Newsletters
Updates
Leaving care innovation toolkit
A research team led by Professor Graeme Currie at Warwick Business School received funding from (ESRC) to study the development, implementation and sustaining of innovation to support the journey of care experienced young people into adulthood.
The toolkit will help organisations working to support young people in particularly challenging circumstances improve their service, so that when a new innovation comes along that will help care leavers it does stay in place, and spreads to other organisations and areas of the system.
Researchers studied several projects and innovations over four years to see how they were implemented, and from this they identified the five key ingredients needed to make good ideas stick and help young people.
Ingredients for innovation
How receptive the organisation and its culture are to innovation
Co-production with young people who have experienced care
Shared leadership across all the organisations involved
Building outcome measurements from the start for young people in care, the organisation and to track the innovation’s progress
Adaption of the innovation as it is implemented and sustained to maintain its effectiveness.
Leaving care and the risk of homelessness
On 31 July the Centre for Homelessness Impact published Staying put: leaving care and the risk of homelessness.
Staying Put is a scheme that enables young people are able to remain with their foster carers, if both parties agree, from the age of 18 to 21. The report evaluates how this reduces the risk of homelessness in care leavers.
What the study found:
Consistent and strong evidence that Staying Put significantly lowers the risk of homelessness for care leavers.
If the number of participants in the Staying Put scheme is increased by just 13%, over 300 care leavers could be prevented from experiencing homelessness per year.
Recommendations:
- Awareness of Staying Put as an option is increased among foster carers around the UK.
- Local authorities do what they can to increase the number of Staying Put arrangements.
- Central government increases the funding available for local authorities to support Staying Put arrangements.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Gaps in policies and services put children with SEND at risk of exploitation
On 16 July MSHR published Internal trafficking and exploitation of
children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities
(SEND) within England and Wales
Details
The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre, based on research conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Portsmouth in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, has published this report with six key findings and eleven recommendations.
Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England
On Thursday 25 July LGA and County Councils Network published Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England
Key recommendatuions
- Establishing a new “National Framework” for additional needs overseen by a new “National Institute”, that sets out standards and best practice to embed inclusion and improve support.
- Rapidly rebuilding capacity within mainstream settings to embed inclusive practice, including creating a new core offer of targeted, multi-disciplinary support that children can access without a statutory plan, alongside education reforms to support and incentivise inclusion.
- Reforming elements of the statutory framework to ensure local partners have the right powers to improve local SEND systems. The report recommends establishing new statutory Local Inclusion Partnerships, made up of the local authority, health services and education partners, to lead strategic planning and commissioning of a continuum of specialist and targeted SEND support to meet local needs. All partners would have joint powers, responsibility and accountability for services, and a pooled budget.
- Create a new “Destinations and Progression Service” in each local area to support young people with additional needs to prepare for adult life and coordinate a smooth transition to adult services acrosseducation, health and care.
The Staff College – Inspiring women into leadership
On Monday 9 September The Staff College is hosting a 1-day workshop in central London “Inspiring women into leadership“
Book your place on this workhop here
Cost £395
More details
This workshop is specially curated for women standing at career crossroads, contemplating the leap into management or leadership roles. If you’ve ever pondered the path to leadership or sought to amplify your impact within your organisation, this is for you..
Upskill yourself in Data Analytics
Data 2 Insight is promoting another cohort of the Children’s Services Data Analyst L4 apprenticeship, delivered by Corndel.
Applications close: 13 September 2024
Learning commences: 31 October 2024
Applications close Friday 13 September
D2I hope that by providing more notice, and a longer application period, they can avoid the rush that some colleagues have had to prepare an application, and work around any summer absences which may be a factor. You can email georgina.pym@eastsussex.gov.uk for more information
NNDHP Annual Conference 24 September 2024
On Tuesday 24 September, NNDHP is organising a national conference “Teachers and Social Workers, Nurses and Doctors, Police Officers and Leaders -It Takes a Village“
Details
The conference has an excellent multi-agency lineup of speakers, including Sir Alan Wood (keynote speaker), and Professor Don Forrester from the school of social sciences at Cardiff University.
Please forward to social care colleagues and partners and the designated nurses and doctors in your safeguarding partnership
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 31 July the Centre for Homelessness Impact published Staying put: leaving care and the risk of homelessness.
On Thursday 25 July LGA and County Councils Network published Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England
On 16 July MSHR published Internal trafficking and exploitation of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) within England and Wales
On 11 July NFJO published This is what we think – Perspectives on being cared for from older children and young people – including those on deprivation of liberty orders
On 10 July CSA Centre and Barnardo’s SEEN published the first overview of research in relation to the sexual abuse of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage children.
On 26 June the BBC radio programme Money Box Live broadcast a 30-minute programme on Care leavers and how they manage their money
On 20 June DfE published SEND pupil census information, based on school census data.
On 17 June Joseph Rowntree Foundation published The impact of hardship on primary schools and primary and community healthcare
On 13 June The Fostering Network launched the 2024 State of the Nations’ Foster Care survey and it remains open until 30 June.
On 13 June DfE published Education and Health Care Plans 2024
On 6 June DfE published Schools, pupils and their characteristics 2023-2024
On 5 June Mr Justice Chamberlain published his final decision in the long running JR case involving ECPAT UK, Kent, Brighton and Hove and the Home Secretary and the Education Secratary. Neutral Citation Number: [2024] EWHC 1353 (Admin).On 24 May the Childrens’ Commissioner published Children’s experiences as victims of crime
On 21 May Data 2 Insight published Children’s Social Care for Data People, an overview of the system, stakeholders, common local practice, and necessary
knowledge for data professionals working in Children’s Social Care
On 15 May the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published Safeguarding Children in Elective Home Education
On 13 May DfE published Agency child and family social workers: data return and price caps
On 10 May the Children’s Commissioner published An Alternative Route: Post-16 support for young people attending Alternative Provision
On 9 May DfE launched a consultation on proposals to strengthen protections for children in unregistered alternative provision settings. Closing date is Friday 5 July
On 25 April the House of Commons Education Select Committee published the government’s response on Ofsted’s work with schools
On 18 April the DfE published 2022-2023 data on suspensions and permanent exclusions from schools in England
On 21 March DfE published School Capacity Data for 2022-2023
On 21 March DfE published pupil absence data for 2022-2023
On 21 March DfE published four new safety valve agreement
On 19 March LGA published Must Know: The role of a council leader in imporoving outcomes for children
On 7 March DfE published Maintained Schools Governance Guide and Academy Trust Governance Guide
On 5 March the Childrens’ Commissioner published Children on child in need plans
On 29 February DfE published annual data for Children’s social work workforce 2022-2023