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. Please address all enquiries about this opportunity to Richard Tyndall (contact details below)
Updates
Consultation: Gender Questioning Children
On 19 December DfE launched a Consultation on Guidance for Schools and Colleges on Gender Questioning Children
Closes 12 March 2024
Implementing changes to Working Together to Safeguard Children
Tuesday 30 January 2024
Hosted by DfE, a general engagement opportunity to discuss working together to safeguard children and understand what the revisions mean for practice.
Details
Online, 11.00- 12.30 on Tuesday 30 January 2024, open to senior leaders of all statutory safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings. Please register using your workplace email address.
Introduction to the Children’s Social Care National Framework and Dashboard
Thursday 1 February 2024
Hosted by DfE, and members of the Children’s Social Care National Practice Group, a general engagement opportunity for all safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings.
Details
Online, 13.00- 14.30 on Thursday 1 February 2024, open to senior leaders of all statutory safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including education settings. Please register using your workplace email address.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Children and Young People’s Advisory Board for children’s social care
Closing date: Monday 15 January 2024
On behalf of DfE, NCB has launched a new Children and Young People’s Advisory Board to provide valuable input on the government’s implementation of its children’s social care strategy ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’.
There are no costs to being a member! All travel and expenses for meetings are covered by NCB, including travel costs for a trusted person to accompany you if needed.
Who can be part of the social care advisory groups?
This is open to children and young people (CYP) aged 11-25 including those who:
- are in care or up to age 25 with care experience
- are siblings of care experienced CYP
- are unaccompanied asylum-seekers
- have ever had a social worker
- have been a “child in need” under the Children Act 1989
- have been on a child protection plan
- have experience of kinship care
- have parents who are foster carers
Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: July to September 2023
On 14 December, HMCTS publsihed, at section 8 of the bulletin Annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics for 2022-2023
24% increase in registered SEN appeals compared to 2021/22
In 2022/23, HMCTS registered 14,000 SEN appeals, an increase of 24% compared to the prior year. In the same period, 12,000 SEN appeals were disposed of, an increase of 29% on 2021/22.
The increase in appeals registered is likely a continued effect of the 2014 SEN reforms which introduced EHCPs and extended the provision of support from birth to 25 years of age and the effect of the National Trial which began in April 2018. Under the National Trial the Tribunal was able to make non-binding recommendations on the health and social care elements of the EHC plan. Those provisions were mainstreamed with effect from 1 September 2021.
Penalty notices for unauthorised absences issued
On 14 December, DfE published statistics for 2022-23 on Parental responsibility measures
Headlines
There were 398,800 penalty notices issued in the 2022/23. 89.3%, were due to unauthorised family holidays and 0.2% were issued for being late (last year this was 0.6%).
Penalty notices have returned to the upward trend seen before the pandemic, and are now higher than the latest pre-pandemic figure of 333,400 in 2018/19.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2023)
On 19 December DfE launched a Consultation on Guidance for Schools and Colleges on Gender Questioning Children which closes on 12 March 2024
On 19 December Heidi Connor, Senior Coroner for Berkshire published a Prevention of Future Deaths report following the Ruth Perry inquest
On 15 December the DfE published Children’s Social Care National Framework and Revised Working Together
On 15 December the DfE published Championing Kinship Care – The National Kinship Care Strategy
On 15 December the DfE published Children’s social care: data and digital strategy and Children’s social care: dashboard and indicators update
On 14 December, HMCTS publsihed, at section 8 of the bulletin Annual Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Statistics for 2022-2023
On 14 December, DfE published statistics for 2022-23 on Parental responsibility measures
On 28 November the Mr Justice Chamberlain handed down a judgement [2023] EWHC 3030 (Admin) in a Judicial Review case brought by Kent, Brighton and Hove and East Sussex Councils about the operation of the National Transfer Scheme for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
On 24 November the LGA published its Top 10 Tips for DCSs for building an effective system of SEND and alternative provision
On 21 November the Marie Collins Foundation launched a survey to help develop a free intervention tool that can be used by professionals with children who have been harmed through Technology Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA)
On 19 November the Public Accounts Committee published The condition of school buildings
On 16 November the Children’s Commissioner published Homeless 16- and 17-yearolds in need of care
On 16 November DfE published Children looked after in England including adoptions annual statistics for 2022-2023
On 14 November Cerebra published The prevalence and impact of allegations of
Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII)
On 6 November NYA published The social cost of youth work cuts: Preventing youth offending through youth work
The presentations from the 2 November Care Leavers Conference in Winchetser are now available
On 2 November the Children’s Commissioner published Missing Children, Missing Grades
On 29 October LGA published Profit making and Risk in Independent Children’s Social Care Placement Providers.
On 27 October Research in Practice published a 9-minute video What does trauma-informed care look like? presented by Dr Danny Taggart
On 27 October DfE published the National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook
On 27 October DfE published its response to EYFS regualtory change consultation
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 25 October FRG launched its new campaign for care-experienced children and young people
On 25 October DfE published its response to the workforce consultation
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