Children & Young People Now
March 2011
Comment
Christine Davies CBE – Director – C4EO
All leaders in the public sector and, in particular, those leading children's services,
are operating in a tough climate. Among the many challenges they face are difficult
financial settlements, higher expectations of services at lower cost and shifts
in population, combined with constant public sector reform.
At these times, leaders need to demonstrate a high degree of courage and resourcefulness.
The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services and C4EO
have recently published Resourceful Leadership: How Directors of Children's Services
Improve Outcomes for Children, which we hope will support local leaders.
For the first time, the characteristics of successful leadership demonstrated by
directors of children's services have been studied and captured. Directors across
the country have been generous in sharing their experiences. The passion, determination
and outstanding care they provide for children, young people and families are well
illustrated.
This unique study into senior leadership in England's children's services sets out
a definition of resourcefulness and the eight core behaviours that underpin this.
These are an openness to possibilities; the ability to collaborate; demonstrating
a belief in their teams; personal resilience and tenacity; the ability to create
and sustain commitment across the system; a focus on results and outcomes; the ability
to simplify; and a commitment to continuous learning.
In recent years, directors of children's services have provided leadership that
has sought to transform every aspect of services for children and families. We hope
this study will be read and prove useful to current and future leaders.
Finally, we have been delighted with the response to this year's Excellence and
Evidence training events, designed to help local areas by focusing on the issues
most critical for them. The feedback has been excellent, with participants citing
the benefits of seeing "what works", drawing on high-quality research
combined with learning from each other's best practice.
Presentations from each event will be available on the C4EO website shortly.
Making the difference
Accommodation - how to help young people with housing problems
Housing services in Hull offer all-round support to vulnerable young people, helping
them to secure suitable accommodation
Hull's Young People's Housing Hub Service offers intensive support to young people
A housing service for young people in Hull has helped prevent many from becoming
homeless and reduced the number in bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Young People's Housing Hub Service, set up in 1999, features a multi-disciplinary
team that offers intensive support to young people with housing problems, as well
as general help and advice.
The service, which is run by Hull City Council, caters for care leavers and other
young people aged 16 and over with housing needs.
"For a long time we had an over-reliance on B&B accommodation because other
provision was full," says Andy McCabe, the council's accommodation services
manager.
The new service led to better planning and co-ordination of vacancies, working with
housing providers, and those that help to prevent young people becoming homeless
in the first place.
It has played a big part in helping Hull hit its national targets, with nearly 100
per cent of 19-year-old care leavers being placed in suitable accommodation.
The first three quarters of this financial year saw an 85 per cent reduction in
the use of B&B accommodation among young people leaving care and other under-18s.
One key to its success is that the service brings together a range of expertise
in one place, including professionals from housing, youth offending, education and
health.
"The fact you can just shout across the office to get an answer on housing
options or legal rights is a key strength," says McCabe.
The service deals with housing emergencies, but helps young people get counselling,
tackle substance misuse or get into education, training and employment and also
works with families to help them stay together.
"Young people may be in crisis when they come here, but we give them a route
out," says McCabe.
Young people have been involved in shaping the service, including recruiting staff,
and it gathers regular feedback using "60-second questionnaires".
It has just started running sessions in local colleges about housing options, the
support available and the reality of life on the streets.
Key points
- Treat young clients with respect and strive to be non-judgmental
- Recruitment of staff is key – get the right people in the right roles
- Partnership working can be tough, but it helps if you have shared goals and objectives
so you all know what you're trying to achieve
- Don't use protocols as a substitute for communication and face-to-face partnership
work
Need to know
Schools - First results after introduction of new inspections
A new database that brings together information about looked-after children can
help councils target scarce resources to improve services for this vulnerable group,
according to Simon Rutt, head of statistics at the National Foundation for Educational
Research and C4EO's data lead.
For the first time, local authorities will be able to match information on young
people's educational attainment and school attendance with other information on
offending, substance misuse and health, thanks to statistics published by the Department
for Education.
The new publication – released in December last year – includes information on attainment,
special educational needs, absence and exclusions among looked-after children.
It follows the merger of the National Pupil Database with the Children Looked After
database so it also includes information on cautions and convictions, substance
misuse and healthcare such as immunisations and dental checks.
"This combination of data allows for more informative analysis and more probing
questions," says Rutt.
"For example, researchers will be able to look at the relationship between
substance misuse and the levels of truancy among looked-after children and its overall
impact on educational attainment."
The "statistical first release" will allow local authorities to compare
their performance against that of their neighbours and other councils.
"More of this kind of linked-up pupil-level information should also give local
authority decision makers a better chance to identify areas of need and where their
resources should be targeted," adds Rutt.
However, he cautions against rushing in and advises authorities to invest in thorough
analysis of raw data.
Nuggets of useful knowledge
Of schools inspected in the autumn term of 2010
56%
were judged good or outstanding
Source: Ofsted
The number of schools judged inadequate was
148
out of 2,016 inspected in autumn term 2010
Source: Ofsted
In a survey of head teachers who have experienced inspection
95%
said it was fair and accurate
Source: Ofsted
Where to go next?
Successful leadership
A study has identified the key characteristics of successful leaders in children's
services. Resourceful Leadership: How Directors of Children's Services Improve Outcomes
for Children is based on research with leaders in eight high-achieving local authorities
and 22 directors of children's services. It sets out core traits of good leaders.
Read Resourceful Leadership: How Directors of Children's Services
Improve Outcomes for Children.
New resource for parents
C4EO has launched a resource for parents and carers to help them get the right support
for their children. The online tool helps families identify the services available
at different stages of a child's life from early years, through primary school to
teenage years, and includes children and young people with additional needs.
View parents and
carers online tool.
What Works archive
Past editions of C4EO's What Works section in CYP Now can now be accessed all in
one place in an online archive. There are more than 18 editions
available on the C4EO website. The monthly section launched in September
2009 to showcase best practice and provide the latest information on C4EO's work.
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