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.
LGA principal advisers and children’s improvement advisers (by region)
Director, Children’s Services – Sector Led Improvement Gail Tolley
Mob: 07385 950497
[email protected]
CEX Support for Children’s Services:
Philip Simpkins
Mob: 07392 003902
[email protected]
SEND improvement advisers:
Chris Munday: [email protected]
Helen Watson: [email protected]
Advisors by region
Featured pages
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.
SEND Improvement Board Toolkit
View SEND Improvement Board Toolkit
Top tips for children’s services portfolio holders
View the top tips from portfolio holders for children's services.
Useful links:
- Your first ten days as a portfolio holder for children's services
- Chief executives 'must know' for children’s services
- Right Care, Right Person: Policing and mental health and welfare checks
- Reducing restrictive practice
- Childhood Matters (ADCS)
- Foreword - Children's mental health think pieces | Local Government Association
- A maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress
- 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
- Resources for social workers | Local Government Association
- Total Leadership programme | Solace
- Making it Real
- Research and reports for children’s services improvement