Newsletters
Our Regional Improvement Plan can be found here
Our Impact Report published in March 2023 can be found here
If you would like to apply to be a SESLIP consultant, please follow this link to Kent Business Portal – KentBusinessPortal and after registering on the portal, search for Ref – SC240046 – SESLIP – DPS
Updates
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce publish an Appropriate Language Guide
On 14 November The Hydrant Programme published Child exploitation and abuse: an appropriate language guide
Headlines
The Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce, commissioned The Children’s Society and the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) to update an Appropriate Language Guide, which can be used by multi-agency professionals.
It follows the HMICFRS inspection report on the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group-based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales (2023), which recommended that:
“With immediate effect, all chief constables should take effective steps to eradicate victim-blaming language in their forces.”
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive
On 18 November DfE published Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive – breaking down barriers to opportunity
A policy statement setting out the government’s commitment to whole system reform of the children’s social care system.
The Minister’s statement is here (Hansard)
Headlines
- Wherever possible children should remain with their families and be safely prevented from entering care in the first place, there is lots of learning to draw from here e.g. youth justice teams, SureStart, Supporting Families, Families First for Children
- Support children to live with kinship or foster carers rather than residential care via the use of family-based decision making, rolling out kinship reforms and recruiting more foster carers
- Fix the broken care market via a range of measures to improve competition, regulation and commissioning, as well as shining a light on the levels of profit being made
- A focus on key enablers including better data and information sharing, spreading evidence-based programmes and the workforce.
Explore Perinatal and Early Years Risks of Parental Conflict
On 3 December, 9:30-4:00, The Staff College, LGA and Foundations are hosting a symposium focused on perinatal and early years risks of parental conflict
This is an exclusive opportunity for Safeguarding Children Partnerships across England to be part of a groundbreaking initiative. Be sure to nominate your partnership’s most appropriate representative to attend and secure your spot at this must-attend event!
We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with your local Safeguarding Children Partnership link and invite them to think about who might be most appropriate to join us, and to keep a look out for the invitation when it arrives.
Your nominated safeguarding representative should use this form to register their attendance.
Venue: Edgbaston Park Hotel, Birmingham B15 2RS
Cost: free to delegates
We are working on an exciting piece of DWP Funded work with ‘Foundations’ and the ‘LGA’ to explore perinatal and early years risks of parental conflict.
We have invited each Safeguarding Children Partnerships to identify who their most appropriate representative should be, to join us on December 3rd 2024 at Edgbaston Park Hotel, Birmingham, for a learning and development symposium where we will engage in conversations about how a systems leadership approach can benefit this area. There will also be opportunities for sharing and developing strategies and approaches for progressing this nationally, regionally and locally.
We will follow this symposium in the new year with two facilitated Community Of Practice Events that will hopefully develop into systems led communities.
The Staff College Festival 2025 – NOW BOOKING
The Staff College Festival 2025 runs from Monday 3 – Friday 14 February 2025.
This is an opportunity to grow your network, hear from industry experts and develop your skills, all for free – it’s The Staff College’s gift to you!
Testimonials from previous years:
“It was great to meet so many people in other areas of work. I really enjoyed attending.”
“Really insightful and made me think about how little we have moved forward and has given me more reasons to take this back to my SLM.”
“The breadth of events on offer are very relevant to my own context – refreshing! Good to hear from experienced speakers with high quality information and insight.”
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to join the 2025 festival. Click here to book.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 18 November DfE published Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive – breaking down barriers to opportunity
On 14 November DfE published Children looked after in England including adoptions 2023-2024
On 7 November Ofsted published Fostering in England 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
On 31 October DfE published Resources to support new agency social worker guidance and employer standards
On 31 October DfE published Children in need: 2023 to 2024
On 24 October NAO published Support for children and young people with special educational needs
On 23 October IFS published The effect of Sure Start on youth misbehaviour, crime and contacts with children’s social care
On 9 October the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse launched its Data Insights Hub
On 8 October the Law Commission published a consultation on Disabled Children’s Social Care. The consultation is open until 20 January 2025
On 7 October Coram Voice published Disability, disparity and demand
On 4 October LGA published its school attendance support survey 2024
On 2 October, LGA published Listening and engaging with care experienced individuals: A good practice guide. Includes case studies from: Medway and West Sussex
On 18 September The Fostering Network published Out of Pocket: Fairer Fees for Foster Carers
On 16 September Ofsted published revised school inspection handbooks
On 12 September, Ofsted (and other inspection agencies) published Joint targeted area inspection of the multi-agency response to children who are victims of domestic abuse – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
On 12 September MoJ published a consultation on possible changes to the Health Education and Social Care Chamber Rules
On 10 September The Children’s Commissioner published Children Missing Education: The Unrolled Story
On 10 September DfE published Key stage 2 attainment for academic year 2023/24
On 4 September The Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium published a briefing on age disputes
On 3 September Ofsted published a detailed response to its ‘Big Listen’ consultation,
On 3 September Children at the Table published Struggling against the tide: children’s services spending 2022-2023
On 23 August Become published Still Too Far – Children in Care being moved miles from the people and places that matter to them
On 23 August Kinship published Forgotten, a report on support for kinship children’s education and mental health.
On 21 August Action for Children published Four things you need to know about the UK care system
On 15 August NCB published A call for change – tackling inequalities in access to mental health support for children with social work involvement and those living in poverty
In August Skills for Care published Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) child and family Annual report to the Department for Education April 2023 – March 2024
On 31 July the Centre for Homelessness Impact published Staying put: leaving care and the risk of homelessness.
On Thursday 25 July LGA and County Councils Network published Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England