UPDATE NO 440 12 February 2021

Take Your Place – the future leaders programme for the South East

New dates announced for Take Your Place courses delivered in association with The Staff College this spring and summer

Please download the flyer here 

Further information from Mark Evans (contact details below)

• Women in Leadership 24 and 25 March

The Women in Leadership Programme is designed to create a safe space for women to connect, share their experiences and learn how to strive and thrive in their own work places. There are some key issues that affects every woman along the path of her career. The Programme helps to address some of the issues that affect all females by providing a forum that considers the unique challenges women encounter

• Black and Asian Leaders 23 and 24 June 

This programme aims to: Provide strategies to help participants overcome barriers and enhance their skills to be able to thrive as Black global majority leaders; Renew self and group confidence, which is often depleted by every day racism; Enable participants to learn about and try out for themselves different leadership approaches and understand how these relate to their own values and principles; Ensure participants develop their own personal learning plan in order to help them progress in their careers.

DfE launches CSC Regulations public consultation

The CSC Regulations public consultation has been launched and can be found at Changes to the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 – Department for Education – Citizen Space.

The DfE is holding three events on 15, 16 and 17 February to provide more information about the consultation and to answer any questions the sector may have and would be grateful if you can sign post and encourage stakeholders to attend. To sign up for one of the events attendees will need to visit here

Request for help gathering the views of children and young people. Lisa Thom (Children’s Social Care – Covid Recovery Unit) writes:

“We hope to capture the views of children and young people and I understand for the last consultation we did something in this space and had a great response, with over 50 children and young people participating from four local authorities. Would it be possible if we can facilitate this again through volunteer LAs?”

If you would like to offer help facilitating responses from children and young people in your area, please contact Lisa Thom or Dave Myers at DfE.

LGA Webinar: Local authority youth services Wednesday 24 February 2021, 2.00pm – 4.30pm

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the lives of children and young people. Youth services have pivoted and mobilised to support vulnerable children and families in their community.

Youth workers across the country work closely with partners such as the National Citizen Service (NCS), Barnardo’s and the National Youth Agency’s (NYA) youth worker guidance has brought vital clarity to the sector.

There are a range of youth service models across local authorities; this webinar will provide the opportunity for local authority youth services and family services to come together and reflect on the last year, share their experiences and good practice and hear from a range of partners. There will also be an update from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

More details here

Confirmed speakers:

• Paul Schofield, Head of Policy – Local Youth Services, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• Amanda Naylor, Head of Partnerships, Barnardo’s
• Amanda Best, Chief Operations Officers (Acting) National Citizen Service (NCS)
• Leigh Middleton, Chief Executive, National Youth Agency (NYA)
• Cllr Teresa Heritage, Vice-Chair LGA Children and Young People’s Board, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families at Hertfordshire County Council (Chair)

This is a virtual webinar, book here

Future dates for Network meetings

Lead Members Group:  10.00am Friday 5 March 2021, “Your role as Corporate Parents in delivering excellence for Care Leavers“, presented by Mark Riddell MBE. More information from Alison Michalska (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: Thursday 11 March 2021. More information from Alastair Lee (contact details below)

Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board: Tuesday 20 April 2021. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: Friday 12 March 2021 – 10.30am. More information from Chris Owen (contact details below)

AD Safeguarding: Friday 12 March 2021. More information from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: Wednesday 10 March 2021. More information from Diane Williamson (contact details below)

Fostering Network: 10.30am Thursday 12 April 2021. The group met on 28 Jan and discussed vaccination for foster carers; protocols for covid+ve or symptomatic children; impact of court and medical delays on fostering. More information from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

SEND SE19: DfE SEND Regional Update 12.30pm Wednesday 24 February 2021. More information from Tracey Maytas (contact details below)

Mental Health at Work – Our Frontline

You support us, we support you

Our Frontline is a partnership between Shout, Samaritans, Mind, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Find out more about them here, join them on their social channels below, and see some of the latest real-life stories from Our Frontline.

Twitter or Instagram or Facebook or Linkedin

There are tailored support pages for staff working in schools; and staff working in social care. Also for social care workers, to talk by text, text FRONTLINE to 85258 any time. To talk by phone, call 0300 131 7000 from 7am to 11pm if you’re in England.

Other specialist help is available at: Get support if you work in health; Get support if you work in the emergency services; Get support if you’re any other essential worker.

NHS (E) and NIROMP: South East Community of Practice – Children in Care

Andrea King (contact details below, of NHS South East) and NIROMP are delighted to share with you the details for their ‘South East Community of Practice – Children in Care’ webinar, which will take place on 16 April 2021, 9.30-11.30.

The purpose of the event is to provide a safe space for IROs to talk together with CYP Mental Health Clinical Leaders to further develop and improve statutory care planning, and consider how the timeliness and reliability of notifications to OOA social care and CAMHs services might be improved.

An event flyer is here

We will be joined by colleagues from Local Authorities, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and CORC, who will be sharing updates and facilitating areas for discussion.

An event outline and programme is here

Register your place via Eventbrite: Click here to Join the Community of Practice event on 16 April 2021

Please contact Jenny Harris from Brighton & Hove City Council regards any queries related to joining instructions or cancellations.

Supporting Career Progression for Teachers from Minority Ethnic Groups

Sufian Sadiq, Director of Teaching School, Chiltern Learning Trust, in Impact, the Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching, writes,

“For the past five years, Chiltern TSA has been running ‘BAME into Leadership’, a programme that seeks to support teachers from minority ethnic backgrounds to develop the skills and knowledge needed to progress in their teaching careers.”

“Funded by the DfE and now in its fifth year, the course runs from the autumn to the summer term and is open to all levels of leadership, from NQTs to aspiring headteachers. Aspiring leaders apply to the programme and we take 25 to 30 participants to ensure that we can offer close attention to each individual member. The programme involves 12 practical sessions” 

Read more about the BAME into Leadership programme here