UPDATE NO 490 28 January 2022

upon Inspiring Leaders Aspirant DCS Programme

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

There will be an online webfair on Thursday 3 February 2022, 10.00 – 11.00 to register to attend, or to receive the recording of the webfair, please click here.

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

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

Public Law Outline toolkit – free workshops

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 SE LAs.

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.

Future dates for network meetings

Lead Members Group: Expert Workshop #5: Mental Health Services for CYP. Fri 4 February 10:00am. More information 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: 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: 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

Integrated Care Systems – contact lists now published

Please see the new contact pages for the emerging networks in each of the South East’s Integrated Care System Areas. Any help colleagues can give in passing on better detaiuls than those published already will be gratefully received. Please send details to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)

Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes, Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton

Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB): Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham

Frimley Health and Care: Bracknell Forest, Hampshire (Hart and Rushmoor only), Slough, Surrey (Surrey Heathlands only), Windsor and Maidenhead

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (HIOW): Hampshire (except Hart and Rushmoor), Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton 

Kent and Medway: Kent and Medway

Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership: Surrey (except Surrey Heath)

Sussex Health and Care Partnership: Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex

RC Psych Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The RCPsych Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is organising an online one-day conference “Creativity in Crisis; developing integrated and holistic pathways of care” on Tuesday 1 February

The full details are here. ADCS are encouraging LA children’s services engagement with the developing debate around CYP mental health.