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. Pease address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)
Updates
#BuildNotBreak
On 25 October FRG launched its new campaign for care-experienced children and young people
Our campaign aims to ensure all care-experienced children and young people have positive, loving relationships they can rely on into adulthood.
Care Leavers Week
Lifelong Links, an approach we designed with young people, is proven to build a support network around children and young people.
We are calling on Government to make Lifelong Links and offer for all children and young people in care, and care leavers, across the UK.
Watch our new film which explains more:
Biggest independent children’s care providers made over £300 million profit
On 29 October LGA published Profit making and Risk in Independent Children’s Social Care Placement Providers.
This the fourth annual report prepared by Andrew Roem of Revolution Consulting for the LGA
Headlines
This study examines the evidence that is available in relation to the financial performance of the largest independent sector children’s social care provider organisations operating in England.
The biggest independent providers of children’s care in England made profits of more than £300m last year, as concern mounts over the conditions that some children are being placed in and the spiralling costs for councils.Fee income for the 20 largest operators of independent children’s care totalled £1.63bn last year, a 6.5% increase on the previous year. And 19% of that – £310m – was recorded as profit, according to an independent analysis.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Early years foundation stage (EYFS): regulatory changes: Government consultation response
On 27 October DfE published its response to EYFS regualtory change consultation
National Wraparound Childcare Programme
On 27 October DfE published the National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook
Child and Family Social Worker Workforce: Government consultation response
On 25 October DfE published its response to the workforce consultation.
Next steps
DfE say they will consult on draft statutory guidance to underpin the national rules in spring 2024. Subject to this consultation, we expect local authorities to comply with that statutory guidance in autumn 2024.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2023)
On 29 October LGA published Profit making and Risk in Independent Children’s Social Care Placement Providers.
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
On 2 October Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published “Understanding the variation in support for Kinship Carers“
On 27 September the House of Commons Education Select Committee published its report on Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils
On 26 September CVAA UK published Advice from adopters: Adopting brothers
and sisters
On 21 September Barnardo’s published “Double Discrimination“
On 14 September the Information Commissioners’ Office published a 10-step guide on data protection considerations when sharing personal information for child safeguarding purposes
On 8 September Ofsted published Best Start in Life part 2
On 1 September Ofsted announced that it will be undertaking sample thematic inspections of Regional Adoption Agencies during autumn 2023.
On 30 August LGA published Early education and childcare: Changes and challenges for the future
On 29 August Ofsted published guidance for JTAI inspection of the multi-agency response to children affected by serious youth violence.
On 15 August Research in Practice published three open access videos which share findings around the increased use of digital technologies in social work.
On 14 August Ofsted published new guidance Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders
On 7 August the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee published Connected tech:smart or sinister?
On 3 August Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published an Evaluation of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts
On 26 July DfE published Families first for children (FFC) pathfinder programme and family networks pilot (FNP).
On 26 July the Children’s Commissioner published an invitation to care experienced people to share their views about whether care experience should be a ‘protected characteristic’ – like age, disability or religion currently are.