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
SE RCC now recruiting board chair and members
Please see RCC recruitment page for details of advertisements for positions on the new board
The closing date for all Board positions is midnight on the 27th July 2025
For all enquiries recruitment@southeastrcc.gov.uk
Board Recruitment
We are currently recruiting for the following positions
- Chair of the Board
- Chair of Audit and Risk Committee
- Board Member
- Letter from our CEO to Board applicants
Please email your CV and covering letter (no longer than 2 A4 pages) detailing how your knowledge and experience meet the requirements in the role description. Alternatively, please feel free to get in touch for further information or to organise an informal discussion about this post, We welcome applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities.
Giving every child the best start in life
On 7 July DfE published Giving every child the best start in life
Headlines
‘Giving every child the best start in life’ outlines how the government will improve child development and ensure that all children have the chance to achieve and thrive. This will be achieved by:
- improving family services, providing high quality support to parents and children from pregnancy to age 5
- making it easier and cheaper for families to access early education and care
- improving the quality of education and care that children receive in:
- early years settings
- childminders
- reception classes
The early learning goals in the ‘Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework’ are used to assess whether children have a good level of development.
Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2025)
On 7 July DfE published Keeping Children Safe in Education for use from September 2025
Headlines
DfE will publish KCSIE 2025 (final version) when it comes into force on 1 September. They expect to include links to revised guidance on:
- relationships, sex, and health education
- gender questioning children
There are technical only changes to KCSIE 2025 and future versions will reflect the:
- progress into legislation of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
- emerging further learnings from the work of the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and subsequent inquiries
- future work on tackling violence against women and girls
Inclusion in practice: Emerging Insights
On 9 July Inclusion in Practice published Emerging Insights
In spring 2025, the Inclusion in Practice team launched a national call for evidence. In response:
- 165 individual submissions were received from education providers;
- These represented 820 schools via multi-academy trusts, and an additional 7,600 schools via local authorities and SEND support providers;
- Analysis was conducted by researchers at ImpactEd Group, identifying cross-cutting themes of promising practice.
5 Key Principles of Promising Practice
- Know Pupils Well – Early and Often
- High-Quality, Evidence-Informed Teaching
- Coherent and Expert Targeted Support
- Inclusion Through Relationships and Partnerships
- Inclusion as a Strategic, Shared Responsibility
LAFSE Anniversary
On 7 July LAFSE celebrated its first anniversary
Anne-Marie Aliwrites, “We’re delighted to share that LAFSE is officially one year old today! Please click here for a summary of the last year.
“We’re really excited to see what our second year will bring as we continue working closely together with you to support even more families.”
Headlines
Thanks to funding from DfE, we’re now able to expand our team and strengthen what we offer even further. We’re also thrilled to announce a partnership with CareFriends — keep an eye out, as this will soon be rolled out to you, fully supported by LAFSE we are just in the final stages of completion.
This exciting development will help boost recruitment and conversion, leading to better quality referrals.
Alongside this, we’ll be developing a wider marketing plan and enhancing harmonisation practices — all with the shared goal of recruiting more foster carers.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
19 more child homicides
On 19 June Women’s Aid published Nineteen more child homicides
Nineteen More Child Homicides is the third report published by Women’s Aid in the past three decades as part of Women’s Aid Child First campaign.
Headlines
This report tells the stories of children who have been killed by a parent who is a perpetrator of domestic abuse through child contact (formally or informally arranged). Nearly a decade on from the publication of Nineteen Child Homicides, this report documents a further 19 children’s lives that have been lost as a result of unsafe contact arrangements. These findings illustrate the need for a culture shift at all levels to domestic abuse from professionals involved in child contact arrangements, whether informal and formal.
Moved during exams
On 20 June Become published Moved during exams
Headlines
Findings highlight significant instability during key exam years (Years 10 to 13).
- 17% of children in care in Key Stage 4 moved school at least once during the 2023/24 academic year and
- 13% of children in care moved home during their GCSE exam period.
Education, health and care plans – Jan 2025
On 26 June DfE published Education and Health Care Plans data for Jan 2025
Headlines
SEND and EHCP data for Jan 2025, based on SEN2 returns show there is little or no sign of slow-down in demand for support for high needs.
The total number of children with an EHCP continues to grow, nearly 11% higher than in the previous year, and the number of new EHC needs assessment requests are also high: 12% higher than in the previous year.
The pressures on the the SEND system are also illustrated by a continued reduction (to 46%) of EHCPs issued within the 20 week period.
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).
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 9 July Inclusion in Practice published Emerging Insights
On 7 July DfE published Keeping Children Safe in Education for use from September 2025
On 7 July DfE published Keeping Children Safe in Education for use from September 2025
On 26 June DfE published Education and Health Care Plans data for Jan 2025
On 25 June Foundations published its Evaluation of Multi-agency Safeguarding Hubs
On 20 June Become published Moved during exams
On 19 June Women’s Aid published Nineteen more child homicides
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)