Schools, social services and safeguarding children

The NSPCC have released this useful review of the literature into schools and social work cooperation. The authors refer to past reports and inquiries to show the complexities of the issues. Although some of the main ideas have since being implemented or are in the process of been implemented, it gives a useful theoretical background.

Key recommendations:
- Definitions of important concepts are needed to ensure clarity and prevent unnecessary tensions.
- More cross-agency working is needed (such as work shadowing, attending joint seminars

Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder Intervention

The DCFS have completed a study into Parenting Early Intervention Programmes by questioning local authority officers and school staff.

Key points:
- The majority of schools (90%), in each of the 15 funded LAs, are involved in some way.
- Headteachers are central to the success of parenting early intervention.
- The involvement of schools benefits parents in a number of ways including through parenting support.
- Benefits to schools include increased involvement of parents, improved student behaviour and improved understanding by teachers of the challenges parents face.
- Barriers to continuing the programme include: lack of facilities, lack of dedicated staff, sustaining funding beyond the pathfinder and ensuring parents feel comfortable attending sessions in the school.

The authors recommend that schools and especially extended schools should play a crucial role in developing parental support and parenting early intervention.

Early impact of "integrated children's services"

The Local Authority Research Consortium (a collection of 14 local authorities and research organisations) have researched whether the change for children agenda is having an impact on three specific groups: looked after children; children with autism; and children not attending school at key stage 3.

They assessed impact using a 4 leveled model: changes to processes & inputs; changes to routines, experiences, attitudes; changes to outcomes; institutional/systemic embedding.

Key points:
- Most managers interviewed had a clear grasp of the vision and challenges of integrated children's services
- Changes tended to dominate the lower levels of the modeld
- Few were able to describe outcomes targeted or expected
- The higher levels were difficult to evidence for

What schools think about their local authority

The Audit Commission has released their annual survey on what schools think about the local authority's (LA) services for children and young people.

Key points:
- Overall schools have given a good rating and this is an improvement on the previous year.
- The most improved services are around child protection and school improvement support, for the second year running.
- The weakest area was in provision for children with mental health needs, where 40% of respondents reported this as below satisfactory. Again this is similar to the 2006 survey results.
- The biggest improvements between the 2006-07 survey are the effectiveness of the LA to work with other departments and other agencies to deliver the Every Child Matters outcomes and the effectiveness of the schools meal service.
- There is a wide variation in the ratings different LAs recieved.

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

Following consultation the government have released their response and the reforms they intend to introduce.

They are:
(i) Ensuring that the Border and Immigration Agency, in exercising its functions, keeps children safe from harm while they are in the United Kingdom.
(ii) Putting in place better procedures for identifying and supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are the victims of trafficking.
(iii) Locating unaccompanied asylum seeking children with specialist local authorities to ensure they receive the services they need.
(iv) Putting in place better procedures to assess age in order to ensure children and adults are not accommodated together.
(v) Resolving immigration status more quickly and, in turn, enabling care planning to focus on integration or early return to the country of origin.

Realising Britain's Potential

The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit have taken a look at the long term challenges facing the UK and released this paper in response.

- Global competitive forces will intensify increasing the need for the UK's education and skills to become and remain world-class.

- There will be increased emphasis on the high value-added sectors, with the creative industries and financial services seeing growth.

- The UK will need to become more flexible and entrepreneurial.

- Investment in early years education is proven to improve educational attainment in other countries.

- Staying on track and developing talent throughout school is key to making a successful transition to university or work.

- Higher level skills as well as "soft skills" (such as interpersonal skills, team working skills) will be needed.

- Tailored and personalised support will be required to ensure those currently seen as hard to reach are supported effectively.

- Parental support is crucial to their children's success, supporting parents therefore helps their children.

- Innovation and diversity in supply is needed to ensure effective public services are delivered.

- Shifting resources from problem solving to prevention and early intervention will assist.

- Increasing emphasis on professional development in public services alongside continued focus on value for money.

The clip below is a few months earlier (October 2007) but summarises the main themes.