|
Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the June edition of the Children and Young People bulletin, and congratulations to all those who were re-elected or are newly appointed following last month’s local elections. I’d like to remind all lead members, old and new, that the LGA offers lots of support for you in your role: find out more on our website.
This edition of the bulletin includes information on several new reports published by the LGA, including an analysis of high needs spending (a key focus of our spending review work) and research demonstrating that schools tend to do better when they remain with their council rather than being academised.
We have published two reports to support improvement of your early help offer – one looking at the enablers of and barriers to developing a strong partnership offer, and the other considering how you can use evidence to inform your offer. The bulletin also includes details of tools around mental health, gambling, child exploitation and involving young people in decision-making.
We were pleased that the Government announced increased funding to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, however we will continue to lobby for all associated costs to be fully funded, including for care leavers.
Finally, we will all be aware of the increasing coverage of youth knife crime and county lines activity, and will be working hard to tackle this in our own communities. The Government is now calling for bids to the Youth Endowment Fund to support work to prevent young people from being drawn into crime and violence. The deadline for applications is 23 July 2019.
If you would like to contact us to discuss articles in the bulletin or suggest ideas, please email us at Karen.Denyer@local.gov.uk
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble
Chair, LGA Children and Young People Board |
|
 |
Publications and research
Schools staying with their council more likely to remain good/outstanding
This report, published by Angel Solutions and commissioned by the LGA, looks at how primary and secondary schools’ Ofsted grades have fared over the past five years, comparing those which remained council-maintained to those that academised.
Have we reached a ‘tipping point’? Trends in spending for children and young people with SEND in England
Published by Isos Partnership and commissioned by the LGA, this research quantifies the current pressure on budgets for children and young people with SEND and explores the reasons behind the increasing expenditure on high needs funding.
'Must knows' for lead members for children's services
We have updated our “must know” documents for chief executives and lead members for children’s services, covering education, special educational needs and disability, youth services and what to do if your children’s services are rated ‘inadequate’.
Your first 10 days as a lead member for children's services
This LGA guide is intended to help provide some structure to your first few days in office, and to cut through some of the initial ‘noise’, so that you can focus on what’s important straight away, and what you need to be thinking about going forward.
Early Help Resource Pack
This resource pack, with contributions from the Early Intervention Foundation, is designed to help all councillors to better understand their own local offer and how they can look at the role of evidence in developing and improving early help services for children and families.
Key enablers of developing an effective partnership-based early help offer
The LGA commissioned Isos Partnership to undertake research to explore the enablers of and barriers to developing and sustaining an effective local early help offer. It is based on in-depth fieldwork in eight local areas selected on the basis of their interesting or innovative practice in the field of early help.
Improving children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing
Eight councils and their partners took part in two learning days and a visit to another council to find new ways to tackle a local issue, prioritising early help so more children and young people can then get the help they need.
Sharing ideas
Transformation and Innovation Exchange
Developed by councils, for councils, the prototype of our new self-assessment tool is now available to try. This is just one of the many resources planned for our new improvement hub. To make sure we get this right please take a look and let us know what you think.
Safeguarding research
The Independent Inquiry into CSA has commissioned the National Centre for Social Research and ResearchAbility (both independent research organisations) to carry out research into safeguarding practice in residential schools. The study explores awareness, understanding and experiences of safeguarding practice in relation to child sexual abuse among school staff, students and parents, as well as in local authorities, with the aim of sharing best practice as well as identifying areas for improvement. Researchers would like to speak to local authority staff as part of this research, and will contact the Director of Children’s Services in some local authorities in the coming weeks to invite individuals in their teams to participate. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch via email to residentialschools@natcen.ac.uk
Hammersmith and Fulham food poverty effective practice request
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is reviewing coverage of primary and breakfast club provision in the borough as part of its strategic approach to food poverty and to educational attainment. The council would like to understand the extent of coverage in other authorities, how these services are delivered, main delivery partners operating in this market, charging policies etc.
If you have any examples that you can share, please contact Nick Kimber nick.kimber@lbhf.gov.uk
Funding
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
Following sustained lobbying from the LGA, councils and partners, Government announced more funding for councils supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. From 1 April 2019, the grant will be uplifted to £114 per child per night from the current rates of at £71, £91 and £95. We welcomed this increase in our response but restated our call for Government to ensure all costs for children and children leaving care are fully funded, particularly as councils have seen an increase of more than 50 per cent in two years in unaccompanied children leaving care. The member-led LGA Asylum, Migration and Refugee Task Group will meet with the Immigration Minister on 8 July and will discuss progress on this and the impacts of other asylum and resettlement programmes.
Preventing youth crime and violence: Youth Endowment Fund
The Youth Endowment Fund is seeking bids for one to two year grants to fund and evaluate interventions primarily targeting young people aged 10–14 who are judged to be at risk of being drawn into crime and violence. You will need to have a clear theory of change which explains how the intervention reduces offending, informed by available evidence. Find out about the applicant workshop and webinar dates, and how to apply. The deadline is 23 July 2019.
Tools, training and best practice
Child exploitation disruption toolkit
The Home Office has published a toolkit outlining tactics for those working to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 from exploitation. It also helps all safeguarding partners to understand and access existing legislative opportunities at their disposal and to target specific risks and threats.
Fostering Network “Keep Connected” Principles for Children in Care
The Fostering Network has developed a set of principles, in consultation with foster carers and organisations in the care sector, to shape how transitions from and within the care system are approached. The aim is for all children and young people who are moving on from foster families to be enabled to keep in touch with them – and with other significant people in their lives – through better understanding of the importance of this, planning and support.
National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers: first year report
This report, based on Mark Riddell’s visits to local authorities in his role as the National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers, identifies good practice relating to provision for care leavers that all local authorities will find useful.
Language that cares
Fostering charity TACT, in collaboration with care experienced young people, councils and others, recently published a glossary of words and terms that aims to change the language of the care system.
Children’s mental health and wellbeing
Mentally Healthy Schools is an easy to use website for primary schools, offering teachers and school staff information, advice and practical resources to understand and promote pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. The 600+ resources are quality assured and curated by the UK's leading children’s mental health experts, as a legacy of Heads Together.
Involving young people in decision-making
Hear by Right is an organisational development tool with resources to help organisations plan, develop and evaluate how they keep young people involved in and at the heart of decision-making. It has been developed by the National Youth Agency with young people to transform young people’s lives by developing their voice, influence and place within society, and includes a free self-assessment tool.
YGAM - PSHE gaming/gambling materials for schools
Officers from the safer communities team, which leads on gambling issues, recently met with the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) to hear about their work. YGAM has a remit to inform, educate and safeguard young people against problematic gambling and social gaming: the Gambling Commission now links gaming disorder, a disorder recognised by the World Health Organisation, as a pathway into betting and gambling. YGAM offer a range of free workshops to help professionals and volunteers working with young people and adults understand youth gaming and gambling, including providing tips on incorporating this issue as part of the PSHE in the school curriculum.
Events
Early Years Peer Challenge – learning from year one
9 July 2019 | London
Research into Young People’s Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing workshops
9 July 2019 | London
15 July 2019 | Manchester
Healthy weight, healthy future: making childhood obesity everybody’s business
17 July 2019 | London
Leadership Essentials
The leadership essentials programmes on Children’s Services are free two-day courses aimed at Lead Members for Children's Services.
Saturday 14 September – Sunday 15 September 2019
Thursday 3 October – Friday 4 October 2019
Wednesday 27 November – Thursday 28 November 2019
Thursday 16 January – Friday 17 January 2020
For more information or to book contact Grace.Collins@local.gov.uk
National Children and Adult Services Conference 2019
20-22 November 2019 | Bournemouth
LGA responds to IFS research on Sure Start centres
4 June 2019
Schools staying with their council more likely to remain good/outstanding
23 May 2019
LGA responds to Children's Commissioner report on children deprived of their liberty
16 May 2019
LGA responds to Fostering Network call for more foster families
13 May 2019
LGA responds to ICHA report on children's homes
2 May 2019
LGA responds to HCLG Committee report on children's services funding
1 May 2019
Education funding
MPs debated education funding, highlighting challenges faced in their local areas and calling for increased funding. Caroline Lucas MP (Brighton, Pavilion) said that the funding crisis was affecting support for pupils with complex needs and highlighted the LGA's estimated £1.6 billion funding gap in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In response, the Minister for School Standards, Nick Gibb said that the Government had prioritised education funding while taking difficult decisions in other areas of public spending.
SEND
The Education Committee held the final hearing of its SEND inquiry with Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, and Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards. During the session, James Frith MP highlighted the LGA’s analysis of the £1.6 billion funding gap in SEND provision. In response, Ministers confirmed that they would be making the case for more funding in the Spending Review.
Young people's mental health
MPs called on the Government to take action on mental ill health amongst young people. Bringing the debate, Ruth George MP, said that young people were struggling to access services in her constituency and nationally. She highlighted the reduction in funding for mental health services and the declining number of mental health professionals in schools. The Minister, Jackie Doyle-Price MP, said that tackling the causes of mental ill health and ensuring that the services needed were available were priorities for the Government.
Kinship care
We submitted written evidence to the Cross-party Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care. Our briefing highlighted the rising demand and significantly diminished resources which have impacted the ability of local authorities to provide effective care and support for struggling children and families outside of the statutory child protection system, including those providing kinship care.
first magazine
Our monthly membership magazine 'first' is received as a hard copy by over 18,000 councillors and 400 chief executives. In a response to demand, we have made all of its articles, interviews and opinion pieces.available online.
|
In this issue:
Debating the Spending Review
Children with special educational needs and disabilities will be a “real priority” in the 2019 Spending Review, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has told the LGA’s annual Smith Square Debate.
|
