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
The Children’s Plan: Vision for Care October 2025
On 20 October The Children’s Commissioner published The Children’s Plan: Vision for Care
Details
Dame Rachel de Souza is in the fourth year of a six-year term. This report summarises her work on children’s social care, and the work of her office, since taking up the position on March 1, 2021. The report does two things. Firstly, it highlights how far away the children’s social care system is from where it needs to be, despite much well-intentioned work and nods to reform. It sets out the continued breaches of children’s rights, to education, to alternative care, and to liberty. Secondly, it sets out a vision for how the system could change, with a set of ambitious recommendations or transforming children’s social care, with children’s rights at its heart.
Addressing domestic abuse and
continuing harm through a family court
review and reporting mechanism
On 13 October The Domestic Abuse Commissioner published Everday Business
Details
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales has published new research examining the family justice system and domestic abuse. The research included a review of 298 case files, observation of 95 hearings and work with domestic abuse survivors, judges, magistrates and Cafcass/Cafcass Cymru officers. Evidence of domestic abuse was present in 73% of the hearings observed and in 87% of the case files reviewed. Despite this prevalence, the Commissioner highlights that domestic abuse was frequently not recognised as an ‘active issue’ or taken seriously with regards to the type of contact children would go on to have with the abusive parent. The report explores: the prevalence of domestic abuse in private law children cases; the courts’ responses to domestic abuse; the consequences of structural barriers including the silencing of children’s voices; and next steps for the Family Courts Review and Reporting Mechanism.
Access to mental health support
On 10 October The Youth Endowment Fund published Access to mental health support
The full report is here (pdf, 129 pages)
The annexes are here (pdf, 119 pages)
Details
The Youth Endowment Fund has published a report looking at access to mental health support for children and young people who are involved in or are at risk of serious youth violence in England and Wales. The report draws on findings from literature reviews, data analysis, service mapping and interviews with professionals, caregivers, and young people. Key findings highlight barriers to accessing timely, appropriate, and trusted support, particularly for children with the greatest mental health needs and facing additional marginalisation. Barriers include: restrictive eligibility criteria; long waiting times; and stigma, distrust, and fear of criminalisation. The report makes calls for systemic reform around access to mental health support.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Urgent Call to Withdraw the FII Label
An open letter has called for FII to be retired as a safeguarding category altogether.
On 13 September BJSW published Fabricated or induced illness in England: Examining mortality and serious harm an article by Andy Bilson and Alessandro Talia
The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 55, Issue 6, Sept 2025, pages 3094–3112, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf089
Details
The term fabricated or induced illness (FII) was introduced in 2002 to replace the discredited idea of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSbP).The label was meant to bring clarity and help professionals protect children. Instead, it has spread confusion, widened suspicion and caused serious harm.In recent months, The Sunday Times has published a series of articles by Emily Dugan exposing the devastating impact of FII investigations on families.
Recent surveys (Clements & Aiello, 2023; Ferguson & Hollingsworth, 2024) highlight many more such cases. These are not abstract tragedies – they are direct, preventable outcomes of acting on flawed guidance. This illustrates what parents, campaigners and practitioners have been warning of for years: the evidence base for FII is weak, its application disproportionate and its consequences catastrophic. An open letter signed on behalf of organisations and by parents, professionals and academics has now called for FII to be retired as a safeguarding category altogether.
2-child benefit cap and school readiness
On 24 September IFS published What is the effect of the two-child limit on children’s school readiness?
No effects found
The review finds the two-child limit has no statistically significant effect on the proportion of children achieving a ‘good level of development’ (GLD) at age five nor on those who might be more vulnerable, such as those living in 20% most deprived neighbourhoods.
The scope of the report does not include consideration of impacts on children’s health or wellbeing or on parents.
Minister: “We will bring forward a full Schools White Paper early in the new year,”
On 22 October SoS Phillipson announced the further delay of the SEND white paper
Principles for SEND reform
- Early. Children should receive the support they need as soon as possible. This will start to break the cycle of needs going unmet and getting worse, instead intervening upstream, earlier in children’s lives when this can have most impact.
- Local. Children and young people with SEND should be able to learn at a school close to their home, alongside their peers, rather than travelling long distances from their family and community. Special schools should continue to play a vital role supporting those with the most complex needs.
- Fair. Every school should be resourced and able to meet common and predictable needs, including as they change over time, without parents having to fight to get support for their children. Where specialist provision is needed for children in mainstream, special or Alternative Provision, we will ensure it is there, with clear legal requirements and safeguards for children and parents.
- Effective. Reforms should be grounded in evidence, ensuring all education settings know where to go to find effective practice that has excellent long-term outcomes for children.
- Shared. Education, health and care services should work in partnership with one another, local government, families, teachers, experts and representative bodies to deliver better experiences and outcomes for all our children.
SESLIP QA Conference – NOW BOOKING
On Monday 8 December SESLIP is hosting a collaborative QA co-design event.
Headlines
On behalf of the SESLIP QA network, Kent Analytics has been research CSC QA processes and practices across the region.
This event will be an opportunity for QA leads and staff to participate in the co-design of new improved procedures based on the research findings.
SESLIP Targeted Support
The SESLIP Targeted Support scheme is now open to enquiries from children’s services authorities in the south east.
This project is funded by the DfE’s RIIA grant and is open to both CSC and SEND.
Details
The prospectus introduces our dedicated Targeted Support Core Team, which includes experienced, ex-local authority leaders, who have worked at director, assistant director and principal programme manager levels,
The core team’s practice is enhanced by collaboration with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across the full range of children’s services.
A bespoke package will be agreed at scoping stage.
For more information, or to become involved as a subject matter expert, contact Claire@clairewoodcockconsulting.com
Regional Improvement Plan 2025-26
On 18 July 2025 SESLIP published our regional improvement plan for 2025-26
Headlines
The new regional improvement plan has 47 projects and a budget of just under £2m.
The plan incorporates our delivery plan for DfE’s RIIA grant of £1.6m to SESLIP for the current year
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2025)
On 20 October The Children’s Commissioner published The Children’s Plan: Vision for Care
On 13 October The Domestic Abuse Commissioner published Everday Business
On 13 October Home+Future (the south east’s RCC) published Briefing 002 – cross regional placements
On 10 October The Youth Endowment Fund published Access to mental health support
On 6 October Ofsted published Children’s social care questionnaires 2025
On 3 October APSEND and CSTUK published Upstream – best practice examples from specialst, AP and mixed trust schools
On 3 October 2025 IFS published Support for children with disabilities and special educational needs as part of its Green Budget for 2025
On 2 October Kinship published its annual survey of Kinship carers “Handle with Care”
On 2 October 2025 EEF published an independent evaluation of the BITUP programme – a low cost programme to improve secondary school attendance.
On 26 September 2025 HMIPrisons published Children in custody 2024–25
An analysis of 12–18-year-olds’ perceptions of their experiences
in secure training centres and young offender institutions
On 25 September DfE published a research report, Family Routes: children who returned to care after leaving for adoption or to live with a special guardian
On 25 September 2025 the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse published Developing your strategic response to child sexual abuse – A guide for safeguarding children partnerships
On 24 September 2025 West Midlands ADCS Network (the RIIA) published its team excellence awards brochure for 2025
On 24 September Speech and Language UK published Transforming SEND: An Alternative White Paper
On 17 September APPG for SEND launched Reforming the SEND
System in England
On 16 September The Law Commission published Disabled Children’s Social Care: Final Report
On 13 September BJSW published Fabricated or induced illness in England: Examining mortality and serious harm an article by Andy Bilson and Alessandro Talia
On 12 September the PAC published Improving family court services for children
On 12 September NAO published Managing children’s residential care
On 10 September the Alliance for Youth Justice published From exploited to exploiter?
On 10 September Ofsted, CQC, HMICFRS and HMIProbation published new JTAI guidance for inspections of the response to child sexual abuse in the family environment
On 10 September LGA published Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Strengthening Local Leadership and Supporting young parents to reach their full potential
On 8 September Ofsted published Children missing education: statutory guidance for local authorities and schools
On 1 September Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) published new guides to help social workers support those children in care with insecure immigration status.
On 29 August SESLIP published its Targeted Support scheme prospectus
On 23 July LGA published Children and young people’s mental health in their “Must Knows” series
On 22 July ECPAT UK published More than Words: how definitions impact on the UK’s response to child trafficking and exploitation