Newsletters
Our Regional Improvement Plan can be found here
Our Impact Report published in March 2023 can be found here
If you would like to apply to be a SESLIP consultant, please follow this link to Kent Business Portal – KentBusinessPortal and after registering on the portal, search for Ref – SC240046 – SESLIP – DPS
Updates
Innovation in the early years – lessons from three local test and learn partnerships
On 15 April Nesta published Innovation in the early years – lessons from three local test and learn partnerships
The full report is here pdf 63 pages
Headlines
A Fairer Start Local was a £1.5 million programme that established innovation partnerships with three local authorities – Leeds, Stockport and City of York.
The final year of the programme saw each local authority implement a substantial innovation; playful learning installations in Leeds, an enhanced integrated maternity pathway in Stockport and early years data tool in York.
We demonstrated five examples of how innovation can improve early years support:
- improved access to and uptake of services.
- greater collaboration and integration across services
- better targeted interventions and strategic decision-making
- more trusted and family-centred support
- sparking a culture of innovation and transformation
Effective mentoring and befriending support for care-experienced children and young people
On 8 April Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published a Practice Guide for mentoring and befriending care experienced children and young people
Read the blogpost by Nimal Jude, Head of Practice Development,
Practice Guide
A quick guide is here pdf 8 pages
A refelective tool is here pdf 24 pages
A summary for elected members is here pdf 8 pages
The full systematic review is here pdf 277 pages
Changes to social care inspections aimed at improving stability for vulnerable children
On 4 April Ofsted published changes to the Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF)
Headlines
The changes to the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) are mainly for the benefit of children’s homes and fostering agencies. They are intended to encourage more homes and agencies to look after children with high or multiple needs, with added reassurance that this will not negatively affect their Ofsted rating.
Ofsted research published last year found that 91% of local authorities struggle to find suitable homes for children with complex needs. Some children wait months, or even years, for a stable placement. The research also found that concerns about Ofsted ratings were cited by local authorities as a frequent reason for homes rejecting referrals of children with complex needs. Local authorities felt that good and outstanding-rated homes in particular were hesitant to look after these children, due to fears of being downgraded at their next inspection.
Now booking: Women in leadership October 2025
The Staff College is now booking cohort 20 of Women in Leadership.
Dates
Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th October 2025 (In Person)
Venue
London
Cost
£895 + VAT
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Children’s Service Spending Report 2025
On 7 April the Children’s Charities Coalition published Children’s services spending report: A long road to recovery – Local authority spending on early intervention children’s services 2010/11 to 2023/24 (pdf, 36 pages, Larkham, Jack and Ren, Antonia (2025))
Headlines
The Children’s Charities Coalition, which includes the NSPCC, has published the latest report in its series on children’s services spending in England. The report analyses published data on local authority spending on children’s services. Key findings show: a fall in spending on early intervention services; funding for children in residential care rose to an all-time high of £3billion; and the number of children in care remains almost 40% higher than it was 20 years ago.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 15 April Nesta published Innovation in the early years – lessons from three local test and learn partnerships
On 8 April Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published a Practice Guide for mentoring and befriending care experienced children and young people
On 7 April the Children’s Charities Coalition published Children’s services spending report: A long road to recovery – Local authority spending on early intervention children’s services 2010/11 to 2023/24
On 7 April MoJ published Family Court Statistics Quarterly: October to December 2024
On 4 April Ofsted published changes to the Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF)
On 3 April DfE advertised for a National Safeguarding Partner Multi-agency Facilitator (LA Lead)
On 2 April FRG released A film for parents with learning difficulties and disabilities: working with a child and family social worker (YouTube 10 minutes 33 seconds)
On 27 March Kinship published Raised by Relatives: the experiences of Black and Asian kinship carers
On 26 March Mutual Ventures published a range of case studies and a good practice guide in relation to the DfJ Reducing Time to Family Court programme
On 20 March the DfE published The Families First Partnership (FFP) programme guide
On 20 March DfE published Pupil absence in schools in England data for academic year 2023/24
On 18 March Kinship premiered a A powerful short film revealing what growing up in kinship care is like.
On 13 March Youth Endowment Fund published the Safe podcast
On 11 March LGA published a case study of Coventry CC’s Reunification Project
On 11 March the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published It’s Silent: Race, racism, and safeguarding children
On 7 March the HoC Committee of Public Accounts published Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children
On 7 March NSPCC published ‘Disguised compliance’: learning from case reviews
On 6 March TASO published Pathways into and through higher education for young people with experience of children’s social care
On 27 February ONS published Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK: February 2025
On 27 February the Children’s Commissioner published The educational journeys of children in secure settings
On 27 February DfE published Children’s social work workforce data for 2024
On 25 February Oftsed published Good decisions: supporting children aged 16 and 17 who need help when they are homeless
On 20 February the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published Fostering better services: Helping to improve council services for foster carers and their children
On 13 February DfE published A level and other 16 to 18 results for academic year 2023-2024
On 7 February Foundations (previously the What Works Centre for Families and Children) published Parenting through adversity, the second in a series of practice guides commissioned by the DfE to support the roll-out of the children’s social care national framework
On 4 February Pause and Listen published In a Mother’s Mind: Birth mothers’ experiences of domestic abuse