Welcome back to the second half of the spring term; I do hope you managed to have a well-earned break and survived the fierce storm Eunice.

This week I have been preparing some slides for a pending visit from HM Treasury, who are visiting to see and hear about Camden’s transformational Children’s Services journey ​and of course the financial strategy. Camden Learning are integral, as education and schools play such a fundamental role in safeguarding and prevention. My initial slide is titled, Thinking differently: Early Help and the Education System, where achievement sits right at the heart of the model, whilst acknowledging that, to promote achievement, there needs to be strong safeguarding in place to promote equity and excellence. This range of essential components include consistent attendance at schools, the focus on youth safety and the link to reducing exclusions and the oversight of vulnerable pupils at all junctures across the system.

​Ofsted published a report this month, looking at Early Help and local multi-agency responsiveness in meeting the needs of children, young people and their families. The research carried out by Research in Practice reviewed government and agency guidance produced between 1989 and 2021.  Interestingly, on page 76 there is a focus on schools, where it is recognised the ‘particularly important’ role of schools in relation to early help. It reports that schools ‘are in a position to identify concerns early, provide help for children, and prevent concerns from escalating’ and also identifies the important role of the DSL.  I have seen first-hand how schools, Early Help, social care and partners work effectively (that includes raising concerns with each other) whilst also ensuring that the principles of Working Together are upheld as ‘part of a continuum of support’ to respond to different levels of need.  To read the whole report: Early help: concepts, policy directions and multi-agency perspectives – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We look forward to welcoming Headteachers in Brighton next week for our Camden Learning Headteachers conference. I have attached the conference programme for you to see final timings for the two days, please note we have slightly tweaked the start time on the Thursday, to allow for extra travel time in the morning, this is due to engineering works on the railway network, please check carefully your travel arrangements.