E-LINKS ISSUE 31 - 2015 27th March 2015 Dear Children’s Links Member Your news bulletin is produced fortnightly and is designed to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments in children and family policy. In this edition you will find the following: Ofsted Social Care Annual Report Gaps and Opportunities for Young People and Technology Abbey Ward Toy Library Event - 14th March 2015 Safe Network Childcare Business Grant 2015-16 TalkLinks Workshops Life-changing course for unemployed 16 to 25 year olds FREE Lincolnshire Volunteer Card Training New Child Sexual Exploitation Measures Announced Children’s Links’ Vacancies Upgrade your Children’s Links Membership! If you have any news or infor mati on that you woul d li ke t o s ha r e in t h e E -B ul le ti n p le a se e m ai l mem bers hip@c hi ldrensl inks . or g. u k Committed to improving the life quality and experiences of children, young people and their families. Ofsted Social Care Annual Report Ofsted has published the Social Care Annual Report 2013 – 2014. Key points include: England’s children’s social care sector remains under intense pressure, with number of children in need increasing by 5%, the number of child protection plans increasing by 12% and the number of children being looked after by local authorities increasingly 1% in the last year The child protection system in England remains in transition following the Munro Review Of the 43 local authority inspections carried out against the new Ofsted framework, 10 were judged as good, 7 as inadequate, and 26 as requiring improvement The lack of joined-up information at a local level is indicative of weaknesses in the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) that are required to oversee local partnership working Since the introduction of a policy change in which any children’s home without a registered manager will be judged inadequate for leadership and management and potentially inadequate overall, there has been a decrease in the amount of time that homes are without a registered manager Problems in recruiting and retaining social managers are a big issue of concern Maintaining consistent leadership in children’s services is a challenge – in 2013–14, a third of local authorities had at least one change of director of children’s services Gaps and Opportunities for Young People and Technology Abbey Ward Toy Library Event - 14th March 2015 NESTA has published Young Digital Makers, a report which surveys the opportunities and identifies gaps and next steps for young people to create with technology across the UK. Key points include: 82% of young people say they are interested in digital making, however, half of young people make things with digital technology less than once a week or never 89% of parents think that digital making is a worthwhile activity for their children and 73% cent encouraging their children to make things with technology NESTA identified 130,800 opportunities to experience digital making provided by the organisations surveyed, this is a long way from providing for the interest shown by 82%of our survey, which represents a possible 8.2 million school age children and young people in the UK Digital making is powered not just by money, but also by volunteers, with two thirds of the organisations identified said they relied on volunteers to do their work Only half of teachers who teach ICT or computing report being confident in teaching the curriculum On the 14th March 2015 the Toy Library in Lincoln held a Family Fun Event in the Abbey Ward in Lincoln. Throughout the day families from the local community had the chance to see what the Toy Library has to offer including a variety of toys and play opportunties, multi sensory equipment, arts and crafts , face painting and glitter tattoos. The event was a susses with 75 attendees (compromising of 20 families), 50% of those were current members and 100% of the attendees said they would use the toy library in the future. For more information about the Toy Library, including opening times, please visit our website or contact the Toy Library on 01522 546215 or [email protected] Safe Network Safe Network is a one stop shop for the community and voluntary sector, which includes charities, community and voluntary groups and social enterprise organisations, no matter how big or small, to get advice on the best way to ensure the safety of the children and young people (CYP) they come into contact with, tailored to their specific needs. Safe Network services are primarily delivered through its high quality website, and it is free to register. www.safenetwork.org.uk Childcare Business Grant 2015-16 TalkLinks Workshops: The government will fund a further £2 million extension for the existing Childcare Business Grant scheme to cover 2015-16. Connecting & Communicating with Young People with ADHD One Day Workshop Newcastle 27/03/15 Nottingham 24/04/15 As increasing numbers of young people with ADHD present to services, their needs introduce particular challenges to those seeking to support them to reach their potential. Explore the presentation and impact of ADHD, and develop skills to more effectively engage young people with the condition. “I would recommend this course to anyone working with young people... A must!!” Michael Molden, Foyer Centre Youth Worker Minister for Women and Equalities Nicky Morgan has announced an extension to the childcare business grants scheme. The value of the grants will be doubled, and extended to existing childcare businesses that have been trading for under a year. Minister for Women and Equalities Nicky Morgan said: "Working families benefit from a thriving childcare sector, with the scheme supporting up to 3,000 new childcare businesses in the next financial year. I am pleased to inform the House that, from this April, we are doubling the value of the grants available to childminders and nurseries. We will also extend the scheme to existing childcare businesses that have been trading for under one year." NB: The Childcare Business Grants Scheme claim award will increase with effect from the 1st April 2015 - Claims approved for payment on or after the 1st April 2015 will be paid at the new rate NB: Application will be accepted for new business and new businesses who are operating within the 1st 12 months since the receipt of their Ofsted or CMA certificate. NB: If you have previously applied for and been in receipt of a Childcare Business Grant you are not eligible to apply again. http:// www.childcarebusinessgrants.dcms.gov.uk/ Working with Young Offenders - A Communication Skills Approach One Day Workshop Newcastle 26/03/15 Nottingham 23/04/15 More than 60% of Young Offenders have Communication Support Needs, limiting their ability to benefit from rehabilitation interventions, build productive relationships and move forward in their lives. Learn more about how these difficulties present, and develop skills to improve your practice. "Excellent workshop. Interesting, factual, useful. I will make changes to my practice... Ten out of ten”. Elliot Blaylock, Restorative Justice Worker Want to find out more? Email [email protected] Visit www.talklinks.org Tweet @talklinks Call 07734 463 039 Life-changing course for unemployed 16 to 25 year olds The Prince’s Trust next 12-week Team Programme Course starts on Monday, May 18, at Boston Fire Station. It will provide opportunities to young people who will be able to achieve qualifications as well as having a life-changing experience. Unemployed 16 to 25-year-olds will have an opportunity to develop their confidence, selfesteem, teamwork, problem solving and communication skills. If you know anyone who is in need of skill development, stuck in a rut or just doesn’t know what they want to do, please refer them to the Prince’s Trust. The focus will be on job search and career planning. The course is incredibly successful and has changed people’s lives, resulting in job offers. It also includes an outward bound course, fundraising activities and a community project. The course has been successful on many levels, particularly for those with confidence and self-esteem issues. It addition there is support with social issues such as housing, exercise, healthy eating, court demands and visitation/access rights. For more information call 01522 582285 or contact Tracey Cooper, 07748 153081, email [email protected] FREE Lincolnshire Volunteer Card Training Helping others can be a hugely rewarding experience, and Lincolnshire Volunteer Card (LVC) training prepares you to dive in! Supported by Lincolnshire County Council, this is a free service available to everyone aged 16 and above – providing a range of skills and knowledge. Following training you will receive a certificate and your own unique Volunteer Card, which is recognised by organisations countywide. LVC has helped over 1600 volunteers across the county so far, with independent evaluation showing that 75% found it improved their experience of volunteering. Learners also mentioned increased confidence and enhanced job skills. For more information on the Lincolnshire Volunteer Card please contact the Children’s Links Sector Support team on 0845 373 0645 or email [email protected] For details of other LVC courses available, please click here. New Child Sexual Exploitation Measures Announced The Prime Minister has announced a range of measures to tackle child sexual exploitation at Downing Street summit on the issue. Key measures include: A national whistleblowing helpline so public sector workers can report bad practice relating to CSE A CSE taskforce of professional troubleshooting experts in social work, law enforcement and health that will support local services A new system for “clawing back” exit payoffs for senior staff who leave a post for failing to protect children, but are “quickly re-employed” in a similar role Child sexual abuse will be prioritised as a “national threat”, meaning police forces will have a duty to collaborate across force boundaries An additional £14m will be given to organisations supporting victims of sexual abuse (£7m in 2014/15 and £7m in 2015/16) Children’s Links’ Vacancies Children’s Links have a variety of vacancies in the children’s sector ranging from Childcare Assistants to Visit Centre Workers in prisons. To view the current vacancies visit the Children’s Links website. Upgrade your Children’s Links Membership! Children’s Links’ Membership Service is full of relevant children’s sector benefits designed specifically to meet your needs. We have recently introduced new membership packages: Enhanced at only £75.00 per year, and Standard which is currently free. If you would like to become a member please complete the membership application form or contact us by email. As part of the Enhanced Membership package we can offer bespoke advice and support tailored towards meeting the specific needs of your setting. This will be provided via phone or email, time limited to one hour. The advice will focus on Committees, Recruitment and employment, Ofsted requirements and Finance You will also have free access to Children’s Links resources and guidance documents on key topics and legislation and much more! To see the full benefits of our Enhanced Membership Package please visit our new website! If you would like to upgrade your membership please contact us by calling 0845 3730645 or emailing [email protected]
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