We offer councils a wide range of support on children's services improvement – on a free-of-charge or subsidised basis.
The aims of the programme are to:
- Improve outcomes for the most vulnerable children and their families.
- Enable political and corporate leaders to understand and fulfil their role as corporate parent.
- Support leaders and leadership teams with their improvement journeys.
- Promote a whole council and partnership approach to improving social care and SEND outcomes.
- Improve outcomes for children in the early years with a particular focus on speech and language development.
- Strengthen strategic oversight of children’s services including corporate parenting and scrutiny arrangements.
These aims will be met through a range of support and development opportunities offered to leaders who contribute to the delivery of effective children’s services.
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Children's Services Peer Challenge
We offer peer challenges and diagnostics to underpin the LGA sector led improvement support, assisting local authorities on their improvement journey. Our range of support offers are detailed below.
LGA principal advisers and regional teams
Our principal advisers and regional teams manage our relationships with local authorities and provide a gateway to our support. Their regional perspective and significant expertise enables them to identify councils’ needs, provide advice, and connect councils with our comprehensive support offer.
'Must knows' for children's services portfolio holders
These 'must knows' are a long-standing source of information and support for children's services portfolio holders.
Useful links:
- Inspecting local authority children’s services: Ofsted and the role of children’s services scrutiny - Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (cfgs.org.uk)
- Corporate parenting resource pack
- Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS)
- Upon's Aspirant Directors Programme
- LGA Children and Young People Board
- Children and young people case studies | Local Government Association
- Children and young people publications | Local Government Association
- Children's commissioner – The Big Ask, The Big Answer
- Family Hubs Network
- National Centre for Family Hubs
- Councillor's workbook on peer mentoring | Local Government Association
- Resources for social workers | Local Government Association
- Total Leadership programme | Solace