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
Pause and listen: 3rd series of podcasts
On 4 February Pause and Listen published In a Mother’s Mind: Birth mothers’ experiences of domestic abuse
Details
The third season of ‘In a Mother’s Mind’! This series aims to raise awareness about the experiences and needs of women who have had children removed from their care. It was created by a group of women who have completed the Pause Programme, who all have experience of having children removed from their care.
Supervising social workers key to foster carer retention
On 1 February The Fostering Network published State of the Nations’ Foster Care – Full Report 2024
Details
- Six in ten of 2,883 current foster carers questioned for the study said they had considered resigning (46%) or were currently considering doing so (14%).
- Among this group, the most common reasons were a lack of support from their fostering service and a lack of respect from other professionals in the team around the child (54%).
- Among a separate group of 169 former foster carers surveyed, a lack of support from the fostering service was the most common reason they had left the role, being cited by 41%.
- However, the Fostering Network found significant differences between former and current foster carers’ views of their supervising social workers.
25% of children in England receive support by the time they turn 18
On 3 February IJPDS published Estimated cumulative incidence of intervention by children’s social care services to age 18: a whole-of-England administrative data cohort study using the child in need census
Lead author matthew.jay@ucl.ac.uk
Headlines
Using the annual CiN census data, which contains all-of-England longitudinal records of CSC referrals, the UCL estimated that of all children living in England, before turning 18:
- 35.4% were referred,
- 32.3% were assessed,
- 25.3% were recorded as CiN and
- 6.9% were subject to a CPP
and they concluded that by age 18, an estimated 1 in 4 children are identified by CSC as needing support at some point.
LGA Early Years Conference – Thursday 20 March 9:00-4:30
On Thursday 20 March 2025 at Derby Mickleover Hotel DE3 0XX LGA is organising Speech, Language and Communication in the first 1001 days
If you have any questions please do email eitherelizabeth.hodgman@local.gov.uk or nicola.dossantos@local.gov.uk
Details
This event is free, it is suitable for
- Lead Members of Children’s Services,
- Directors and Assistant Directors, Heads of Service
- Those leading on Family Hubs and early years support.
- Birth to 19 Commissioners and
- Public Health Local Officers.
- Senior Children’s Librarians.
- Health Professionals
- Representatives from the Voluntary , Community and Faith Sector.
Aspirant Directors Programme
Bookings for the Sep 25 – Mar 26 Aspirant Directors Programme are now open
Closing date: 3rd March, 2025
Sep 25-Mar 26 programme NOW BOOKING
The Programme is looking for inspiring new leaders that children can depend upon. If you are interested in applying for our DCS Leadership Programme and would like to know more information about what’s involved and how to apply, we will be holding online webinars throughout February 2025.
During the webinar you will hear from those that helped develop and deliver the programme, discuss what the programme entails in detail, and there will also be plenty of opportunities for you to ask any questions you might have. We will also provide hints and tips on what to prepare as part of the application process and what to think about in advance.
You can view the webinar dates and register your interest here.
Coram Children’s Services Innovation Forum 2025
From 10am-2pm on Thursday 27th February 2025 Coram is hosting its Children’s Services Innovation Forum at 41 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AZ
Details
- Welcome Ade Adetosoye, CEx of the London Borough of Bromley
- Keynote speech McKinsey & Company
- Findings from our AI and Innovation survey of children’s services providers
- The launch of our 2025 edition of The Collective, our annual innovation report
- Expert panel discussion on data usage in digital innovation
- Networking lunch
Reminders From Previous Weeks
Parenting through adversity
On 7 February Foundations (previously the What Works Centre for Families and Children) published Parenting through adversity, the second in a series of practice guides commissioned by the DfE to support the roll-out of the children’s social care national framework
The first guide, on kinship care, was published in October last year.
Key principles:
The practice guide sets out four key principles:
1: Tailor parenting support to ages and stages of child development.
2: Use strengths-based approaches to engage parents and offer parenting support
across the end-to-end system.
3: Ensure that parents from minoritised ethnic backgrounds have equitable
access to effective parenting interventions and that these are delivered in a way that fully meets their needs.
4: Parenting interventions work well for families where the parent has poor mental
health, and, when delivered successfully, support parents to improve parent and child outcomes.
Children’s involvement in
the 2024 riots
On 28 January the Children’s Commissioner published Children’s involvement in the 2024 riots
The full report is here (pdf 37 pages)
Key findings
- 147 children were arrested by 4 September 2024, 84 were charged, and 73 had finalised outcomes
- Children’s involvement was largely spontaneous and unconsidered.
- Many children spoke strongly about their hatred of the police, describing previous bad experiences and community mistrust.
- The need for a definitive response to public disorder led to the rapid charging and sentencing of many children.
- Children’s experience with the youth justice system and their outcomes depended on where they lived.
Tools & Templates
We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)
On 7 February Foundations (previously the What Works Centre for Families and Children) published Parenting through adversity, the second in a series of practice guides commissioned by the DfE to support the roll-out of the children’s social care national framework
On 4 February Pause and Listen published In a Mother’s Mind: Birth mothers’ experiences of domestic abuse
On 3 February IJPDS published Estimated cumulative incidence of intervention by children’s social care services to age 18: a whole-of-England administrative data cohort study using the child in need census
On 1 February The Fostering Network published State of the Nations’ Foster Care – Full Report 2024
On 28 January the Children’s Commissioner published Children’s involvement in the 2024 riots
On 28 January the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation published Child Mortality in Temporary Accommodation 2025
On 15 January ADCS published Safeguarding Pressures Phase 9. The full report (pdf 91 pages) is here. The summary briefing (pdf 2 pages) is here
On 14 January CAFCASS published “Sharing recommendations with you” which explains to children and young people what recommendations are and why it is important that they are understood clearly.
On 7 January LGA published a briefing on CWSBill
On 7 January Barnardo’s published a briefing
On 3 January the House of Commons Library published a Research Briefing on the bill
On 29 December Coram published The Door is Still Closed
On 19 December MoJ published Family Court Statistics Quarterly; July to September 2024
On 18 December DfE published Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Policy Summary Notes
On 17 December the government published the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
On 16 December the Children’s Commissioner published Illegal Children’s Homes
On 12 December the Centre for Young Lives published Too Skint for School
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