South East Sector Led Improvement Programme (SESLIP)

Five happy students, in school uniform, holding a chalkboard which has "We are the future" written on it

The South East Sector Led Improvement Programme (SESLIP) is the name of our Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance (RIIA). It is a membership group of all single/upper-tier local authorities in the South East that aims to:

  • improve outcomes for children and young people across the South East
  • establish a culture of honest and constructive dialogue and challenge within and between authorities
  • demonstrate the capacity and capability of the sector to achieve a coherent and consistent self-improving system

We believe good children’s services are a product of reflective practice, professional supervision/peer challenge, effective leadership and independent audit.

SESLIP is founded on a Memorandum of Understanding which has been agreed nationally and in the South East. East Sussex County Council acts as the lead authority and currently, Alison Jeffery (DCS, East Sussex), chairs the Programme Steering Group

Additionally, participating authorities have each signed a tailored Memorandum of Understanding to support the SE children’s sector-led improvement programme. 

What we do

upports the political and professional leadership and management of local authority children’s services to demonstrate, develop and share good practice. Our programmes support the development of children’s services as learning organisations, focusing on:

  • identifying key strands of enquiry
  • analysing and comparing operational data about the services
  • using evidence to inform decisions, including evidence available from outside the region, where relevant
  • using peer challenge and peer review
  • building leadership capacity and capability, and
  • developing standards of practice through supportive endeavour

We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan which sets out the activities. Its aim is to identify ways in which local authorities in the South East can support each other to improve and look at how collective action can help address systemic issues within the region.

Featured News and Updates

Huge regional variation in support from children’s social services for some of England’s most vulnerable children

On 5 March the Childrens’ Commissioner published Children on child in need plans

School capacity and pupil absence data 2022/2023

On 21 March DfE published school capacity data for 2022-2023 and pupil absence data for 2022-2023

Four new safety valve agreements

On 21 March DfE published four new safety valve agreements

Upcoming Events

  • DCS Peer Challenge Triad 6

    We welcome participating teams from Slough, Buckinghamshire and Southampton

    MS Teams

    05 April 2024

  • DCS Peer Challenge Quartet 1

    We welcome participating teams from Wokingham, Isle of Wight, East Sussex and Surrey.

    MS Teams

    15 April 2024

  • DCS Peer Challenge Triad 2

    We welcome participating teams from West Sussex, Kent and Portsmouth.

    Local Government Association, 18 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ, UK

    15 April 2024

  • LAFSE: Mockingbird conversation

    This will be a  session for the 14 LAs that are opening an additional or theirfirst cluster.  It isn't part of your formal project approach (thiscontinues with your Fostering Network coach) but will be a space to reflecttogether on challenges and progress.  We are trying to secure time for the Fostering Network to be there for 1 hr of the meeting, to give space for anyconfidential feedback you may want to share prior to them joining. More from Natasha Sampson

    more from Natasha Sampson

    15 April 2024
    13:00 - 15:00

Please use the contact details below to find out more.

Our Partners

ADCS logo. Sub-title reads Leading Children's Services

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services Ltd (ADCS) is the national leadership association in England for statutory directors of children’s services and their senior management teams.

The LGA is a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government.

Solace Logo

Solace (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) is the representative body for senior strategic managers working in the public sector.

The purpose of this website

The primary purpose of this website is to provide information and updates on the programme to staff of the 19 contributing authorities and to make this accessible to anyone who does business with them or an interest in improving Children’s Services.

The ‘latest news’ page gives a snapshot of current activity and is updated weekly.

Contact details for people leading the initiatives on behalf of the SESLIP are provided on the relevant pages or you can contact the Programme Manager, Richard Tyndall: richard.tyndall@richardtyndall.co.uk 07880 787007