UPDATE NO 491 04 February 2022

Public Law Outline toolkit – free SESLIP workshops NOW BOOKING

Now booking: Cohort 1: 6 April (am and pm) and 27 April (am only) OR Cohort 2:  11^th May (am and pm) and 25^th May (am only)

The course is aimed at Team Managers, Service/District Managers, Heads of Services and Legal professionals and is free to SESLIP members.

upon Inspiring Leaders Aspirant DCS Programme NOW BOOKING

upon Inspiring Leaders have announced the invitation to apply to the Aspirant Directors Programme. It will run from September 2022 to March 2023.

For further information on the programme in the meantime, please go to the How to apply page.

Revised memorandum of cooperation on agency social workers – signing day Friday 11 February

All 19 SESLIP local authorities have now indicated their support for the revised memorandum of cooperation on agency social workers.

The coordinated signing day will be Friday 11 February, and the go live date is 1 April 2022. More information from Mark Evans (details below).

WWCSC – Outcomes for black children in care and Ethnic minority social workers in the UK

On 13 January 2022, What Works for Children’s Social Care published two reports: Outcomes for black children in care and Ethnic minority social workers in the UK. 

Findings show that black children in care have slightly better placement stability and educational attainment outcomes than white children in care, but the conclusions may not be reliable. The full report is here.

A review of social workers from black, asian and minority ethnic communities found that they are overrepresented in the student population and the qualified workforce but less likely to complete qualifying courses and underrepresented in senior roles. The full report is here.

JRF: UK Poverty 2022

On 18 January 2022, Joseph Rowntree Foundation published UK Poverty 2022: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK

Child poverty continues to rise with 4,300,000 (31%) of UK children living in poverty; nearly half of children in lone-parent families live in poverty, compared with 1 in 4 of those in couple families; and the child poverty rate for children in families with 3 or more children is almost twice as high as the rate for children in 1- or 2-child families (47% compared with 24%).

A 4-page summary is here, and the full report is here

NICE consultation: Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence

On 18 January 2022, NICE published draft guidelines on self-harm for people working in settings from primary care to psychiatry.

All professionals working across the health and social care system have a role to play in supporting people who self-harm and the issue should not just be seen as the responsibility of those with mental health expertise, NICE has said in a new draft guideline. The consultation closes on 1 March, and final publication is planned for 29 June 2022.

The Black Care Experience Conference Saturday 12 February

On Saturday 12 February, The Black Care Experience will be hosting a one-day conference to bring together those who are Black care experienced and those who work in England’s children’s social care system.

The event will run from 10.00 till 3.00 at a venue in London E7. Booking details are here.

Read The Black Care Experience Report from March 2021

Future dates for network meetings

Lead Members Group: Expert Workshop #6: Political leadership of effective SEND systems. Fri 4 March 9:30am. More from Alison Michalska (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Tuesday 15 March 10:00am More information from Alastair Lee (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: Monday 25 April 10.30am-12noon More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: Friday 4 February – 10:00am. More information from Chris Owen (contact details below)

AD Safeguarding: Friday 11 March 2022. More information from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: Wednesday 16 March 2022. 2:00pm – 5:00pm. More information from Amanda Meadows (contact details below)

Fostering Network: Wednesday April 27 2022 10-11.30am More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SEND SE19: 15 Februrary 2022 (LAs and Health) more information from Tracey Maytas (contact details below)

Early Help: More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SESLIP Freelance Consultant Approved List now open

ESCC has advertised the SESLIP Freelance Consultant Approved List. Please address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)

Freelance consultants interested in seeking work with the SESLI Programme should consult the advertisement now live on the SE Shared Services eSourcing Portal

School attendance: Improving consistency of support

On 25 January 2022, DfE launched a consultation on School attendance: Improving consistency of support with a closing date of 28 February

The DfE is seeking views on introducing the following possible measures:

• Requiring schools to have an attendance policy
• Guidance on the expectations of LA attendance services.
• A new regulatory framework for issuing fixed penalty notices for absence.
• Bringing the rules for granting leaves of absence in academies in line with other state funded schools.

Home Education in England

On 10 January 2022, the House of Commons Library published Home Education in England in its research briefing series. 

The full report is here