What is the Leeds Innovations and Partner in Practice programme?
The Department for Education (DfE) run two initiatives focused on improving
practice within children’s services across the country:
The Innovations Programme invites local authorities and other organisations to
develop proposals for working differently with children, young people and
families. The DfE provides funding to help develop and test the most innovative
proposals, with the aim of sharing best practice nationally across the sector.
The Partner in Practice (PiP) programme sees the DfE work in partnership with
leading local authorities to understand how they achieved good Ofsted ratings
and how they can improve further, and to drive sector-led improvement between
local authorities. The DfE make funding available to support this partnership
work.
Leeds is a DfE Partner in Practice, as a result of our Ofsted inspection in 2015
where we were judged to be ‘Good’ overall followed by our Ofsted inspection in
2018, where we were judged to be ‘Outstanding’ overall.
Leeds put forward a combined bid for both our Innovations proposals and to
support our Partners in Practice work, and in early 2017 we were successful in
securing £9.6m of investment from the DfE over a three year period. At that
time this was the highest award given to a single local authority through the
programmes across the country, and is a marker of the ambition and innovation
within our proposals. The programme was extended for 12 months and will
conclude in 2021.
What is the Leeds programme about?
The Leeds programme is based on creating the conditions for children’s services and
partner agency practitioners to work more closely together, providing more holistic
support, advice and interventions for children, young people and families. The
programme is also concerned with improving the quality of practice both in Leeds
and with other local authorities.
We are fortunate in Leeds to have a range of resources and support available for
families across all age ranges and levels of need, and the Innovations and PiP
programme will help us to improve co-ordination of this offer.
What are the main aspects of the programme?
There are four main aspects to the Leeds Innovations and PiP programme:
Restorative Early Support (RES) Teams within local communities - building on
the effective work of children’s services in local clusters and communities,
bringing extra capacity and a common approach through Leeds Practice
Model (Rethink Formulation, Leeds Practice Principles, Outcome Focused
Supervision, Multi-agency context and Continuous Professional Development)
into high need areas to ensure closer working between children and families
services practitioners, schools and partner agencies;
Rethink formulation - using a single formulation model (Rethink) and the
other elements of Leeds Practice Model to unify and develop practice across
services in Leeds. The aim is to embed Leeds Practice Model into as many
various aspects of children and families services work as possible; this is
done by using a range of methods including regular and ongoing multiagency Rethink Formulation forums and other complementary approaches.
Futures - supporting young women and men who have experienced the first
time removal of a baby, under the age of 12 months, through care
proceedings. The service prioritises parents who are also care leavers who
make up a disproportionate number of young birth parents who experience
the removal of a baby. Aiming to help the young people achieve more
positive futures and to avoid the future removal of babies.
Leeds Relational Practice Centre - developing a network of local authorities
committed to relational, whole-system improvement and innovation; building
on our previous work to share lessons from Leeds’ improvement journey
through hosting a series of good practice events for example; and support
individual local authorities with identified areas for development as part of
the Department for Education Sector Led Improvement programme.
For more information
The Leeds Innovation and Partner in Practice programme is a significant programme
of work that has been delivered over four years, with benefits extending far
beyond.
For more information, please contact csimprovement@leeds.gov.uk.
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