Newsletters
Our Regional Improvement Plan 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
Review of ‘complex’ law on kinship care launched
On 17 June The Law Commission published the terms of reference for its forthcoming Kinship Care Project
The study will review the legal statuses and orders affecting children living in kinship care and kinship carers
Headlines
Reforming the law to improve the current complex landscape, making options for kinship care for children simpler and easier to navigate.
The project will consider the scope for reform to simplify and streamline the orders underpinning kinship care placements and how to better support the consideration of kinship care as an option for children who cannot remain with their parents.
Understanding families’ experiences of being offered a Family Group Conference
On 5 June Foundations published Understanding families’ experiences of being offered a Family Group Conference
Headlines
The report reviews existing literature on why families choose to take up or refuse the offer of an FGC. Key findings include:
- some families may be unwilling to accept an FGC due to a lack of trust in the statutory services, their own family network, or the effectiveness of an FGC;
- there are sometimes misunderstandings amongst social workers about what the FGC model is and the situations where it is an appropriate intervention; and
- having control over the practical arrangements of the meeting and a sense of hope that the FGC can improve their situation encourages families to accept an FGC.
Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs
On 25 June Foundations published its Evaluation of Multi-agency Safeguarding Hubs
The full report is here (pdf, 129 pages)
A separate paper on implications for policy and practice is here (pdf, 17 pages)
Headlines
- Most local authorities in England now operate a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), but their structure and purpose vary widely.
- This study theorised that MASH can be classified into two main models: one focused on assessing risk, and another which also assesses needs and plans preventive early help services for children. MASH seem to exist on a spectrum, according to how far a needs assessment and service planning function is performed.
- This study suggests that for a MASH to work effectively, it should include strong practitioner relationships and a stable, skilled, and experienced workforce.
- Parental consent for information sharing was highlighted as often being a difficult and confusing issue for practitioners.
- When a MASH is working well, it should lead to:
- Timely and relevant information sharing between practitioners
- Multi-agency informed decision-making by children’s social care
- A reduced likelihood of missing or underestimating risk to a child
- Swift needs assessment
- Enhanced practitioner confidence and wellbeing.
Supporting Families – final report
On 9 June DfE published Supporting Families Whole Family Working: Informing Future System Reform
Annual report of the Supporting Families
programme 2024 to 2025
Janet Daby MP, Minister for Children and Families writes
After 13 years of delivery, the Supporting Families programme ended on 31 March 2025. In this time, 858,179 vulnerable families have been supported through whole family working to achieve positive and sustained outcomes.
Going forward, this government has committed over £500 million to support local authorities working with their safeguarding partners to invest in transformation and the expansion of preventative support in 2025-26 through the Families First Partnership (FFP) Programme. It is now time to ensure whole family working becomes standard practice across the whole system of support for children, young people and families. This approach of providing the right help, at the right time, by the right practitioner will support more children and families to stay together and thrive.
Stability measures for children looked after in England 2024
On 12 June DfE published Stability measures for children looked after in England
This release brings together information on the stability of children looked after (CLA) in England, including stability in their placements, at school and in their professional support into one place for the first time.
Headlines
The statistics are based on children in care on 31 March 2024. Key findings include: 10% of children had experienced three or more placements in the past year, a slight decrease from 11% in 2023; 8% of children experienced at least one mid-year school move; over a quarter of children had three or more social workers in the past year, with under-1-year-olds experiencing the highest social worker instability; and 1% of children experienced high instability in all three measures.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
New guidance on covert recordings in Family Law proceedings concerning children
On 24 May the Family Justice Council published Covert recordings in Family Law proceedings concerning children: Family Justice Council Guidance
The full report is here (pdf, 58 pages)
Headlines
President of the Family Division and Chair of the Family Justice Council, Sir Andrew McFarlane, says:
“This has been a growing area for the courts to consider with little guidance available. This guidance from FJC explores the issues and examines the consequences arising from the use of covert recordings by private individuals and sets out guidance that we hope will lead to greater consistency in approach.
“Whilst some covert recordings have been found to have evidential value, the secret nature of covert recordings can intrude on the privacy of parents, children and professionals, causing harm and often leading to concerns about the accuracy of the recording.“
Academic year 2024/25: Schools, pupils and their characteristics
On 5 June DfE publsihed Schools, pupils and their characteristics for academic year 2024/25
Headlines
The number of pupils in schools in England has decreased
Free school meal eligibility continues to increase
1.6 million infant pupils were recorded as taking a free school meal on census day
The average class size for infant pupils (reception, year 1 and year 2) has decreased
Child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales
On 23 May the Centre for expertise on child sexual abuse published Support Matters
The full report is here (pdf, 68 pages)
Headlines
Support Matters is a comprehensive study of the current landscape of service provision in response to child sexual abuse in England & Wales.
Overview of services for children and parents affected by sexual abuse (pdf,20 pages)
Overview of services for adult victims/survivors of child sexual abuse (pdf, 16 pages)
Briefing for funders, commissioners and policy makers (pdf, 16 pages)
Serious incident notifications 2024-25
On 22 May DfE published Serious incident notifications for 2024-25
Headlines
In the year to 31 March 2025, the total number of notifications fell for the second consecutive year to the lowest level since 2019; notifications relating to child death and serious harm also fell to the lowest level since 2019.
Transitional Safeguarding in youth justice and probation services: A scoping study
On 23 May HMIProbation published Transitional Safeguarding in youth justice and probation services: A scoping study
The full report is here (pdf, 48 pages)
Headlines
This research seeks the views and experiences of professionals to investigate how youth justice and probation work together to provide services to young people that encompass the six key principles of Transitional Safeguarding.
Accompanying this report, three briefings – aimed at practitioners, senior managers, and policy leads – set out further reflection questions, considerations, and potential actions.
Transitional Safeguarding – practitioner briefing (pdf, 12 pages)
Transitional Safeguarding – senior managers briefing (pdf, 15 pages)
Transitional Safeguarding – policy briefing (pdf, 17 pages)
Special educational needs in England. AY 2024-25
On 12 June DfE published Special Educational Needs in England for AY 2024-25
Headlines
Over 1.7 million pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN)
This is an increase of 93,700 (5.6%) pupils since 2024
Ofsted publishes its review of the current local area SEND and AP inspections framework
On 6 June Ofsted published Strengthening the area SEND framework: what we heard and how we are improving
Headlines
Regarding inspections undertaken, strategic governance is the most frequent area for improvement together with failing commissioning arrangements leading to gaps in provision.
Among the improvements it commits to are:
- simplifying the data inspectors ask for, making engagement meetings less frequent and more supportive, and
- specifying more clearly which member of the partnership should take forward areas for improvement.
The Big Conversation NOW OPEN
The Big Conversation is the second release of The Big Listen,a workforce research project led collaboratively by LIIA and SESLIP.
The research includes a survey and a series of focus groups. Its purpose is to affect change with and not to the workforce. This is an exciting opportunity for child and family social workers, managers, students and agency workers to share their views and the greater the response, the more meaningful the impact!
Who should join?
We are launching our follow up to the Big Listen research that was completed in 2023. Information for social workers and managers about the project is set out in a poster.
We would really value your help in promoting this project to your children’s social workforce (including AYSE, students, managers and agency staff).
NOW BOOKING: Leading Change in SEND/AP
NDTi and The Staff College has opened bookings for Cohort 3 of “Leading Change in SEND/AP”.
Applications close at 9:00 pm on Friday 5 September 2025
Who should join?
2 x 2 day residentials in October and January at Warwick Conference Centre
2 x mid-course days
The cost of a place on the programme is £2,495 + VAT.
More details from hello@thestaffcollege.uk
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 25 June Foundations published its Evaluation of Multi-agency Safeguarding Hubs
On 17 June The Law Commission published the terms of reference for its forthcoming Kinship Care Project
On 12 June DfE published Stability measures for children looked after in England
On 9 June DfE published Supporting Families Whole Family Working: Informing Future System Reform Annual report of the Supporting Families programme 2024 to 2025
On 5 June Foundations published Understanding families’ experiences of being offered a Family Group Conference
On 5 June DfE publsihed Schools, pupils and their characteristics for academic year 2024/25
On 24 May the Family Justice Council published Covert recordings in Family Law proceedings concerning children: Family Justice Council Guidance
On 23 May HMIProbation published Transitional Safeguarding in youth justice and probation services: A scoping study
On 23 May the Centre for expertise on child sexual abuse published Support Matters
On 22 May DfE published Serious incident notifications for 2024-25
On 22 May the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published a report on its Learning Support and Capability Project
On 13 May the Nuffield Foundation published Exploring racial disparity in diversion from the Youth Justice System
On 5 May DfE published additional working together to safeguard children material.
On 29 April the Domestic Abuse Commissioner published Victims in their own right?
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