Posted on Leave a comment

Working together better: the new Children’s Advice and Support Service

Birmingham City Council is improving the way that the city’s people and professionals access support, advice and information in relation to reporting a concern about a child, or making contact with an allocated social worker.

Replacing the Children’s Information and Advice Service

The Children’s Advice and Support Service (CASS) launched on Monday 5 September, with the new resource replacing the Children’s Information and Advice Service (CIAS).

Support services

The new implementation offers earlier support from a range of partners and provides support services including:

  • Information for families
  • School admissions and pupil placements
  • Concerns for a child or family – or to receive Early Help advice on thresholds and pathways
  • Support from the Early Help and Brokerage Service
  • Support to complete an Early Help Assessment
  • Booking onto your local Early Help Panel
  • Family Support and Think Family
  • Accessing MASH to report or to discuss your safeguarding concern for a child.

Get in touch

To help target resources and consolidate support, information will now be provided by the corporate contact centre and still by calling 303 1888.

Following on from the Early Help Panels, which went live on the September 19, Early Help local partnerships are due to launch within October, with mini-conferences planned in each of the five partnership areas.

For further information please contact the Chair of your TAF panel.

Posted on Leave a comment

Government consultation response deadline for early years national funding approaches

The recent Government consultation proposing an ‘early years national funding formula’ and looking into changes to the way that the three and four-year-old entitlements to childcare are funded has highlighted the approaching response date of Thursday 22 September.

Extending free childcare

The consultation, launched on Thursday 22 September, reinforces the Government’s commitments to extending the availability of free childcare by 15 hours per week for working parents, increasing from the current rate of 15 hours up to 30.

The aim

The overall aim of the review and proposal is to ultimately derive a funding system that is equally fair for all parties involved within childcare, including children, parents, providers and local authorities.

View details on the full consultation, and reply at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/early-years-funding/eynff.

For more information, contact the Early Years Funding Team: EarlyYearsFundingReform.CONSULTATION@education.gsi.gov.uk

Posted on Leave a comment

West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation announces next Open Forum

The West Midlands Ofsted Big Conversation has announced its next Open Forum Meeting, confirming Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (WV1 4QR) as the venue scheduled for Saturday 17th September.

The Forum encourages people to attend and talk directly to Local and National Representatives from Ofsted.

Tickets

Ticket prices have been set at £12, which includes refreshments. As the Ofsted Big Conversation is an independent non-profit voluntary organisation, none of the proceeds go to Ofsted or any Local Authority.

To book a ticket, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ofsted-big-conversation-west-midlands-tickets-25787383759