UPDATE NO 331 07 December 2018

2019-20 Regional Improvement Planning

Over 40 delegates attended the self-assessment and peer challenge training event on Friday 30 November; other colleagues are receiving the input via webinar link. Please contact Isablle (details below) if you would like to brief more colleagues about the process.  Further information about Regional Improvement Planning and the training materials are now available here.

Version 4 of the “asks” and “offers” document is now available from the DCS restricted page of the web site (log-in required or ask Isabelle for help, filter for 2018; other; south east sector led improvement”). We welcome feedback on how useful this listing is, and what changes we can make to make it more useable and user friendly.

2018-19 SESLIP Memorandum of Understanding

We have previously agreed that the SESLI Programme will undertake the responsibilities of a Regional Improvement Alliance from 2019-20 onwards. This requires significant changes to our Memorandum of Understanding. Following a period of consultation, and deabte at the SE ADCS branch meeting on 7 December a new MoU has now been agreed for the 2019-20 onwards.

The new MoU includes a detailed protocol for disclosing worries or concerns about potential system wide service fauilures in another authority, and an agreement to share 18 nationally agreed performance indicators with DfE colleagues on a quarterly basis.

AD Education Network – Friday 14 December

Stewart Jackson, Senior HMI (FE and Skills) at Ofsted will be attending the next meeting of the AD Education Network to join a discussion about strategic oversight of 14-19 provision.

If you would like to attend, or your require further information, please contact Alison Rendle (details below)

There will be updates on 

• Educational data (Alastair Lee or Daryl Perilli to attend for this item)
• Transport
• Admissions
• Partnership models
• Maintaining school improvement in the current context
• Safeguarding in schools

Reducing unnecessary criminalisation of looked-after children and care leaver

The national protocol on reducing unnecessary criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers – The government has set out a new document aimed at encouraging  councils, the police and courts across England to sign up to an agreement aimed at reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers.

The National Protocol is available here

What Works Centre Analysis of LAC Rates 2012-17

What Works Centre Analysis of LAC Rates 2012-17 

The aim of this study was to inform the intervention research and systematic reviews being planned for the What Works Centre between 2018 and 2020, by exploring local authority variation in the rates of children in care in England. This was done through exploratory analyses of existing local authority-level aggregate data. As well as exploring the factors that are associated with high rates of children in care, this study also explored how and why the numbers of children in care have been changing over the years.

We were particularly interested to explore the changes in the rate of children in care over the last five financial years, between 2012/13 and 2016/17, on the basis that this timing will be more relevant to current policy regimes in local authorities.

The following factors were associated with lower average rates of children in care in local authorities:

• lower proportions of low-income families in the area
• higher expenditure on children in need
• participation in the DfE’s Innovation Programme
• better Ofsted judgements
• higher proportions of social worker turnover

The following factors were associated with an average decrease in the rate of children in care per 10,000 children in local authorities in England:

• a decrease in the proportions of low-income families
• participation in the DfE’s Innovation Programme
• better Ofsted judgements

Public Law Outline Seminar 11 February 2018

Kent County Council have set up a seminar to explore research in relation to the use of the PLO. The event will include contributions by leading academics Professor Judith Masson University of Bristol and Professor Jonathan Dickens (UEA). The brief for the research can be found here.

The seminar will take place at a venue in Maidstone on 11 February 2019 with a nominal cost per delegate of £25. A flyer with more information is available here.

To book a place or find out more contact SafeguardingAdmin@kent.gov.uk 

AD Education Network – Dates for 2019

Alison Rendle (contact details below) writes

“We have now agreed dates for 2019.  I am in the process of booking our normal venue, and will confirm this in due course.

• 14 December 2018
• 5 April 2019 – full day meeting, joint workshop with SEND network (please note change of date and timings for this meeting – previously scheduled for the morning of 15 March)
• 7 June 2019 – 10.30-12.30
• 13 September 2019 – 10.30-12.30
• 13 December 2019 – 10.30-12.30″

If you would like to find out more about the AD Education Network please contact Alison Rendle (details below).

The Network is co-sponsored by Lucy Butler (DCS Oxfordshire) and Cate Duffy (DCS Slough)

The contact list is on the AD Education Network Page

Diary Dates for 2019-20 Regional Improvement Planning

17 December 2018 – submission of draft 2018-19 self-assessments

late Dec-to-early Jan – SESLIP independent commentary of draft self-assessments (opt-in service, please confirm with Isabelle)

mid-to-late Jan – self-assessments finalised and shared with triad partners

February – triad challenge days – see opposite

late Feb-to-early Mar – SESLIP team draft 2019-20 Regional Improvement Plan

22 March – Regional Improvement Summit

Triad 1 – East Sussex, Surrey and Wokingham on Thursday 28 February 2019

Triad 2 – Kent, Reading and Portsmouth on Monday 4 February 2019

Triad 3 – Hampshire and IoW, Milton Keynes and Slough on Friday 15 February 2019

Triad 4 – Medway, Oxfordshire and Windsor and Maidenhead also on Friday 15 February 2019

Triad 5 – Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire and West Berkshire on Tuesday 26 February 2019

Triad 6 – Bracknell Forest, Southampton and West Sussex on Wednesday 13 February 2019

Please contact Isabelle Gregory (details below) for detailed information for these events.