Stories
Independent review of children's social care
The Department for Education (DfE) has launched its independent review of children's social care. The review will be chaired by Josh MacAlister, who founded social work charity Frontline.
The launch included:
Please circulate to your networks to ensure as many as possible can contribute to the review. If you would like to share your thoughts on what the LGA should be emphasising, please email louise.smith@local.gov.uk
Innovative ways to support children's mental health
As part of children’s mental health week, beginning next Monday we will be sharing some of the ways councils and partner organisations have been supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing. Many have adapted their support in new and innovative ways during the pandemic, using online and face-to-face support. Local councils can share what they are doing using the #CouncilsCan and #ChildrensMentalHealthweek campaign hashtags on social media. We have also produced an animation for councils and children's organisations to use in their social media.
Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board
The new chair of the ASGLB, Dr Krish Kandiah, has launched a short survey to identify priorities for the Board. You can complete the ASGLB priorities survey online, anonymously if you wish.
Missing Children Response Assessment Tool
The Children’s Society has worked with councils to develop a missing children assessment tool to help local children's safeguarding partnerships to think holistically about the responses they provide to children who go missing from home or care and to develop and improve multiagency responses.
NSPCC helplines
A range of images have been produced for councils to use on social media channels to promote NSPCC helplines to help keep children safe during the ongoing lockdown measures.
Publications
Children’s experiences of the pandemic
We have now published a literature review of evidence about children and young people’s experiences of the pandemic. This focuses largely on experiences of lockdown, with further research anticipated as time goes on to capture changing views and longer-term impacts, as well as to better understand the varied experiences of different groups of children and young people.
Children in care placements
We have published two reports about children’s social care placements:
You can also read our press release.
Sharing ideas
BBC adoption story: filming request
The BBC is planning a story looking at reasons behind the fall in adoptions. The piece aims to help people understand better how the system works and some of the explanations behind the statistics. They would like to film in a council to support this story, with filming taking place this summer. To find out more (without commitment), please contact Claire.Kendall@bbc.co.uk
Early Intervention Foundation
The Early Intervention Foundation wants to hear your views on how best to share evidence and information about effective early intervention programmes. A short survey is available, which should take around ten minutes.
Invitation to participate: identifying opportunities to improve how technology supports the CSC workforce
The DfE is carrying out research to identify if and how digital technology could better support the children’s social care (CSC) workforce. They would like to speak to:
- social workers in assessment teams about case management systems
- IT staff who understand the technical specification for, or procure, their council’s CSC case management system
Please email Adil Hussain for more details: adil18.hussain@education.gov.uk
Children's mental health
The Mental Health Act Consultation has been released. There are a few changes being consulted on for children and young people, including Care, Education and Treatment Reviews and the right for a child to choose a nominated person. If you have any thoughts please contact flora.wilkie@local.gov.uk
Events
Safer Internet Day: 9 February 2021
Safer Internet Day celebrates the internet's potential to inform, connect and inspire us, whilst also looking at how young people can separate fact from fiction. Sign up for free and get ideas on what you can do to support this year's event at the Safer Internet Centre.
Supporting more children to thrive in kinship care: 21 April 2021
Family Rights Group is holding a free briefing event on kinship care for lead members of children’s services in England. This event is an opportunity to hear more about the benefits of kinship care, including from young people and carers, and to consider ways in which you can ensure children's services in your area can better explore, promote and support kinship care. Register for Supporting more children to thrive in kinship care.
2021 Strategic Use of Data in Children’s Services Conference - Social Care Data: 4 February 2021, 2.00pm – 4.50pm
The National Consortium for Examination Results (NCER), the LA owned education data analysis provider, and the Children’s Services National Performance and Information Management Group (NPIMG) will be hosting an online conference to discuss ways councils can make better use of education and social care data and analysis tools to support policy development and decision making. The event is free to all local authority senior officers with responsibility for, or interest in, education services and school improvement, virtual schools, children’s social care, looked after children or children in need. Book a place at the Strategic Use of Data in Children’s Services conference.
Parliamentary
Food voucher scheme
The Education Committee heard from Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP. In the session he gave an update on free school meal vouchers and added that there is no intention to close early years settings as transmissibility of COVID-19 remains low.
Childcare places
At Education Questions, Stephen Morgan MP asked the Minister what support the Government will provide to ensure we do not lose childcare places. Responding, Minister for Children and Families, Vicky Ford MP, said the Government had given 'unprecedented support' to early years and will take further action if needed.
Early years
Peers discussed early years in a question on what steps the Government are taking to support the early years sector affected by the pandemic. Responding, Education Minister Baroness Berridge said the Department is monitoring the impact of the pandemic on children and highlighted the £44 million investment for local authorities.
first magazine
Visit the 'first' website
'first' is LGA's membership magazine and is received as a hard copy by over 18,000 councillors and 400 chief executives. In a response to demand, we have made it easier to read online by creating a dedicated website to read all of its articles, interviews and opinion pieces.
|
|
