UPDATE NO 468 27 August 2021

SESLIP Memorandum of Understanding 2021-2022

The Memorandum of Understanding which underpins our regional work has been revised and updated to reflect the requirements of the DfE’s Regional Recovery and Building Back Better Fund.

We are now asking each partner to arrange for the Memorandum to be signed and returned to us, after which they will be posted here. Thanks to Portsmouth for returning the first one.

Domestic Abuse Intervention: Home Office Projects announced

Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Police and Crime Commissioners have each been awarded project funds by the Home Office to go towards domestic abuse intervention programmes.

For more detail of the projects awarded, consult the press announcement

Future dates for network meetings

Lead Members Group: Friday 8 October 9.30- 12.30. Expert Workshop #3: Understanding adolescents and the challenges and risks faced supporting and safeguarding complex young people. More information from Alison Michalska (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Tuesday 14 September 2021. More information from Alastair Lee (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: Tuesday 12 October 2021. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: Friday 17 September – 10.00am. More information from Chris Owen (contact details below)

AD Safeguarding: Friday 10 September 2021. More information from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: Friday 10 September 2021. 2pm – 5pm. More information from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

Fostering Network: 10.30am Monday 4 October 2021. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SEND SE19: Preparing for Adulthood Forum 21 September 2021 13:30 – 15:30 More information from Tracey Maytas (contact details below)

Regional Improvement Plan 2021-2022

A revised Regional Improvement Plan for 2021-2022 has been published.

It contains 35 workstreams and sets out plans to invest £2.7m in improvement projects, subject to DfE approval of our funding application.

Regional Recovery and Building Back Better Fund

On 13 August, we submitted a response to the DfE’s invitation to apply to the Regional Recovery and Building Back Better Fund. The application is for £2.4m spread across 24 projects.

Many thanks to all who contributed to this bid, which will now be considered by the DfE. Announcements are expected in September.

Information Commissioners’ Children’s Code

On 28 July 2021, Michael Murray, ICO’s Head of Regulatory Strategy, published a blog on the Children’s Code standards.

The blog focusses on: best interests of the child; the detrimental use of children’s data; and data minimisation (collecting and storing the minimum amount of data for the minimum length of time).

There’s much more detail in the ICO’s dedicated guidance.

Supreme Court and Unregistered Placements

On 30 July 2021, the Supreme Court said “it was lawful, but an “imperfect stop gap”, for the High Court to use its inherent jurisdiction to authorise children’s deprivation of liberty outside of approved secure accommodation.“

In Re T it rejected an appeal from a young person about High Court orders authorising her placement in an unregistered and then a non-secure children’s home.