UPDATE NO 402 08 May 2020

Coronavirus and Covid-19 Response

We have created a C-19 page which has unrestricted access and another which is password-protected.

Access to both pages is in the drop-down menu from “Latest News” on the home page.

We have provided links to DfE publications, and on the restricted page, to shared information from colleagues in the South East and from other regional SLI teams. The material from the West Midlands is particularly detailed. SEND specific information is here.

Please can you help us populate the C-19 pages by

1. Sharing any unrestricted guidance, advice or publicity via Isabelle Gregory (contact details below)

2. Sharing any more sensitive material that should be accessible only with a password via Isabelle Gregory (contact details below)

3. Letting us know the name and details your lead contact(s) for coronavirus and covid-19 responses to whom (along with all DCSs) we will give access to the restricted page. Please pass details to Isabelle Gregory (contact details below).

SESLIP Website – Restricted area access arrangements

The library of useful documents accessible in the SESLIP-website password-protected areas is developing apace, thanks to colleagues. We now have useful directories listing all documents available on the COVID-19, the DCS, the Quality Assurance and the CME Restricted Areas, accessible via the relevant password-protected pages.

Please email Isabelle Gregory (contact details below) if you would like a list of those in your authority who already have access to each SESLIP website restricted area. This request will need to come from a DCS or DCS PA.

Please note that from mid-May we will be asking all restricted users to re-validate their access permissions. Please contact Isabelle Gregory (details below) if this causes any problems.

SESLIP Regional Improvement Plan for 2020-2021 Published

The 2020-2021 SESLIP Regional Improvement Plan has been published.

This plan is an iteration of last year’s plan. It has an enhanced section on Lead Member involvement, a new project on Children Missing Education, a new Future Leaders’ Programme called “Taking Your Place” and has been informed by the Triad Peer Challenge sessions that were held in winter 2019-20. There are now 6 practice networks: Adoption and Special Guardianship; Assistant Directors Education; Assistant Directors Safeguarding; Data Benchmarking; Quality Assurance; and SEND. We will be canvassing support for a seventh for Fostering during the year. It also includes a large DfE grant in support of the national Data to Insight project.

The plan recognises that all children’s services have strengths which can help inspire improvement in others; it also recognises that they are all capable of further improvement. It aims to discourage the conclusion that only poor or weak services need improvement help; instead it celebrates honest self-evaluation and constant improvement as antidotes to complacency.

 The main features of the plan are

·     a non-stigmatising approach to improvement

·     support for innovation and new approaches to service delivery challenges

·     development of the skills of staff, managers, corporate and political leaders

·     increased sharing of ideas, insight, understanding and solutions