Sector-led Improvement for Children’s Services in London

1. Sector-led Improvement for Children’s Services in London Frankie Sulke DCS Lewisham 15 June 2011

2. Briefing and consultation… • Background • Proposals for London • Next steps Your views….

3. Background… • Collective responsibility for improving outcomes for children and young people • Sector-led improvement and peer challenge and support is more sustainable, effective and better vfm than old Government Offices approach • National model in development • Not a replacement for OfSTED • ‘Early adopters’ needed for 2011/12 • Resources secured from DfE

4. Leads for London • Cllr Steve Reed – Leader, Lambeth • Cheryl Coppell – CE, Havering and chair of LSCB • Eleanor Schooling – DCS, Islington • Frankie Sulke – DCS, Lewisham

5. Early discussions: • London as a regional ‘early adopter’ • Need to build on successful practice in London, particularly the Regional Safeguarding Advisers (RSAs) • Need to keep bureaucracy to a minimum • Must have backing of London Leaders, Lead Members and CEs and be integrated into peer work of ALDCS and London Safeguarding Children Board • Need to secure a climate of learning and improvement, using best practice in peer challenge, support and review

6. An ‘early adopter’ proposal for London • Aims….. • improve outcomes for children and young people through supporting boroughs in developing and implementing effective improvement strategies • improve the sharing and embedding of good practice and processes across London • increase trust and learning in sharing information and approaches across boroughs • be more proactive in preventing boroughs’ children’s services failing or going into intervention

7. An ‘early adopter’ proposal for London Targeted and universal

8. An ‘early adopter’ proposal for London • Targeted….. • Using RSAs and building on their current work: • Risk-based, intelligence-led, targeted work with individual authorities, prioritising those in need • Identifying common areas for improvement and development across London • Specific work on LSCB identified gaps in provision – eg court work and colocation with police

9. An ‘early adopter’ proposal for London • Universal… • Each borough: • Identifies up to three areas for improvement • Peer challenge in relation to those areas – why these? Why does performance fall short? • Time limited improvement plans developed • London and national ‘improvement menu’ there to help • Formal review at specified time to ensure improvement • Peer challenge also in relation to London themes identified in targeted work

10. Next steps… • Your views… • DCS’ views and volunteer boroughs for universal element • Revised early adopter proposal submitted • Resources for London secured • The devil in the detail – quality of peer challenge, clarity of scope, recruiting high quality RSAs etc • Work to be done between July and December • Ensure London early adopter experience feeds into national model and we learn from others • March 2012 – system goes live