Newsletters
Our Regional Improvement Plan for 2023-2024 can be found here
Our Impact Report published in March 2023 can be found here
If you would like to work for the programme, ESCC has advertised the SESLIP Freelance Consultant Approved List. To view the advert follow the link and choose the “Opportunities” tab then search on reference RFX1000055. Pease address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)
Updates
Children in need national data
On 26 October DfE published statistics on children in need in England,
Aprril 2022 – March 2023
This annual release contains statistics on children in need in England, including child protection plans, and referrals to and assessments completed by children’s social care services. Each reporting year covers the financial year, 1 April to 31 March.
DfE consultation: Elective Home Education guidance
On 26 October DfE published a consultation on Elective Home Education guidance
This consultation is being held on this website.
This consultation closes at
11:59pm on 18 January 2024
Links to related docuements
- Elective home education guidance consultation document.pdf269.0 KB (PDF document)
- Elective home education – draft departmental guidance for local authorities.pdf707.8 KB (PDF document)
- Elective home education – draft departmental guidance for parents.pdf516.1 KB (PDF document)
- Elective home education guidance
Government rejects proposal to scrap VAT on childcare
On 17 October the HoC Education Select Committee published the government’s response to Support for childcare and the early years (HC 969)
Headlines
Whilst supporting actions to recruit more childminders, the recommendations to remove VAT from childcare providers and to review the finances and funding for the extended offer of childcare were rejected.
DfE statistics on absence, KS4 NEET and pupil projections
On 19 October DfE published statistics on
pupil absence for autumn/spring 2022/23
Key Stage 4 performance 2022/23
Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18 for 2022
Headlines
Overall absence slightly down at 7.3%; persistent absence also silghtly down at 21.2%
KS4 grade 5+ in english and maths down 4.8 percentage points at 45%; attainment 8 down 2.6 percentage points at 46.2%; disadvantage gap index now at 3.95, its highest since 2011
The overall 16-18 not in education, employment or training (NEET) rate increased in 2022 by 1.3 percentage points to 8.4%, the highest rate since 2012
Primary population has peaked and is projected to decline, secondary population will peak next year (2024/25) and decline thereafter
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Children’s services improving despite systemic challenges
On 9 October LGA published A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress
Headlines:
Local partnerships are doing “inspiring work” which is “testament to how transformation can be achieved at a local level with the right enabling factors in place”.
However, the report, A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress, suggests what children’s services can achieve is “transcended” by bigger and wider systemic challenges.
Support for kinship carers
On 2 October Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published “Understanding the variation in support for Kinship Carers“
Headlines:
The study found that there is significant variation in the support that kinship carers receive, both across LAs and across different kinship care arrangements.
Across different areas, support tends to be highest for Family and Friends Foster Carers, followed by Special Guardians, with the least support provided to kinship carers on a Child Arrangements Order (CAO/RO).
Within Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) and CAO/RO arrangements, support is more common if the child has previously been looked after by the LA.
Support for kinship carers
On 26 September CVAA UK published Advice from adopters: Adopting brothers
and sisters
Headlines:
In this guide, families share their experiences of adopting siblings, talking about why they think it is beneficial to adopt brothers and sisters together, as well as providing practical advice for potentially welcoming more than one child into your household.
D2I Data Analytics Apprenticeship
The D2I apprenticeship, delivered in partnership with Corndel, is now open for applications, with learning to commence in November of this year.
Cohort #5 NOW BOOKING
The programme is designed to enable local authorities to build data science capability in Children’s Services teams, and empower individual analysts to improve their skills and progress in their careers. It’s fully funded via the Apprenticeship Levy and specifically tailored to help analysts improve children’s services.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2023)
On 26 October DfE published a consultation on Elective Home Education guidance
On 26 October DfE published statistics on children in need in England,
On 19 October DfE published statistics on pupil absence for autumn/spring 2022/23; Key Stage 4 performance 2022/23; Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18 for 2022; National pupil projections
On 17 October the HoC Education Select Committee published the government’s response to Support for childcare and the early years (HC 969)
On 9 October LGA published A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress
On 2 October Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published “Understanding the variation in support for Kinship Carers“
On 27 September the House of Commons Education Select Committee published its report on Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils
On 26 September CVAA UK published Advice from adopters: Adopting brothers
and sisters
On 21 September Barnardo’s published “Double Discrimination“
On 14 September the Information Commissioners’ Office published a 10-step guide on data protection considerations when sharing personal information for child safeguarding purposes
On 8 September Ofsted published Best Start in Life part 2
On 1 September Ofsted announced that it will be undertaking sample thematic inspections of Regional Adoption Agencies during autumn 2023.
On 30 August LGA published Early education and childcare: Changes and challenges for the future
On 29 August Ofsted published guidance for JTAI inspection of the multi-agency response to children affected by serious youth violence.
On 15 August Research in Practice published three open access videos which share findings around the increased use of digital technologies in social work.
On 14 August Ofsted published new guidance Placing Children: Deprivation of Liberty Orders
On 7 August the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee published Connected tech:smart or sinister?
On 3 August Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published an Evaluation of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts
On 26 July DfE published Families first for children (FFC) pathfinder programme and family networks pilot (FNP).
On 26 July the Children’s Commissioner published an invitation to care experienced people to share their views about whether care experience should be a ‘protected characteristic’ – like age, disability or religion currently are.
On 24 July Foundations (What works centre for children and families) published School non-attendance by children with a social worker in the UK: A rapid review of extent, risk factors and interventions
On 20 July DfE published Permanent exclusions and suspensions in England for 2021-22