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• Ofsted sharpens focus on stability for children in care in judgments of providers

  07-04-2025 15:47 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Ofsted has sharpened its focus on stability for children in care in its judgments of social care providers, particularly children’s homes and independent fostering agencies.
  The changes to its social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) are a response to concerns that some providers are rejecting referrals for children with complex needs due to concerns about the impact on their Of
  
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• Separate pay spine for nursing

  15-04-2025 15:48 via gov.uk
  
  The government is seeking views on the benefits and challenges of a separate pay spine for nursing staff.
  
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• What makes an effective social work leader?

  15-04-2025 12:27 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Anyone can be a leader in social work. This isn’t a role defined by job title – though it can involve giving direction, it’s also about offerering inspiration, encouraging teamwork and setting an example.
  In two articles for The Social Work Community, social work leader and consultant Clair Graham explores what leadership means in the profession.
  In the first, she examines the different styles of leadership – participative, transformational, delegative, authoritative, tra
  
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• Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver

  15-04-2025 11:26 via gov.uk
  
  How local authorities should report incidents to the Department for Education, Ofsted and Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
  
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• DfE makes huge cut to Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund payments

  14-04-2025 23:20 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.The Department for Education (DfE) has made huge cuts in payments for families to resource therapy through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF).
  Less than two weeks after confirming that the fund would continue – one day after it expired – the DfE has made four significant restrictions to the support each child or family can receive through the ASGSF in 2025
  
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• Guidance: Public health commissioning in the NHS: 2025 to 2026

  14-04-2025 15:24 via gov.uk
  
  Information about NHS England's objectives and funding arrangements as it commissions public health services.
  
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• Decision: Direction: Zafar Iqbal Khan barred from managing independent schools

  14-04-2025 14:37 via gov.uk
  
  A decision from the Secretary of State to direct that Mr Zafar Iqbal Khan should be prohibited from the management of independent schools.
  
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• Dr Camilla Kingdon to chair review of children's hearing services

  14-04-2025 14:04 via gov.uk
  
  Dr Camilla Kingdon has been appointed by the Secretary of State to chair an independent review of children's hearing services.
  
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• Guidance: Kingdon review of children’s hearing services: terms of reference

  14-04-2025 14:03 via gov.uk
  
  Sets out the terms of reference for the independent review of children's hearing services in England.
  
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• What is kinship care?

  14-04-2025 11:20 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  This article presents a few key considerations from Community Care Inform Children’s guide to kinship care, which explains the different types of kinship placement and advises social workers on when to consider a kinship placement option. Inform Children subscribers can access the full guide here.
  This guide was written by Philip Heslop, senior lecturer in social work at Northumbria University.Kinship care refers to arrangements in which children live with relatives or close family friends
  
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• Residential Services Officer

  14-04-2025 10:06 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  https://jobs.communitycare.co.uk/job/1401768093/residential-services-officer/
  
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• Government launches digital social care qualification but providers criticise level of training funding

  13-04-2025 23:05 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  The government has launched a new qualification to enhance social care leaders’ digital skills but has been criticised by a provider body for covering a “tiny fraction” of the sector’s training costs.
  Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting launched the level 5 award in understanding digital leadership in adult social care last week, saying it would help the sector “harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology” to boost care quality and support
  
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• First practice guidance for AI in social work warns of bias and data privacy risks

  11-04-2025 13:43 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  This article is part of our new ‘Future of Social Work‘ series, where we’ll be reporting on innovative practice approaches and technology in social work. Get in contact with us to flag up anything that you think ticks either of those boxes at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com
  The first practice guidance in England on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in social work has urged caution, highlighting risks around bias and data privacy.
  The document, produced
  
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• Lady Howarth of Breckland obituary

  10-04-2025 18:40
  
  Social services director, chief executive of Childline and one of the first ‘people’s peers’After her social services career was blighted by fallout from a high-profile child protection scandal, Valerie Howarth nevertheless went on to become a leading authority on children’s welfare and one of the first “people’s peers” created by Tony Blair.As the first chief executive of Childline, Howarth led the confidential counselling service for children and young
  
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• Guidance: DfE funding agreements and contracts: 2025 to 2026

  10-04-2025 14:30 via gov.uk
  
  Grant funding agreements and contracts issued to providers, which are either extensions of the 2024 to 2025 agreements and contracts, or recently procured contracts.
  
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• Guidance: Submit Learner Data known issues

  10-04-2025 13:00 via gov.uk
  
  The regularly updated known issues document gives information on service problems we are aware of.
  
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• Guidance: Check how accurate your ILR data is with FIS

  10-04-2025 13:00 via gov.uk
  
  The Funding Information Service (FIS) is an offline tool for checking your individualised learner record (ILR) data.
  
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• Shaping the national cancer plan

  10-04-2025 12:55 via gov.uk
  
  Call for evidence seeking views from individuals, professionals and organisations to inform the development of the government’s national cancer plan for England.
  
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• National child protection agency to provide oversight of practice in England

  10-04-2025 12:37 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.The government will create a national agency to provide oversight of child protection practice in England, the safeguarding minister has revealed.
  The Child Protection Authority (CPA) will provide “national leadership and learning on child protection and safeguarding”, with work to establish it beginning this year, Jess Phillips told the House of Commons this week.
  Creating a CPA
  
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• Consistent financial reporting (CFR) framework

  10-04-2025 11:04 via gov.uk
  
  A framework to help schools to collect information about their income and expenditure.
  
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• Official Statistics: Adult social care workforce survey: April 2025

  10-04-2025 10:30 via gov.uk
  
  Statistics from survey responses collected from almost 5,000 adult social care settings in England.
  
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• Accredited official statistics: Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities, in England: 2023 to 2024

  10-04-2025 10:30 via gov.uk
  
  A range of outcome measures at national and local authority level for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities.
  
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• England’s ‘complex’ health and care system harming patients, report says

  10-04-2025 07:00
  
  Investigators find coordination failures between NHS and care bodies causing delays, distress and burnout Navigating England’s “complex” health and care system is “extremely difficult” and carers and patients are experiencing burnout, distress and harm as a result, a damning report says.There were frequent failures by NHS and care organisations in coordinating care for people with long-term health conditions, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) fo
  
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• New ADCS president sets out stall as government embarks on children’s social care reforms

  09-04-2025 23:42 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Rachael Wardell’s year as president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) is a pivotal one for children’s social care in England.
  In the next 12 months, the Department for Education (DfE) expects councils to “transform the whole system of help, support and protection, to ensure that every family can access the right help and support when they n
  
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• ‘If you get things right for children, you’re storing up positive financial impact for the future’ – ADCS head

  09-04-2025 23:42 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Rachael Wardell’s year as president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) is a pivotal one for children’s social care in England.
  In the next 12 months, the Department for Education (DfE) expects councils to “transform the whole system of help, support and protection, to ensure that every family can access the right help and support when they n
  
  Read more

• ‘If you get things right for children, you’re storing up positive financial impact for the future’

  09-04-2025 23:42 via communitycare.co.uk
  
  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Rachael Wardell’s year as president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) is a pivotal one for children’s social care in England.
  In the next 12 months, the Department for Education (DfE) expects councils to “transform the whole system of help, support and protection, to ensure that every family can access the right help and support when they n
  
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• Transparency data: DHSC: workforce management information February 2025

  09-04-2025 16:07 via gov.uk
  
  Reports on departmental staff numbers and costs.
  
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• Correspondence: DfE Update: 9 April 2025

  09-04-2025 14:50 via gov.uk
  
  Latest information and actions from the Department for Education about funding, assurance and resource management, for academies, local authorities and further education providers.
  
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• Guidance: Care workforce pathway for adult social care

  09-04-2025 14:42 via gov.uk
  
  The care workforce pathway outlines the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours people need to work in adult social care.
  
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• Cutting edge tech introduced in social care

  09-04-2025 14:39 via gov.uk
  
  Care leaders will be trained to use cutting-edge technology to improve patient care, free up staff time and help people live independently in their own homes
  
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