April 2018. Under the National Trial the Tribunal was able to make non-binding recommendations on the health and social care elements of the EHC plan. Those provisions were mainstreamed with effect from 1 September 2021.

Penalty notices for unauthorised absences issued

On 14 December, DfE published statistics for 2022-23 on Parental responsibility measures

Headlines

There were 398,800 penalty notices issued in the 2022/23. 89.3%, were due to unauthorised family holidays and 0.2% were issued for being late (last year this was 0.6%).

Penalty notices have returned to the upward trend seen before the pandemic, and are now higher than the latest pre-pandemic figure of 333,400 in 2018/19.

Reminders From Previous Weeks

Reminder:

Future dates for network meetings

Network dates:

Lead Members Group: More from Deborah Glassbrook (contact details below)

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

AD Education: Friday 26 January 2024. More from Chris Owen (contact details below)

Principal Social Workers: More from Mark Evans (contact details below)

Kinship Care Network: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Network dates:

AD Safeguarding: Friday 8 March 10:00am. More from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: More from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

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

Data Benchmarking: More from Luke Ede (contact details below)

SEND SE19: More from Sheelagh Sullivan (contact details below)

Early Help: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Finance Directors Group: 4pm 6 Feberuary: Value for money for whom: challenges of managing costs within children’s social care. More from Deborah Glassbrook (contact details below)

Commissioners’ Network: Friday 19th January, 13:00 via Teams. More from Chris Baird (contact details below)

CSC National Framework published

On 15 December the DfE published:

Grants to support implementation

The DfE has announced grants to support implementation:

Children’s social care data and digital strategy published

On 15 December the DfE published:

Headlines

The strategy sets out the DfE’s long-term plan for transforming data in children’s social care. It gives information on:

  • the foundations needed to support the children’s social care data and digital strategy
  • what we will do between 2023 and 2025 to support change

The update document explains:

Kinship Care national strategy published

On 15 December the DfE published Championing Kinship Care – The National Kinship Care Strategy

Supporting documents

Alongside the national strategy, the DfE has published Kinship Carers in the Workplace guidance for employers and Virtual school head role extension

The VSH role extension is supported by additional grant of £100,000 per year for two years for unitary authorities, with larger amount for counties according to population, rising to £168,330 for Kent

Tools & Templates

We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2023)

On 15 December the DfE published Children’s Social Care National Framework and Revised Working Together

On 15 December the DfE published Championing Kinship Care – The National Kinship Care Strategy

On 15 December the DfE published Children’s social care: data and digital strategy and Children’s social care: dashboard and indicators update

On 14 December, HMCTS publsihed, at section 8 of the bulletin Annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics for 2022-2023

On 14 December, DfE published statistics for 2022-23 on Parental responsibility measures

On 28 November the Mr Justice Chamberlain handed down a judgement [2023] EWHC 3030 (Admin) in a Judicial Review case brought by Kent, Brighton and Hove and East Sussex Councils about the operation of the National Transfer Scheme for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

On 24 November the LGA published its Top 10 Tips for DCSs for building an effective system of SEND and alternative provision

On 21 November the Marie Collins Foundation launched a survey to help develop a free intervention tool that can be used by professionals with children who have been harmed through Technology Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA)

On 19 November the Public Accounts Committee published The condition of school buildings

On 16 November the Children’s Commissioner published Homeless 16- and 17-yearolds in need of care

On 16 November DfE published Children looked after in England including adoptions annual statistics for 2022-2023

On 14 November Cerebra published The prevalence and impact of allegations of
Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII)

On 6 November NYA published The social cost of youth work cuts: Preventing youth offending through youth work

The presentations from the 2 November Care Leavers Conference in Winchetser are now available

On 2 November the Children’s Commissioner published Missing Children, Missing Grades

On 29 October LGA published Profit making and Risk in Independent Children’s Social Care Placement Providers.

On 27 October Research in Practice published a 9-minute video What does trauma-informed care look like? presented by Dr Danny Taggart

On 27 October DfE published the National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook

On 27 October DfE published its response to EYFS regualtory change consultation

On 26 October DfE published a consultation on Elective Home Education guidance

On 26 October DfE published statistics on children in need in England,

On 25 October FRG launched its new campaign for care-experienced children and young people

On 25 October DfE published its response to the workforce consultation

On 19 October DfE published statistics on pupil absence for autumn/spring 2022/23; Key Stage 4 performance 2022/23; Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18 for 2022; National pupil projections

On 17 October the HoC Education Select Committee published the government’s response to Support for childcare and the early years (HC 969)

On 9 October LGA published A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress

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, Convener Of SE Quality Assurance Network: Amanda Meadows (Hampshire)

Amanda.meadows@hants.gov.uk

03707 794752

SESLIP Consultant; Commissioners’ Network, SEND Courageous Conversations: Chris Baird (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

bchrisbaird@gmail.com

07855 492010

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 Benchmarking: Luke Ede (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

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