Update no 652 7th March 2025

If you have any news that you would like included in our Friday Update, please contact Richard Tyndall (details below)

Three children playing happily together

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

Agency social worker numbers fall for first time in seven years

On 27 February DfE published Children’s social work workforce data for 2024

Headlines

  • the number of child and family social workers in post at 30 September increased to the series peak
  • the number of agency workers and vacancies fell from a year earlier
  • the sickness absence rate increased slightly from 2023.

Ombudsman publishes foster care guidance for councils

On 20 February the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published Fostering better services: Helping to improve council services for foster carers and their children

The full report is here (pdf 26 pages)

Ombudsman, Ms Amerdeep Somal, said:

“When councils become responsible for children – such as those who are fostered – it is often because there is no one else to look out for them, so it is all the more important they get it right. Who else would fight their corner?

“Foster carers play a key role in helping to provide stability for these children but need to be given the right tools to do it well. Councils need to ensure they provide the right information and support for the foster carers who look after the children they have ultimate responsibility for.

“I hope councils will read my report and take it in the spirit it is intended – we all want the best for children, and to give them the best start in life, regardless of their family set up.”

Reminders From Previous Weeks

Reminder

Future dates for network meetings

Network dates:

Lead Members Group: 28 March 20-1 in person. More from Helen Watson (contact details below)

Adoption Leadership Board: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

AD Education: 10:00am Friday 21 March 2025 London in-person. More from Chris Owen (contact details below)

Principal Social Workers: More from Mark Evans (contact details below)

Kinship Care Network: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Commissioners’ Network: More from Chris Baird (contact details below)

Network dates:

AD Safeguarding: Friday 6 June 10am in-person Central London. More from Mark Evans (contact details below)

QA Network: Contact Sian.fearn@kent.gov.uk

Fostering Network: More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Data Benchmarking: More from Luke Ede (contact details below)

SEND SE19: SEND Operational Leads Wednesday 13 March 1pm via Teams. More from sonia.dayal@sdsa.net

Early Help:  More from Rebecca Eligon (contact details below)

Understanding youth homelessness

On 1 February Centrepoint published Hidden In Plain Sight: Understanding Youth Homelessness in the UK

The full report is here (pdf 28 pages)

The summary report is here (pdf 4 pages)

Details

  • 1 in 62 young people in the UK faced homelessness in 2023-24. The Youth Homelessness Databank once again underscores the critical importance of having robust and comprehensive data to fully understand the scale and nature of youth homelessness.
  • As of 2024, there is still no comprehensive, official measurement of the scale of youth homelessness across the United Kingdom bar the annual Centrepoint Youth Homelessness Databank. 
  • Without accurate and comparable national, regional, and local data on both the scale and nature of youth homelessness, it remains challenging to develop effective strategies to address the issue or allocate sufficient funding to provide young people with the support they need.
  • The Centrepoint Youth Homelessness Databank continues to play a critical role in addressing this data gap by collecting council-level information for England and building a detailed national picture of youth homelessness. This is because it remains the only publicly accessible resource that tracks young people’s journeys through the entire HRA pathway.

A level and other 16 to 18 results 2023-2024

On 13 February DfE published A level and other 16 to 18 results for academic year 2023-2024

Headlines

  • A level average point score per entry (APS) is slightly higher than 2022/23
  • Gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students remained broadly unchanged
  • Within the A level and applied general cohort, female students achieve higher average point scores than male students,

Details

  • This statutory guidance is for: headteachers, local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts
  • It applies to all educational settings providing alternative provision (AP): schools maintained by the local authority, academies and free schools, PRUs, FE colleges, independent providers that deliver alternative provision
  • This guidance covers the use of AP where: local authorities arrange education for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education; schools arrange education for pupils on a fixed-period exclusion; schools arrange education for pupils to improve their behaviour off-site
  • Statutory guidance on responsibilities relating to schools and PRUs which require support or intervention is available at Support and intervention in schools.
  • Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law.

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

  1. Lead Members of Children’s Services,
  2. Directors and Assistant Directors, Heads of Service
  3. Those leading on Family Hubs and early years support.
  4. Birth to 19 Commissioners and
  5. Public Health Local Officers.
  6. Senior Children’s Librarians.
  7. Health Professionals
  8. Representatives from the Voluntary , Community and Faith Sector.

Tools & Templates

We have produced a Regional Improvement Plan (June 2024)

On 27 February DfE published Children’s social work workforce data for 2024

On 20 February the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published Fostering better services: Helping to improve council services for foster carers and their children

On 13 February DfE published A level and other 16 to 18 results for academic year 2023-2024

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 Centrepoint published Hidden In Plain Sight: Understanding Youth Homelessness in the UK

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

Contact Details

SESLIP Consultant; Commissioners’ Network, SEND Courageous Conversations: Chris Baird (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

bchrisbaird@gmail.com

07855 492010

Education Network: Chris Owen (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

chris@bright-spark.net

07825 862330

NHS (SE) Clinical lead for CYP mental health: Cindy Mukombegumi (NHS England (South East))

c.mukombegumi1@nhs.net

SESLIP Education Data Group Lead: Daryl Perilli (Brighton and Hove)

Daryl.Perilli@brighton-hove.gov.uk

SESLIP Consultant and LGA SEND Improvement Adviser: Deborah Glassbrook (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

deborah@optimisingpotential.co.uk

07882 158959

The Staff College Assistant Operations Manager: Ellie Bevis (The Staff College)

ellie.bevis@thestaffcollege.uk

0161 729 1065

Business Manager for the South East Regional Care Cooperative: Helen Humphry (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

Helen.Humphry@westsussex.gov.uk

07821 302077

LGA Children’s Improvement Adviser: Helen Watson (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

helen.watson5@icloud.com

07810 011892

SESLIP Consultant: Isabelle Gregory (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

isabelle@firstcareconsultancy.co.uk

07931 586784

Director of Children’s Countywide Services and convenor of QA network for SESLIP: Kevin Kasaven (Kent)

Kevin.Kasaven@kent.gov.uk

South East Grid for Learning – Consortium Manager: Krista Pickering (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

krista.pickering@segfl.org.uk

07872 014083

Data Benchmarking: Luke Ede (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

Luke.ede@eastsussex.gov.uk

07925 148597

CSC Workforce, PSW and AD Safeguarding Network Lead: Mark Evans (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

Mark@markevansconsulting.co.uk

07803 147072

Regional Strategic Lead LA Fostering South East: Natasha Sampson (Local Authority Fostering South East)

natasha.sampson@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

07919 217185

LGA Corporate Improvement Adviser: Philip (Phil) Simpkins (LGA)

philip.simpkins@btinternet.com

Adoption; Fostering; Kinship and Early Help Regional Networks: Rebecca Eligon (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

rebeccaeligon@gmail.com

07944 996219

SESLI Programme Manager: Richard Tyndall (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

richard.tyndall@richardtyndall.co.uk

07880 787007

S.E. Region SEND Network Programme Co-ordinator: Sheelagh Sullivan (South East Sector-Led Improvement Programme)

sheelagh.sullivan@outlook.com