Updates
Support Matters: The landscape of child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales
On 31 January the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse published Support matters: The landscape of child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales
Details
In this landmark research, the CSA Centre found just 468 services providing support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their families, yet an estimated 500,000 children will suffer some form of child sexual abuse every year.
Executive summary (pdf 12 pages)
Briefing for policymakers, funders and commissioners (pdf 16 pages)
Home again: reunification practice in England
On 31 January NSPCC Learning published Home again: reunification practice in England: Understanding reunification practice in the children’s social care system in England
Reunification is the most common way for children in England to leave care. However, the number of children who later return to care suggests that local authorities in England are facing challenges in delivering effective reunification practice.
Key Findings
- There is a lack of focus on improving reunification practice
- Local authorities are not providing enough support either before or after reunification
- Funding was the number one barrier to families getting support with reunification
Returning children home from care: learning from case reviews
On 31 January NSPCC Learning published Returning children home from care: learning from case reviews
Summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice for reunification
Headlines
Returning a child home to their family following a stay in local authority care can be a time of great change for both the child and their family.
The learning from case reviews highlights the need for professionals to thoroughly assess risk, protective factors and parental capacity, make clear preparations for the return, and share information with professionals working in other agencies. They also need to provide support for the child and familiy and continue to monitor the child’s safety and wellbeing before, during and after the return.
This briefing is based on a sample of case reviews published between 2016 and 2023 which have highlighted lessons for returning children home from care.
Alternative provision in local areas in England: a thematic review
On 1 February Ofsted and CQC published Alternative provision in local areas in England: a thematic review
A review to assess how alternative provision (AP) commissioning and oversight is currently working and the impact of arrangements on children and young people.
Aims of visits
- finding out the extent to which AP arrangements are meeting the health, care and/or educational needs of children and young people
- better understanding the purposes for which AP is used
- identifying the enablers and barriers to local area partners working together to commission and oversee AP placements
- highlighting good practice in commissioning and oversight arrangements for AP
UK Poverty 2024
On 23 January the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published UK Poverty 2024: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK
A review to assess how alternative provision (AP) commissioning and oversight is currently working and the impact of arrangements on children and young people.
Introduction
The UK is entering this election year with unacceptably high levels of poverty, appallingly high for some groups. We need a coherent plan with creative policies to end poverty in the UK.
This report looks at the current situation across different groups and regions, and the future prospects for poverty in the UK.
Ethnic Diversity in the Teaching Workforce
On 31 January the NFER published Ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce: evidence review
This review of research identifies the barriers and promising approaches to support recruitment, retention and progression of people of colour within the teaching workforce. It was commissioned by Mission 44, a charitable foundation founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Key Findings
People of colour are less likely to receive and accept an offer for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) compared with their white peers
Teacher retention is lower for teachers of colour than for their white counterparts.
Barriers to recruitment, retention and progression coalesce around the unequal treatment of teachers of colour in a system that was not designed to support either ethnic or intersectional diversity. .
In England, there are currently no government targets, programmes or funding to improve ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce, in contrast to Scotland and Wales.
While there are promising approaches for improving ethnic diversity, there is a lack of rigorous evidence on their effectiveness.
Ethnic Diversity in the Teaching Workforce
On 29 January the Education Select Committee published Ofsted’s work with
schools
Key Findings
There is broad agreement on the importance and value of an independent inspectorate in holding schools accountable and assessing their strengths and weaknesses. However, we heard strong concerns among many about the way in which the system is currently working. We heard that Ofsted has lost trust and credibility among many in the teaching profession and that it is perceived to have become defensive and unwilling to respond to criticism. The appointment of the new HMCI provides a crucial opportunity to reset and restore these relations and doing so should be a key priority for Sir Martyn Oliver in his first year in post.
Reminders From Previous Weeks
VKPP launch National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Crimes Report 2022
On 9 January the National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) published National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Crimes Report 2022
Details
Data from 42 police forces found: there were around 107,000 offences reported in 2022; around 75% of CSAE offences related to sexual offences committed against children, and around 25% relate to online offences involving indecent images of children. The report recommends wider data and information sharing to get a more complete picture of CSAE.
Improving the mental health of babies, children and young people
On 8 January DHSC published A framework of modifiable factors to guide promotion of good mental health in babies, children and young people
Details
The guidance highlights factors influencing the mental health of children and young people and sets these out in a framework to guide promotion and prevention. The guidance is aimed at public health professionals; commissioners and providers in the NHS and local authorities; and voluntary and community sector organisations.
Join a network to influence social work practice conditions and workload
On 12 January Research in Practice invited local authorities to join a network for the National Workload Action Group (NWAG) and Valuing Social Work Project.
Details
Research in Practice, in partnership with Essex County Council and King’s College London, is working with the National Workload Action Group (NWAG) and other partners to develop resources to support recruitment, retention, and workforce development, and to provide recommendations to the Department of Education (DfE) about reducing social worker workload. The work will help enhance safe and effective practice and promote the value and diversity of the social work role.
Understanding Attendance
On 18 January ImpactEd published Understanding Attendance
Findings on the drivers of pupil
absence from over 30,000
young people in England
Discover the barriers to school attendance and the strategies you can put in place to improve outcomes for all your children.
Details
In the 2022-23 academic year, 22.3% of all pupils were persistently absent.
To address this, ImpactEd Evaluation launched Understanding Attendance, a national project helping schools and Trusts to identify the underlying drivers of pupil absence in their settings, and supporting them to assess the impact of their interventions.
Report 1 of Understanding Attendance provides insights on Phase One of the project, looking at attendance rates of over 200,000 pupils and surveys from 30,000 young people during the Autumn term 2023.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (July 2023)
On 1 February Ofsted and CQC published Alternative provision in local areas in England: a thematic review
On 31 January the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse published Support matters: The landscape of child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales
On 31 January NSPCC Learning published Home again: reunification practice in England: Understanding reunification practice in the children’s social care system in England
On 31 January NSPCC Learning published Returning children home from care: learning from case review
On 31 January the NFER published Ethnic diversity in the teaching workforce: evidence review
On 29 January the Education Select Committee published Ofsted’s work with
schools
On 23 January the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published UK Poverty 2024: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK
On 18 January ImpactEd published Understanding Attendance
Findings on the drivers of pupil absence from over 30,000 young people in England
On 12 January Research in Practice invited local authorities to join a network for the National Workload Action Group (NWAG) and Valuing Social Work Project. On 2 January Community Care released a podcast Racism in social work.
On 9 January the National Policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) published National Analysis of Police-Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Crimes Report 2022
On 8 January DHSC published A framework of modifiable factors to guide promotion of good mental health in babies, children and young people
On 2 January Community Care released a podcast Racism in social work.
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. Ofsted’s response is here. The DfE response is here
On 18 December DfE published the government’s response to the review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
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 11 December NCB published four recommendations for change for youth diversion
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