Delivery Programme

April

Gypsy and Traveller communities: Research and Policy Update 193 April 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

16 Apr

Deadline for Partners’ Tailored Support requests for delivery between April – June 2017*.

Tailored Support

May

Early help: Research and Policy Update 194 May 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

2 May

Bristol

Intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)

Ofsted have indicated that intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) will be the focus of the ‘deep dive’ element of future Joint Targeted Area Inspections (Rogers 2016). The Children’s Commissioner for England’s two-year inquiry into child sexual abuse in the family environment (Horvath et al, 2014; CCE 2015) estimated that one in eight children abused in the family environment come to be identified by professionals; the remainder are unknown to protective services. The inquiry also found that those victims of child sexual abuse who do come into contact with statutory services are typically first identified from the age of 12, but the abuse for many will have started at a much younger age (Smith et al, 2015).

This workshop reviews the research evidence on IFCSA and explores how an evidence-informed tool might support practitioners in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse.

The session uses case study and interactive elements to support application of research messages in practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners working with children, young people and families – including social workers; family support; and youth workers.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

2 May

Online

Signs of Safety – sharing the learning

Professor Eileen Munro shares key messages from You Can’t Grow Roses In Concrete, the report on Munro, Turnell and Murphy's (MTM) Innovation Programme project. MTM worked with ten local authorities to implement the Signs of Safety framework. This webinar explores the factors that affect successful implementation.

Aimed at: Practitioners, managers and leaders across Child and Family Services.

Webinar: Learning Event

17 May

Birmingham

Intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)

Ofsted have indicated that intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) will be the focus of the ‘deep dive’ element of future Joint Targeted Area Inspections (Rogers 2016). The Children’s Commissioner for England’s two-year inquiry into child sexual abuse in the family environment (Horvath et al, 2014; CCE 2015) estimated that one in eight children abused in the family environment come to be identified by professionals; the remainder are unknown to protective services. The inquiry also found that those victims of child sexual abuse who do come into contact with statutory services are typically first identified from the age of 12, but the abuse for many will have started at a much younger age (Smith et al, 2015).

This workshop reviews the research evidence on IFCSA and explores how an evidence-informed tool might support practitioners in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse.

The session uses case study and interactive elements to support application of research messages in practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners working with children, young people and families – including social workers; family support; and youth workers.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

25 May

Online

Online abuse – recognition and response

Online abuse is any form of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may be subjected to cyberbullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse.

Practitioners need to understand the risks that children and young people face online and be equipped with the knowledge and skills to safeguard them effectively.

This webinar shares key messages and provides an opportunity for participants to inform the content of the forthcoming Frontline Briefing on this topic.

Aimed at: Practitioners across Children’s and Youth Services.

Knowledge Exchange Webinar: Learning Event

June

Sibling placement: Research and Policy Update 195 June 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

16 June

Deadline for Partners’ Tailored Support requests for delivery between July – September 2017*.

Tailored Support

29 June

London

Quality Assurance of practice – oversight and challenge

Quality assurance (QA) is a vital element in an organisation’s oversight of direct practice. This workshop explores what QA is and how ‘hard’ data and ‘soft’ qualitative information can be triangulated to provide an in-depth analysis. It also offers guidance on how an effective QA and performance framework can support the assessment – and improve the quality of practice.

Aimed at: Those responsible for quality assuring multi-agency early help and safeguarding and social work practice (including team managers, Independent Reviewing Officers, senior leads).

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

July

Residential care: Research and Policy Update 196 July 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

4 July

Manchester

Quality assurance of practice – oversight and challenge

Quality assurance (QA) is a vital element in an organisation’s oversight of direct practice. This workshop explores what QA is and how ‘hard’ data and ‘soft’ qualitative information can be triangulated to provide an in-depth analysis. It also offers guidance on how an effective QA and performance framework can support the assessment – and improve the quality of practice.

Aimed at: Those responsible for quality assuring multi-agency early help and safeguarding and social work practice (including team managers, Independent Reviewing Officers, senior leads).

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

July

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) – identifying and responding in practice with families

Exposure to alcohol before birth can lead to development of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), the most important preventable cause of brain damage in children. Effects range from disabilities, to damage which increases the risk of violent and criminal behaviour in later life. Many children, including those in care, are given multiple inaccurate diagnoses.

There is an urgent need to recognise prenatal alcohol exposure at an early stage and to develop pathways for diagnosis, assessment and support. This briefing introduces practitioners working with children and families, to key research and practice surrounding FASDs including:

• What constitutes a dangerous level of alcohol intake during pregnancy.
• The impact on the foetus, child and family at different stages of development.
• How to identify and respond to FASDs, including appropriate referral.
• Guidance on prevention and management.

Aimed at: Early help, targeted support and statutory services with children and families.

Frontline Briefing: Publication

July

Working effectively with men in families – including fathers in children’s social care

This briefing focuses on including and working with fathers where children’s welfare or safety is a concern, and the practice issues raised by domestic abuse.

In particular, it reflects on practice messages from research in relation to three inter-related areas:

• Early intervention
• Family support
• Child protection.

The briefing should be read alongside the accompanying Frontline tool – Working effectively with men in families – Practice pointers for including fathers in children’s social care – where suggestions for practice are set out more extensively.

Aimed at: Child and family social workers and their frontline managers.

Frontline Briefing: Publication

July

Working effectively with men in families – practice pointers for including fathers in children’s social care

‘Fathers in child protection are rarely either ‘all bad’ or ‘all good’. Fathers are important to children, and (like mothers) most present a combination of positive and negative factors. Men and social workers need to recognise and work with this so that, wherever possible, children can stay safe and be involved with their fathers.’

(Brandon et al, 2017)

This tool sets out key practice pointers to help include fathers in children’s social care and should be read alongside the accompanying Frontline Briefing, Working effectively with men in families - including fathers in children’s social care.

Aimed at: Child and family social workers and their frontline managers.

Frontline Tool: Publication

July

Comparing placement options to meet children and young people’s current and future needs

This briefing sets out key messages from an evidence review commissioned and published by the Department for Education in March 2017, which aimed to provide judicial and local authority decision-makers with an independent summary of relevant research evidence that focuses on comparative outcomes of different placement options.

The review brought together an accessible summary of key research findings on two themes:

• The impacts of abuse and neglect on children.
• The strengths and weaknesses of different types of long-term placements in relation to their impact on children.

This briefing focuses on the second of these themes to help leaders and decision-makers think about how they can influence and organise local policy development and services to meet the current and future needs of children and young people.

Aimed at: Local authority strategic leaders and decision-makers, though it will also be of interest to frontline managers and their staff in local authority children’s services.

Strategic Briefing: Publication

July

Public Law Outline

This learning resources map has been developed to support professionals working with families, legal teams and in the family court. The map is primarily aimed at those preparing and presenting evidence for court, and focuses on robust pre-proceedings work and the quality of written evidence including assessment and care planning.

The quality of court work has been the focus of the Family Justice Review, Knowledge and Skills Statement and other policy initiatives and has been highlighted as an important contributor to achieve the 26-week target for care cases and the best outcomes for children. 

Existing Research in Practice resources are highlighted within the resource to help professionals develop analytical skills and use research effectively to support decision-making.

Aimed at: Children’s guardians, lawyers acting for the local authority, IROs, case progression managers, social work managers, social workers preparing and presenting evidence in court.

Mapping Resource (ONLINE ONLY): Publication

August

Child to parent violence: Research and Policy Update 197 August 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

September

E-safety/online safeguarding: Research and Policy Update 198 September 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

12 Sep

Bristol

Quality assurance of practice – oversight and challenge

Quality assurance (QA) is a vital element in an organisation’s oversight of direct practice. This workshop explores what QA is and how ‘hard’ data and ‘soft’ qualitative information can be triangulated to provide an in-depth analysis. It also offers guidance on how an effective QA and performance framework can support the assessment – and improve the quality of practice.

Aimed at: Those responsible for quality assuring multi-agency early help and safeguarding and social work practice (including team managers, Independent Reviewing Officers, senior leads).

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

16 Sep

Bristol

Deadline for Partners’ Tailored Support requests for delivery between October – December 2017*.

Tailored Support

19 Sep

Bristol

Working with parents who have a learning disability

This workshop looks in detail at the practice issues in working with parents who have a learning disability. It aims to explore and challenge some of the attitudinal issues that may arise, and draws on both Adults’ and Children’s Services perspectives to examine ways of working together to ensure best practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners and managers in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

Joint Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

20 Sep

Manchester

Intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)

Ofsted have indicated that intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) will be the focus of the ‘deep dive’ element of future Joint Targeted Area Inspections (Rogers 2016). The Children’s Commissioner for England’s two-year inquiry into child sexual abuse in the family environment (Horvath et al, 2014; CCE 2015) estimated that one in eight children abused in the family environment come to be identified by professionals; the remainder are unknown to protective services. The inquiry also found that those victims of child sexual abuse who do come into contact with statutory services are typically first identified from the age of 12, but the abuse for many will have started at a much younger age (Smith et al, 2015).

This workshop reviews the research evidence on IFCSA and explores how an evidence-informed tool might support practitioners in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse.

The session uses case study and interactive elements to support application of research messages in practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners working with children, young people and families – including social workers; family support; and youth workers.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

28-29 Sep

Birmingham

Values-based system and service redesign: Leaders’ Forum

As organisations across the health and social care sector strive to tackle complex challenges, leaders are seeking to redesign systems and services.

Increasingly, evidence suggests that effective systems and services are contingent on culture and values; factors which are subjective, intangible and difficult to measure or inspect.

Leaders’ Forum 2017 explores the role of values in leadership decision-making regarding service and system redesign.

Aimed at: Directors, Assistant Directors and strategic managers from across the Research in Practice/Research in Practice for Adults networks.

Leaders' Forum: Network Event

October

Restorative practice: Research and Policy Update 199 October 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

4 Oct

York

Reflective supervision

The aims of reflective supervision are to support practitioners' awareness of how their values and experiences mediate their practice, to facilitate critical thinking and analysis of case information, and to build emotional resilience. Achieving these aims requires building a supportive but constructively challenging supervisor-supervisee relationship and maximising the use of supervision time.

This two-part Learning Module will explore messages from research about the benefits of reflective supervision for practitioners and organisations. It will focus on supporting managers to develop skills and strategies to enhance opportunities for reflection across the children and families workforce including methods for group supervision. The session will share tools for recording reflective supervision.

Day two of this Learning Module will be held on Thursday 2 November 2017. Participants must be able to attend both days (participants will automatically be enrolled on day two).

Aimed at: Staff with supervisory responsibilities across early help, targeted support and statutory services with children and families.

Two-Part Learning Module: Learning Event

12 Oct

Birmingham

Quality assurance of practice – oversight and challenge

Quality assurance (QA) is a vital element in an organisation’s oversight of direct practice. This workshop explores what QA is and how ‘hard’ data and ‘soft’ qualitative information can be triangulated to provide an in-depth analysis. It also offers guidance on how an effective QA and performance framework can support the assessment – and improve the quality of practice.

Aimed at: Those responsible for quality assuring multi-agency early help and safeguarding and social work practice (including team managers, Independent Reviewing Officers, senior leads).

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

17 Oct

Online

Social work practice in family court

The core role of social workers as experts in family court practice drives the need for robust pre-proceedings work and high-quality, analytical and evidence-informed written and oral evidence.

This webinar introduces the practice tool, aiming to support professionals to build analytical skills, use research effectively to support decision-making and prepare for cross-examination.

Aimed at: Social workers preparing and presenting evidence in court and their managers, case progression managers and heads of service in family court work, children's guardians, lawyers acting for the local authority, independent reviewing officers.

Webinar: Learning Event

19 Oct

London

Innovations in safeguarding – the transition from adolescence to adulthood

At this event, chaired by Dez Holmes, both the Chief Social Workers will share their perspectives on this critical intersection between their respective areas of leadership.

An opportunity to:

• Explore effective local safeguarding practice at the transition between adolescence and adult life.
• Hear examples of innovative approaches in supporting young adults to be safe.
• Consider the implications for system design and leadership in a changing policy landscape.

Aimed at: Locality safeguarding leads; heads of service; Principal Social Workers.

Knowledge Exchange  Workshop: Learning Event

November

Intra-familial abuse: Research and Policy Update 200 November 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

2-3 Nov

Birmingham

Link Officers' Annual Meeting (LOAM)

LOAM is our core network event. A 24-hour residential, LOAM provides valuable learning opportunities, collaborative sessions to inform the development of the Delivery Programme for 2018-19 and the chance to network with other Link Officers from across the country.

Aimed at: All Link Officers from across the Research in Practice network.

Link Officers' Annual Meeting: Network Event

14 Nov

Working with parents who have a learning disability

This joint RiP/RiPfA workshop looks in detail at the practice issues in working with parents who have a learning disability. It aims to explore and challenge some of the attitudinal issues that may arise, and draws on both Adults' and Children's Services perspectives to examine ways of working together to ensure best practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners and managers in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

Joint Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

November

Deprivation of liberty in relation to children and young people

The deprivation of liberty for children and young people is a complex and sensitive area of practice with an evolving legal framework. This Strategic Briefing considers the legal basis to support local authorities in decision-making in this field of work.

Aimed at: Senior managers, Assistant Directors, heads of service, children’s guardians, family support workers, children’s homes managers.

Strategic Briefing: Publication

November

Social work practice in the family court

The core role of social workers as experts in family court practice drives the need for robust pre-proceedings work and high quality written evidence, including analysis and care planning.

This Practice Tool brings together new and updated resources designed to build analytical skills, support the effective use of research to support decision-making, and prepare for cross-examination.

Audience: Social workers preparing and presenting evidence in court and their managers, case progression managers and heads of service in family courts work; children’s guardians, lawyers acting for the local authority, Independent Reviewing Officers.

Practice Tool: Publication

November

Online abuse – recognition and response

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may be subjected to cyberbullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse.

Practitioners working with children and young people need to understand the risks that young people face online and be equipped with the knowledge and skills to safeguard them effectively.

This Frontline Briefing outlines key messages on the risks that children and young people face from online abuse and highlights approaches for working with children and young people who are experiencing or engaging in online abuse.

Aimed at: Professionals working directly with children and young people who are at risk of experiencing or engaging in online abuse.

Frontline Briefing: Publication

November

21^st Century social work with children and young people with disabilities

This publication brings together the latest research and practice evidence on social work with disabled children, young people and their families and carers. Each chapter provides accessible and practice facing content on themes including: safeguarding; assessments; joint working; transition to adulthood and voice of disabled children and young people.

Aimed at: Strategic leaders in this field; social work managers and practitioners working to support children, and young people with SEN and disabilities.

Evidence Review: Publication

November

21^st Century social work with children and young people with disabilities

This publication summarises key messages from the Evidence Review on this topic, which brings together the latest research and practice evidence on social work with disabled children, young people and their families and carers.

Aimed at: Strategic leaders in this field; social work managers and practitioners working to support children, young people with SEN and disabilities.

Evidence Review Executive Summary: Publication

November

This publication will provide the reader with an overview of the available evidence in relation to ‘what works’ in working with parents who have a learning disability.

It will include case study examples of practice, and will offer recommendations for strategic leaders to consider in developing and leading systems to support effective working across Children’s and Adults’ Services to support parents who have a learning disability.

Aimed at: Senior leaders, service leads and commissioners.

Strategic Briefing: Publication

November

Adolescents and risk

Since 2015, Research in Practice has worked extensively with practitioners, service leads and Directors of Children’s Services to build more nuanced responses to risk in adolescence. Effective service redesign will involve multi-agency partnerships across health, education and youth services. This briefing develops key messages for strategic safeguarding partners leading work in this field.

Aimed at: Leaders of local safeguarding boards.

Leaders’ Briefing: Publication

November

Cost Calculator for Children’s Services – Edge of Care Module Guide

A resource to support finance, data and service teams to analyse and understand the need for and costs of ‘edge of care’ services in their local area. Drawing on learning from the 2017 Change Project, in partnership with Loughborough University and North Yorkshire County Council.

Aimed at: Finance, data and performance leads; heads of service for ‘edge of care’.

Change Project Final Resources: Publication

30 Nov

Deadline for Partners’ Tailored Support requests for delivery between January – March 2018*.

Tailored Support

December

Best of 2017: Research and Policy Update 201 December 2017

Research and Policy Update: Learning Resource

5 Dec

London

Intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)

Ofsted have indicated that intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) will be the focus of the ‘deep dive’ element of future Joint Targeted Area Inspections (Rogers 2016). The Children’s Commissioner for England’s two-year inquiry into child sexual abuse in the family environment (Horvath et al, 2014; CCE 2015) estimated that one in eight children abused in the family environment come to be identified by professionals; the remainder are unknown to protective services. The inquiry also found that those victims of child sexual abuse who do come into contact with statutory services are typically first identified from the age of 12, but the abuse for many will have started at a much younger age (Smith et al, 2015).

This workshop reviews the research evidence on IFCSA and explores how an evidence-informed tool might support practitioners in identifying, assessing and responding to child sexual abuse.

The session uses case study and interactive elements to support application of research messages in practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners working with children, young people and families – including social workers; family support; and youth workers.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

8 Dec

London

Building emotionally literate leadership for child and family social work – testing a management competencies framework

This is a two-part learning module for paired teams of senior managers leading social work in their organisation. Both participants must be able to attend both days.

Day One: Thursday 8 December 2017 
Day Two: Thursday 18 January 2018 

Both days will be held at The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL. 

Event details: Understanding the core competencies underpinning emotional resilience and the role of a practice leader in supporting these are vital elements in strategic leadership. This two-part learning module will work with senior managers leading social work in their organisation in paired teams (eg, an Assistant Director and a Principal Social Worker). Day One will introduce a draft framework setting out key knowledge, skills and abilities, which participants will consider and engage in testing. They will feed back in the second session on their use of the framework as well as on challenges and opportunities for implementation. They will consider any skills gaps they identify among their staff (and themselves) and how these may be addressed. Participants will also share good practice they have developed to support emotional resilience in the social workforce and in their own professional practice.

Aimed at: Pairs of participants, two senior leads for social work (eg, Principal Social Workers and Assistant Directors in Child and Family Services).

Two-Part Learning Module: Learning Event

TBC

TBC

Working with children and young people involved in gangs or at risk of gang involvement

Understanding how best to prevent young people becoming involved in gangs and youth violence or support them to exit gang activity is a challenge for practitioners. This workshop explores the research around this issue, what it means to be involved in a gang and what the outcomes for those involved are.

It looks at the importance of relationship-based working and the co-production of interventions and practice activity. It is designed to increase practitioners’ confidence and skills to work with young people.

Aimed at: Frontline social workers and family support workers; Independent Reviewing Officers; early help practitioners; youth offending service practitioners; residential sector practitioners; those working in schools and colleges.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

TBC

TBC

Working with children and young people involved in gangs or at risk of gang involvement

Understanding how best to prevent young people becoming involved in gangs and youth violence or support them to exit gang activity is a challenge for practitioners. This workshop explores the research around this issue, what it means to be involved in a gang and what the outcomes for those involved are.

It looks at the importance of relationship-based working and the co-production of interventions and practice activity. It is designed to increase practitioners’ confidence and skills to work with young people.

Aimed at: Frontline social workers and family support workers; Independent Reviewing Officers; early help practitioners; youth offending service practitioners; residential sector practitioners; those working in schools and colleges.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

TBC

Online

Deprivation of liberty in relation to children and young people

The deprivation of liberty for children and young people is a complex and sensitive area of practice with an evolving legal framework.

This webinar introduces the Strategic Briefing on this topic and supports strategic leads to use the resource to support evidence-informed decision-making in this field of work.

Aimed at: Senior managers, Assistant Directors, heads of service, children’s guardians, family support workers, children’s homes managers.

Webinar: Learning Event

9 Jan

London

Working with parents who have a learning disability

This joint RiP/RiPfA workshop looks in detail at the practice issues in working with parents who have a learning disability. It aims to explore and challenge some of the attitudinal issues that may arise, and draws on both Adults' and Children's Services perspectives to examine ways of working together to ensure best practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners and managers in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

Joint Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

18 Jan

(Second day)

London

Building emotionally literate leadership for child and family social work – testing a management competencies framework

This is a two-part learning module for paired teams of senior managers leading social work in their organisation. Both participants must be able to attend both days.

Day One: Thursday 8 December 2017 
Day Two: Thursday 18 January 2018 

Both days will be held at The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Regent's Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL. 

Event details: Understanding the core competencies underpinning emotional resilience and the role of a practice leader in supporting these are vital elements in strategic leadership. This two-part learning module will work with senior managers leading social work in their organisation in paired teams (eg, an Assistant Director and a Principal Social Worker). Day One will introduce a draft framework setting out key knowledge, skills and abilities, which participants will consider and engage in testing. They will feed back in the second session on their use of the framework as well as on challenges and opportunities for implementation. They will consider any skills gaps they identify among their staff (and themselves) and how these may be addressed. Participants will also share good practice they have developed to support emotional resilience in the social workforce and in their own professional practice.

Aimed at: Pairs of participants, two senior leads for social work (eg, Principal Social Workers and Assistant Directors in Child and Family Services).

Two-Part Learning Module: Learning Event

TBC

TBC

Working with children and young people involved in gangs or at risk of gang involvement

Understanding how best to prevent young people becoming involved in gangs and youth violence or support them to exit gang activity is a challenge for practitioners. This workshop explores the research around this issue, what it means to be involved in a gang and what the outcomes for those involved are.

It looks at the importance of relationship-based working and the co-production of interventions and practice activity. It is designed to increase practitioners’ confidence and skills to work with young people.

Aimed at: Frontline social workers and family support workers; Independent Reviewing Officers; early help practitioners; youth offending service practitioners; residential sector practitioners; those working in schools and colleges.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

TBC

TBC

Working with children and young people involved in gangs or at risk of gang involvement

Understanding how best to prevent young people becoming involved in gangs and youth violence or support them to exit gang activity is a challenge for practitioners. This workshop explores the research around this issue, what it means to be involved in a gang and what the outcomes for those involved are.

It looks at the importance of relationship-based working and the co-production of interventions and practice activity. It is designed to increase practitioners’ confidence and skills to work with young people.

Aimed at: Frontline social workers and family support workers; Independent Reviewing Officers; early help practitioners; youth offending service practitioners; residential sector practitioners; those working in schools and colleges.

Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

TBC

TBC

Partnership Conference

Partnership Conference: Learning Event

21 Mar

Working with parents who have a learning disability

This joint RiP/RiPfA workshop looks in detail at the practice issues in working with parents who have a learning disability. It aims to explore and challenge some of the attitudinal issues that may arise, and draws on both Adults' and Children's Services perspectives to examine ways of working together to ensure best practice.

Aimed at: Practitioners and managers in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

Joint Research Messages Workshop: Learning Event

March

Quality assurance of practice – oversight and challenge

Quality assurance (QA) is a vital element in the oversight of direct practice. Drawing on the sector knowledge gathered through the related workshops, this briefing offers practical guidance on how an effective QA and performance framework can support the assessment – and improve the quality of practice.

The briefing explores how ‘hard’ data and ‘soft’ qualitative information can be triangulated to provide an in-depth analysis. It also contains practical advice and proposes tools, measures and methods to improve understanding.

Aimed at: Those responsible for quality assuring multi-agency early help and safeguarding and social work practice.

Strategic Briefing: Publication

March

Parental mental health

Parental mental health issues are part of the experience of many families involved with Child and Family Services and have been identified as a key vulnerability in analyses of Serious Case Reviews (www.seriouscasereviews.rip.org.uk).

This briefing will increase practitioners’ understanding of some common mental health issues, and consider how these may impact on parenting capacity and the issues this may raise for children’s development, wellbeing and safeguarding. It also suggests approaches to working with parents who may not have access to adult mental health services.

Aimed at: Frontline practitioners in Child and Family Services, both social workers and others (for example, family support workers).

Frontline Briefing: Publication

March

Intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)

An evidence-informed tool for supporting practitioners in identifying, assessing and responding to possible intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA). Designed for practitioners working with children who are already receiving statutory intervention for other issues (such as neglect or physical abuse) where there are concerns about IFCSA.

Used in combination with professional judgement, the tool is designed to help build a picture of a child’s vulnerability to IFCSA and to assist in planning direct work.

Aimed at: Practitioners working with children, young people and families – including social workers; family support and youth workers.

Practice Tool: Publication

March

Relationship-based commissioning

Change Project Pilot Resources: Publication