UPDATE NO 326 02 November 2018

LGA research on High Needs funding pressures – Deadline for Responses 16 November

Mona Sehgal of LGA writes,

The LGA has commissioned the Isos Partnership to undertake work looking at the High Needs funding pressures that councils are facing, which has included circulating a survey to all upper-tier finance heads.

The LGA is aware that meeting the costs of providing services for children and young people with SEND is a significant issue for many local authorities at present. It has therefore commissioned Isos to carry out a national-level research project. Specifically, the research aims to:

• better quantify the current gap between high needs resources and actual spend;
• estimate the level of resources transferred into the high needs block over the last four years from the schools block, the early years block or other sources;
• project forward the likely trajectory of high needs spending over the next five years.

In order to support this research, we would be extremely grateful if you could liaise with your Head of Finance to complete a short survey which asks for information about your high needs budget and spending patterns over the last four years. Information you provide will be used anonymously to inform an overall national picture which will be published by the LGA later this year. 

Many thanks to Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and West Sussex who have already responded

We would be very grateful if you could you complete the survey by Friday 16 November. If you have any questions about completing the survey, please contact Beth Swords – beth.swords@isospartnership.com – who will be happy to help you.

Thank you in advance for your time and commitment in supporting this work. We feel that this is an issue of real significance to local government and it is therefore important that any future dialogue at both national and local level is based on the fullest information available. We hope that this research will help to inform this debate.

The survey can be accessed here.

National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) – Wednesday 28 November

Rachel Lad, NNECL Co-ordinator, writes,

I am contacting you on behalf of the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL).  We are a network for staff in FE, HE and local authorities supporting children in care and care leavers to succeed in education.

I am emailing to ask for your support promoting our annual conference which will be taking place on Wednesday 28 November at the University of Birmingham.

This year’s focus is Wellbeing and Belonging with a range of workshops and speakers.

Conference key note speakers and workshop contributors include:

• Care Leavers Covenant update from Spectra First
• Office for Students
• Become
• National Teaching and Advisory Service
• British Association of Social Workers
• The Care Leavers’ Association
• University of Wolverhampton
• Leeds Beckett University
• University of Salford
• Aimhigher London

Tickets are £95 per delegate including lunch.  Full conference details including the programme and workshop list can be found on the NNECL website

Membership – New for 2018

We have launched a membership scheme for FE and HE institutions and local authorities wishing to support our work. As part of membership, we are offering a 30% discount on the conference fee for all staff in member institutions.  Find out the other benefits of becoming an organisational member of NNECL here.

Sexual Assault and Abuse Services Conference – Thursday 22 November

Angjela Nikaj of the DfE Child Protection team writes, 

Following the April 2018 launch of the Strategic Direction for Sexual Assault and Abuse Services (SAAS), the Department of Health and Social Care, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, NHS England and Public Health England are hosting this event on Thursday 22 November 2018 to discuss what the SAAS means for you and your organisation and to progress the key actions needed by 2023 to improve service provision for those who have suffered sexual assault and abuse. 

As part of this, attendees will hear examples of good practice and work in progress from across the country, explore collaborative ways of working and identify opportunities and challenges to ensure we continue to make timely and effective progress over the next five years.

Aims of the event

• To discuss and explore what the SAAS means for you and your organisation.
• To provide an update and share best practice on the work already underway to support delivery of the six core priorities.
• To discuss and explore collaborative ways of working, as well as opportunities and challenges to help ensure that we continue to make timely and effective progress on these priorities over the next five years.

Please contact Angjela Nikaj of the DfE Child Protection team for more information.

2018-19 DCS Peer Challenge Arrangements

The training and preparation day for February’s Peer Challenge events will be held on the morning of Friday 30 November at Easthampstead Park. Thank you to the 40 delegates who have registered with Isabelle Gregory (contact details below).

The following deadline is Friday 14 December for sharing your self-assessments. Rebecca Eligon (contact details below) has compiled an analysis of last year’s assessments (it is published on the DCS-only restricted access page of the web site); she is also available to colleagues who are creating self-assessments for feedback and advice on what-to-do and what-not-to-do in a self-assessment.

Data profiles for each authority are available from the DCS-only restricted access page of the web site to inform your self-assessments.

After 14 December, and at your request, the SESLIP team will read your self-assessment and provide you with confidential feedback, including an independent check on the alignment of the assessment and the data.

After the Triad Challenge days, SESLIP staff will compile the Regional Improvement Plan for 2019-20, including such activities as regional networks; paired support of asks and offers; coaching; mentoring; Partner-in-Practice; topical peer challenges.

The Plan will be launched at the Regional Improvement Summit on Friday 22 March.

14 December – closing date for receipt of completed self-assesssments

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

22 March – Regional Improvement Summit

Please contact Isabelle Gregory (details below) for detailed information for these events.