UPDATE NO 334 11 January 2019

Regional Improvement Planning for 2019-20

Following on from the successful training day at the end of November (and the catch-up webinars for those who were unavailable – see below for deatils of a final session) we are now fully engaged with reviewing self-assessments ahead of the Triad Peer Challenge days (and Ofsted annual conversation visits for some colleagues).

We are making arrangements for the Regional Improvement Summit on Friday 22 March. This will be a short (30-minute) formal launch of the Regional Improvement Plan with DCSs and Lead Members and invited guests from DfE, Ofsted, LGA, ADCS. It will be scheduled for the slot before lunch, and our guests will be invited to stay for the buffet lunch.

22 March – Regional Improvement Summit with DCSs and Lead Members

For all enquiries about the Regioanl Planning process, and for any comments and feedback, please contact isabelle Gregory (details below). 

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.

What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care – Happier Healthier Workforce EoI request

The What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care is looking for expressions of interest from prospective partners to develop research studies aimed at helping people working in children’s social care, especially social workers, to be happier and healthier. 

Full details can be found here

How to get involved
If you are interested in helping us design these exciting research studies, please email wwccsc@nesta.org.uk by no later than 5pm on 15 January 2019.

Please state in your email:

1. The lead contact for this work, including their job role, email address and phone number.
2. Availability for a phone call in the week starting 21 January.
3. A description of your organisation (no more than one page in length).

Catch-up Webinar for Triad Challenge Day participants

There is another catch-up webinar planned for Triad Challenge Day participants who have been unable to access the training so far. 

Friday 18 January 2-3:30pm

The remaining places are available free, first come first served, on application to Isabelle Gregory (contact details below) who will forward joining instructions.

LGA Report – Children’s care cash crisis: nine in 10 councils pushed into the red

Severe funding shortages for social services that protect vulnerable children have pushed nearly nine in 10 councils into the red, new analysis published by the LGA reveals, prompting warnings that funding for children’s care is now in a country-wide crisis.

New figures show that a total of 133 out of 152 councils (88 per cent) were forced to spend more money than they had planned to on children’s social care in the last year (2017/18). This amounted to an overspend of £806 million. The LGA report says the number of councils spending more than they budgeted for indicates the immense pressure they are under to support vulnerable children and young people, and emphasises that this is now an issue affecting all areas of the country.

It estimates that children’s services already face a £3.1 billion funding gap by 2025 just to maintain the current levels of service, and is calling on the Government to announce desperately needed new money into the system.

The full report can be found at:

https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/childrens-care-cash-crisis-nine-10-councils-pushed-red

The LGA report says the number of councils spending more than they budgeted for indicates the immense pressure they are under to support vulnerable children and young people, and emphasises that this is now an issue affecting all areas of the country.

It estimates that children’s services already face a £3.1 billion funding gap by 2025 just to maintain the current levels of service, and is calling on the Government to announce desperately needed new money into the system.

The full report can be found here

Reducing Parental Conflict Challenge Fund

As part of the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) Programme, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is launching a £2.7 million Challenge Fund that will provide grant funding to innovative projects, to gather learning on what works to reduce parental conflict.

Full details can be found here.  Bids are required by mid February 2019

The RPC Challenge Fund will allocate grants through two strands: 

A Digital Support for Families strand: £1.6 million is available to provide grant funding to innovative projects that will test what works digitally to support and maintain engagement with disadvantaged families to reduce parental conflict. 

A Support for Disadvantaged Families strand: A further £1.1 million is available to test what works to support disadvantaged families that are at greater risk of parental conflict, where there is limited existing evidence.

Task and finish group – Attendance and children missing education

Mike Stoneman from Portsmouth is convening a task and finish group of colleagues to consider issues around attendance and children missing education.  The purpose of the group is to look at best practice across the South East and potential solutions in terms of the work local authorities are doing to address the following key issues identified by the SESLIP AD Education Network:

• Persistent school absence
• Fixed term and permanent exclusions
• Reduced timetables that go beyond 6 weeks
• Elective home education
• Inappropriate alternative provision or exclusion by another name

The aim is to hold at least two meetings this term (spring 2019) before going back to the AD Network later in the year with a report detailing some best practice and recommendations. 

If you or a colleague would like to be involved in this group, please contact Mike directly mike.stoneman@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

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