26 April 2016 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

Proposal to Develop an Education Trust

As you may be aware I spoke at the last round of Heads Briefings about developing an Education Trust, jointly governed with schools, for the future delivery of all our current education and young people’s services including Early Help.

The response from Headteachers at the meetings was 86% in support of the proposal as a positive way forward for all Kent maintained and academy schools. The Kent Association of Headteachers was also fully in favour of developing this Trust.

After consideration by KCC Cabinet Members there is not full agreement to go ahead with developing an Education Trust or Company on the scale proposed. While this is disappointing, there is agreement to go forward to develop an Education Services Trading Company.

This company could also be jointly governed by schools and could trade education services, both in Kent and to schools and local authorities beyond Kent, on a bigger scale and a more commercial basis than we have ever done before. Depending on the outcome of the Education White Paper proposals it could also possibly provide a structure to act as a sponsor for a large multi-academy trust, and offer some infrastructure for small multi-academy trusts.

We will continue to explore the options and I hope to share some firmer proposals with you shortly.

Early Help Strategy and Three Year Plan

We have published on the KELSI website the Early Help Strategy and Three Year Plan. This sets out the priorities and targets we aim to achieve with the Early Help and Preventative Service this year and in the next couple of years.

As you may recall, in May 2014 we set out our strategy and vision for Early Help and Preventative Services and a new way of working in Kent. We have had a

productive time since introducing the new model and we are pleased with some good progress to date. The services which came together in 2014 have been redesigned in order to deliver more integrated ways of working and provide a firm foundation to improve the outcomes for less advantaged children, young people and families in Kent.

There is still more to be done and we are not complacent about the challenges ahead. There is now a well-founded and integrated structure from which to embed practice and align services to support schools, and the children and young people who need Early Help.

Our priorities and vision are to provide early help for children and families in a timely and responsive way, so that they are safeguarded, their educational, social and emotional needs are met and they achieve good outcomes.

We have a determination to get this right and to evidence that Early Help and Preventative services work, to stop levels of need escalating. Over the coming three years we will be further embedding practice that makes a real difference, understanding what works and evaluating the long term impact of early help and prevention.

The fundamental purpose of early help is to improve the life chances of vulnerable

children and families, and to benefit society at large whilst being cost effective. Every young person who is NEET, or excluded from school, or who ends up in the criminal justice system or who needs to be protected by the social care system, costs far more to the public purse than other children and young people who have been helped and supported along the way. In a climate of reducing financial resources we expect Early Help to achieve cost benefits and have longer term impact.

We continue to strive to deliver the highest quality Early Help services, to make Kent a place of opportunity in which children and families thrive. We endeavour to reduce the educational and health gaps for poorer and disadvantaged children and young people to ensure fewer numbers need the interventions of the social care, mental health or youth justice systems.

We can see that our work in the past two years to achieve good outcomes for children, young people and families in all aspects of their lives is having real benefits. Over 5,000 children and young people are currently receiving support through Early Help and over 80% of cases are now closed with a positive outcome. Nearly 25% of cases closed by Social Care are now safely stepped down to Early Help.

The Strategy and Three Year Plan sets out our vision, ways of working and direction of travel for Kent’s Early Help and Preventative Services.

The Plan outlines what we aim to achieve and ways of working over the next three years. It describes how Early Help will work in partnership with schools and Early Years settings, and with children, young people and their families, to help them overcome difficulties and reach their full potential. I hope you find it helpful and informative.

Patrick Leeson, Corporate Director Education and Young People’s Services