Strategic briefings

A series of publications aimed at senior decision-makers working within children's services.
Published: Dec 2017
Deprivation of liberty in relation to children and young people: Strategic Briefing
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 home managers.
Number of pages: 24
Product code: CH-SBR-012
Published: Jul 2017
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.
Number of pages: 16
Preview available
Published: Apr 2017
Care leaver transitions: Strategic Briefing (2017)
The emerging policy landscape of different transition pathways for young people not in further education, employment or training (NEET), is also explored, along with their entitlements.
Aimed at: Assistant Directors, heads of service, anyone who commissions or provides commissioned services in this area.
Number of pages: 16
Preview available.
Product code: CH-SBR-010
Published: Jul 2016
Aimed at: Senior managers, Assistant Directors, Heads of Service, workforce development and human resources leads, commissioners, voluntary organisations’ commissioning and delivery teams.
Number of pages: 24
Preview available.
Product code: CH-SBR-009
Published: Jul 2016
Aimed at: Senior decision-makers working within Children’s Services and wider partner agencies.
Number of pages: 16
Preview available.
Product code: CH-SBR-008
Published: Dec 2015
Independent Reviewing Officers: Strategic Briefing (2015)
This briefing explores the progress made to implement key messages from research in the increasingly uncertain and complex operation context. It also sets out key elements needed to grow increasingly effective IRO services. It supports a growing view that IRO services cannot be seen in isolation and must be seen through the lens of a whole-system perspective.
Aimed at: Managers of IRO services.
Number of pages: 16
Preview available.
Product code: CH-SBR-007
Published: Jul 2015
Social work recruitment and retention: Strategic Briefing [open access download] (2015)
Aimed at: Senior decision makers, managers and supervisors in children's services.
Number of pages: 20
Preview available.
This PDF download is an open access resource.
Published: Jul 2015
Social work recruitment and retention: Strategic Briefing [hard copy] (2015)
Aimed at: Senior decision makers, managers and supervisors in children's services.
Number of pages: 20
Preview available.
Product code: CH- SBR-006
Published: Mar 2015
Special guardianship: Strategic Briefing (2015)
It explores how well special guardianship is working through an assessment of children’s progress three to six years after an order has been granted.
It will enable practitioners and managers to assess their approach in the light of this new research and consider its implications for support.
Number of pages: 16
Preview available.
Product Code: CH-SBR-004
Published: Mar 2015
Lifespan personalisation: Strategic Briefing (2015)
This briefing shares key research messages relating to personalisation and makes use of existing evidence to explore the challenges and opportunities of a lifespan approach to personalisation.
Number of pages: 20
Preview available.
Product code: CH-SBR-005