It is;

A 2 year programme, DCSF funded, hosted by L.G.A., supported by IDeA.

Focussing on ‘3-13’ population.

Having 5 themes (key lines of enquiry).

Identifying critical building blocks – the ‘must-do’s’ for improving outcomes for vulnerable groups and ‘narrowing the gap’.

Programme hopes to:

Build on the ‘family’ of local Government

Identify ‘what’s working’ and ‘what still needs to be done’ in improving outcomes for vulnerable groups (against context of improving outcomes for all).

‘Keep the faith’ in Every Child

Matters

Share ‘effective’ practice

Try to answer fundamental question?

What is it, if applied universally and pursued relentlessly, would make a significant impact on the outcomes of vulnerable groups of children and young people?

Rooted in evidence – tested in localities

Across 5 outcomes

Simple truths

5 themes (key lines of enquiry)

How to create and sustain the right links between schools, children’s centres and Children’s Services.

How to engage and support parents and carers in helping their children to succeed.

How to use the new systems and process brought into being by Every Child Matters to orientate services more towards prevention and early intervention.

methodology

methodology

• CHIMP methodology

• Appreciative inquiry

• Turning the curve informed

• Sector led improvement

• Backed by evidence

How to strengthen and align local leadership and governance arrangements - both professional and political.

How to strengthen systems for developing local leaders to deliver improved services based on the understanding of what works.

What do we mean by ‘narrowing the gap’?

The difference / deficit between outcomes for a specific group and the outcomes for the whole range of children and young people, of which the group forms a part

Includes: Children from poorer socio-economic groups (including

white ‘working class’ boys)

Children in Care

Children with disabilities

Children with SEN

Children excluded from school Children with poor records of attendance at school

Children from different ethnic minority backgrounds

Young Offenders Young Carers

Children at risk from significant harm

Children living with ‘vulnerable’ adults

NFER Review of Literature and Research

Overview and Analysis of Data

Publicly accessible data

Secondary analysis of large datasets

Data from longitudinal research studies

Data from other surveys

Initial templates completed

What seems to make the difference.

First 3 themes.

Drawn from a trawl of evidence and use of ‘experts’.

Against 5 ECM outcomes and 5 layers of ECM ‘onion’ (Inter-Agency Governance, Strategy, Processes and Front-line Delivery)

What Children’s Centres and Early Years Setting can doIntegrated Frontline Delivery

Integrated Processes

Integrated Strategy

Integrated Governance

All Children (Universal Services)

Vulnerable Children with additional needs

(Targeted Services)

Children with complex, multiple needs

(Intensive Targeted/ Specialist Services)

Children in need of care or protection/acute needs

(Specialist Services)

What needs to be in place between schools and other servicesIntegrated Frontline Delivery

Integrated Processes

Integrated Strategy

Integrated Governance

All Children (Universal Services)

Vulnerable Children with additional needs

(Targeted Services)

Children with complex, multiple needs

(Intensive Targeted/ Specialist Services)

Children in need of care or protection/acute needs

(Specialist Services)

What schools can doIntegrated Frontline Delivery

Integrated Processes

Integrated Strategy

Integrated Governance

All Children (Universal Services)

Vulnerable Children with additional needs

(Targeted Services)

Children with complex, multiple needs

(Intensive Targeted/ Specialist Services)

Children in need of care or protection/acute needs

(Specialist Services)

Effective Practice in engaging parents and carersIntegrated Frontline Delivery

Integrated Processes

Integrated Strategy

Integrated Governance

All Children (Universal Services)

Vulnerable Children with additional needs

(Targeted Services)

Children with complex, multiple needs

(Intensive Targeted/ Specialist Services)

Children in need of care or protection/acute needs

(Specialist Services)

Shifting towards early intervention and prevention

Integrated Frontline Delivery

Integrated Processes

Integrated Strategy

Integrated Governance

All Children (Universal Services)

Vulnerable Children with additional needs

(Targeted Services)

Children with complex, multiple needs

(Intensive Targeted/ Specialist Services)

Children in need of care or protection/

acute needs(Specialist Services)

Preconditions and building blocks

• A set of preconditions for each theme• Supported by a series of building

blocks – taken from evidence and experts and drawn together

• Being field tested by more than 96 LA’s

• Will be amended in light of testing• Final report also informed by other

activities

Our conclusions so far:

Top 10 Golden Threads

You can do it! (Expect the best)

- creating a culture of high aspirations

- and giving children and parents access to a trusted (dependable) adult

Together with parents

- working in real partnership with parents and families and building on their strengths

- ‘doing with, not doing unto’

Through the eyes of the child

- making all services more child and family focussed, with adult services more sensitive to their clients as parents and alert to the needs of children

- ‘Think Family’

Holding onto the baton

- ensuring as much stability and continuity, as possible, in relationships between trusted adults, with children and parents

- managing those transitions that are unavoidable with care

‘Learning to learn’- making the building of children’s resilience a major

policy objective

- configuring education so that it benefits the most vulnerable or disadvantaged, encouraging their participation and giving them lots of supplementary and ‘catch-up’ support

‘Cornflakes to Canoeing’

- taking active steps to make extended services available to disadvantaged children within, and beyond, the school

Unite to succeed – ‘sanity not vanity’

- deepening the integration of services, systems and processes

‘Shape up and keep fit’

- re-shaping the workforce and ensuring it is appropriately trained, supported and celebrated!

‘Prove it’ – making change happen

- right performance management systems in place nationally/locally; that encourages focus on improving outcomes of vulnerable groups in particular – shared approaches to this across services, including Health

From good to great – ‘passion with purpose’

- having transformational leadership in place, political and professional (local and national)

- a clear vision communicated well. Planning and processes to back it up and deliver results, including the use of ‘Outcomes Based Accountability’.

Next steps

• Field work – 9 regional seminars• Further research – NFER• Call for evidence – 17th April • Communities of interest signposting

service• Final Report - Digest of effective

practice – many uses• Year 2 – last two themes

Read more

• LGA website – www.lga.gov.uk• Click on our work• Click on children and young people• Click on narrowing the gap

OR for participating LA’s a discussion forum on

• www.communities.idea.gov.uk