Education Providers

Bracknell Forest motivational interviewing training

Bracknell Forest Council worked in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council having received innovation funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to test out new and innovative ways of working across family safeguarding teams. Using Motivational interviewing approaches is core to their family safeguarding program.

ATHE Working with children, families and individuals Level 4 – Workpath, LB Tower Hamlets

Following a successful delivery of 4 Level 4 accredited programs to multi agency staff in the LB Tower Hamlets we were approached by Workpath to deliver a bespoke program to meet the needs of their workforce.

Hounslow Early Help Practitioner programme.

LB of Hounslow were undergoing a restructure of their wider early help service and offer. The 4 day skills based training was offered to staff working in their targeted youth service, children’s centre’s and family support service. The training supported the new thinking and allowed staff to consider the changes in Hounslow, what was working well and recommendations for feedback to service managers.

Embedding Performance Improvement into Practice

We worked with the senior management team of a LA in the East to develop a bespoke programme for frontline managers, senior practitioners and their team members to target areas of weak practice and improve performance

Darlington Case Study – Working Whole Family, Core Skills and Effective Practice

Darlington required a number of voluntary and statutory partners within the borough to become more aware of the concept of whole family working in line with the Care Act 2014.

LB Tower Hamlets – ATHE Level 4 working with individuals, children and families

Tower hamlets commissioned Interface to run this brand new accredited course following our delivery of 4 previous city and guilds accredited courses.

Thurrock - Report writing and Effective communication

Interface provided a one-day training session aimed at Children Social Care Social Workers to increase the quality of written assessments for newly appointed and existing staff.

City and Guilds Working with Parents Level 4 – LB of Tower Hamlets

LB of Tower Hamlets wanted to embed an accredited program into their whole family working framework. This training was to coincide with changes in the authority and a will of LBTH to invest in their staff.

Early Help Training – London Borough of Haringey

Interface worked with Haringey Early Help Executive group members to develop a 3 module training programme for front line staff and those involved in the wider early help offer. The package of support was to integrate the new Early help workflow in to practice and embrace the culture change that this would bring. This bespoke course was delivered over 40 training days.

Motivational interviewing – Berneslai Homes

Berneslai Homes runs a large Family Intervention Service. We supported the team through the use of Motivational Interviewing.

Motivational interviewing – Hertfordshire

We were successful in providing a large contract of Motivational Interviewing for family safeguarding teams across Hertfordshire.

Adults with Complex Needs Evaluation – Hertfordshire CC and partners

We were commissioned to provide an independent evaluation of the Adults with Complex Needs Service.

Motivational Interviewing - West London Zone

West London Zone is inspired by the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a ‘cradle-to-college’ pipeline of support for children. The HCZ approach is to do ‘whatever it takes’ to help young people escape generational disadvantage – with the ambition to achieve a ‘tipping point’ whereby the whole community has a positive experience of learning, work and family life.

Darlington - Effective Whole Family Working

Darlington City Council are focussed on developing a whole council approach to the new responsibilities created by the Children and Families Act and the Care Act to consider the needs of the whole family, delivery of coordinated packages of support and the protection of children and young people from excessive or inappropriate caring roles.

Level 4 – Working with Children, Individuals and Families– Warrington

Warrington Borough Council has implemented an integrated multi-agency approach to supporting children, young people, families and vulnerable adults across the continuum from Early Intervention to statutory safeguarding services.

Stockton - Cognitive, Social & Emotional Development Training Programme

Stockton Council have developed ‘A Fairer Start’ ethos and philosophy that aims to ensure that every child has the best start.

Advanced Safeguarding -Level 3 - Ashmead Primary School

Interface provides an in-depth programme for school staff working directly with cases who are subject to or at risk of being subject to a child protection plan...

Safeguarding and Signs of Abuse Training

Interface worked with Ashmead Primary School on safeguarding and signs of abuse training...read more...

Signs of Safety Evaluation

Signs of Safety approach to child protection found improved social work practice.

Allegations of domestic abuse in child contact cases Joint research by Cafcass and Women’s Aid

A recent report has set out the findings of a small-scale study undertaken by Cafcass, with Women’s Aid, looking at domestic abuse allegations in 216 child contact cases.

2,000 additional CAMHS staff to be recruited

The NHS has announced plans to recruit and train an additional 2,000 nurses, therapists and qualified clinicians to work in CAMHS.

Council-led safeguarding hub helps smash child sex abuse ring

A multi-agency hub bringing together social workers, police and health professionals has helped convict 18 members of a child sex abuse ring.

Children's services overspend tops £600m

Councils are overspending on their children's social care budgets by more than £600m a year as they look to protect vulnerable groups amid cuts in central government funding, council leaders are warning.

Early Intervention - Losing in the long run

Losing in the Long Run report, produced by Action for Children, calls for renewed commitment from the Government.

Making young minds matter: Reshaping support services for young people

A new report suggests the reshaping of services is needed.

Improvement Through Inspection?

A personal critique of Ofsted methodology and the implementation of the Single Inspection Framework for Local Authority Children’s Services in Stockport.

A shocking picture of care leavers missing out on suitable mental health support

Research by the leading UK’s children’s charity Barnardos suggests that nearly half of England’s care leavers may be suffering with mental health problems.

The DfE appoints two LA’s to failing Children Services to aid improvement

A decision was made by Justine Greening, Education Secretary, following an Ofsted report found that Tower Hamlets Council was failing to perform.

Proposal to ensure early years teachers head up nurseries in deprived areas

An alliance of early years leaders, academics and charities is recommending to the government to ensure a qualified early years teacher leads all nurseries in deprived areas within the next three years.

Priority for Social Justice & Productivity

A leading committee group of MP’s who explore and challenge government’s policy on children and young people will be focusing on matters surrounding social justice and productivity.

Government Statistics show further cuts on Early Years & Youth Services

A further fall in spending by £112m in a year on early years services.

£20m drive to create alliances and improve children's services

The Department for Education has set aside up to £20m to encourage councils to support each other to improve children's services standards.

Ethnicity facts and figures

For the first time there is a website created which brings together both new and already published official data on racial disparity in one place for the first time.

Social mobility and opportunity areas

The DfE seeking to boost children and young people's life chances in 12 English districts that score poorly on social mobility.

Language as a child wellbeing indicator

Early language acquisition impacts on all aspects of young children’s non-physical development

A Country that Works for all Children

A position paper prepared by ADCS (The Association of Directors of Children’s Services Ltd) explores the impact of different initiatives and policies on children’s lives and outcomes.

Landmark review places family ties at the heart of prison reform

Ministry of Justice welcomes Lord Farmer's recommendations to strengthen family ties to help offenders turn their lives around and protect public safety.

Victims and witnesses will have their experience of going to court made easier through a number of new waiting rooms

Investment in victim and witness waiting room in courts.

National mental and physical health initiative launched in schools

The Active in Mind project launches this month to improve children’s mental health and will be evaluated, and its successes shared, by academics at Leeds Beckett University.

Figures rocket of child-on-child assaults

Police figures reveal almost 30,000 cases which included 2,625 alleged offences on school premises in the last four years.

Good intentions, good enough?

There are over 6,000 children who spend much of their childhood in residential special schools and colleges. A review of the experiences and outcomes of children and young people in residential special schools and colleges has now taken place.

Wendy Weal talks at Community Care Live Conference

Our Director, Wendy Weal presents at the recent Community Care Live conference in Birmingham. It is the largest free social care event featuring popular innovations.

MP Tim Loughton concerned about quiet chief children's social worker

Chief children’s social worker Isabelle Trowler has been criticised for failing to give the post a high enough media or public profile.

Webinar – Research and Evaluation

Please listen to the recent Webinar to hear tips from experts about what to consider in research and evaluation.

Wood Report Review of the role and functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards

See the recent Wood report on a review of the role and functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) within the context of local strategic multi-agency working.

Putting infant mental health in the spotlight

NSPCC has launched a campaign to improve mental health provision for looked-after children under five.

Dentists urge action over 'crisis' in child dental health

Dentists are warning of a "crisis" in child dental after new figures revealed that thousands of children in England had to have decaying teeth removed last year.

Ellie Butler Serious Case Review

A serious case review criticised the family courts for their role.

Manchester Council puts £10m into children’s services

Aiming to lower social worker caseloads by employing 132 members by 2021.

£80m payment-by-results fund to tackle social problems

Projects aimed at improving the life chances of vulnerable children and young people could gain a share of a new £80m government fund that links payments to improved outcomes.

Foundations for life: What works to support parent child interaction in the early years

A report by 'The Early Intervention Foundation'.

ADCS Conference: One in five children’s social workers ‘fail’ accreditation exam

Around 20 per cent of children’s social workers taking part in a trial of a controversial accreditation system did not pass, it has emerged.

ADCS Conference: Timpson announces foster care review

The government is to undertake a national “stocktake” of fostering in order to understand how the system can be improved.

Schools need to teach budgeting and parenting skills MPs say

A report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on hunger and food poverty is calling for the skills to be made a statutory requirement of personal, social and health education (PSHE) in a bid to equip all young people with the ability to prepare meals on a budget.

Consultation launched on reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect

This consultation outlines options for reform of the child protection system in England, specifically in relation to reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect.

Building emotional resilience in the children and families workforce

A report by the University of Bedfordshire outlines the need for policies to support workforce.

Ofsted announces domestic abuse focus for multi-agency inspections

Multi-agency inspections of how services work together to protect children within local authority areas will from next month focus on the quality of support for children living with domestic abuse, Ofsted has said.

A New Perspective on Poverty and Life-Chances

Understanding the links between poverty, interparental relationships, and children's social and emotional skills.

Schools 'should be incentivised' to take on vulnerable children

The chair of the National Association of Virtual School Heads has said that virtual school heads are sometimes told by a head teacher that a school cannot take on a looked-after child because they are full... read more...

Innovation fund opens for anti-radicalisation projects

A total of £1.5m has been set aside by government to fund "innovative" projects that work to prevent young people from being radicalised, it has been announced.

Councils ask for oversight of academy finance

The Local Government Association (LGA) said money earmarked for education in England is too often "disappearing into the back pockets of those in charge" and they are asking to be given powers to monitor the way academies spend government cash to ensure pupils do not miss out on vital funding.

Wilshaw wants councils to take responsibility for school improvement

Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, spoke at the London Councils education summit in central London.

Come back to social work

The DfE have announced a programme to retrain social workers who have left the profession.

DfE dramatically cuts grant funding for children’s charities

Since 2011 the Department for Education grant scheme handed out more than £200m to children's charities. This has now been cut to just £2.25m for the 18-month period up to April 2018

LGA seek more powers for LA’s to oversee home schooling

Leaders call for council to be given more control to crack down on illegal schools and monitor home schooling.

The Damage of Debt

Children's Society study reports on how low well-being and poor mental health are linked to poverty and debt.

Early years taskforce

Labour will launch an early years taskforce in a bid to transform early years provision for families.

£1m social mobility trial

The government is to give £1m to trial a "new approach" to boost social mobility in six councils across England. They will be Blackpool, Derby City and Oldham, Norwich, Scarborough and West Somerset.

Ofsted seeking more CSE focus from police and health services

Inspectors found a large variation in police responses to CSE.

Government shelves controversial Education Bill

Justine Greening has announced that there will be no change to legislation made for the government to achieve its ambition of getting schools to convert to academy status voluntarily.

Social workers reject the government's plans for reform

9/10 social workers think planned reform do not tackle main concerns facing profession.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to stay

Education Secretary confirms Early Years Foundation Stage profile to remain in place for the moment.

Islamist extremism in prisons report

In September 2015 the then Secretary of State for Justice commissioned a departmental review, supported by external expertise... read more...

Breakfast clubs linked to boosting pupil attainment and behaviour

A study by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) found that eating breakfast, or just attending a club, improves academic performance in maths and English of pupils aged six and seven in just two months.

Home raids leaving children traumatised

An estimated 80,000 children each year witness home raids when a parent or family member is arrested but do not receive sufficient support afterwards.

Child protection services – forced to privatise

Councils should be forced to outsource children's services including child protection work in an effort to improve standards

Retain YOTs

The chair of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has urged the government to ensure that councils to keep youth offending teams (YOTs) as part of any reforms to the youth justice system.

Signs of Safety success

Praise by OFSTed for an area using Signs of Safety

Innovation funding announced for 19 children's services departments

The DfE have announced who has been successful to receive £11m of innovation funding.

Ofsted and Local Government Ombudsman share childrens’s services concerns

The two organisations agreed to share information about complaints which in turn will help drive improvements in children’s services.

Children’s Centres Consultation to go ahead

The DfE has indicated that the Children’s Centres consultation is still going ahead, despite the life chances strategy being dropped.

PM pledges review of children’s mental health services

Theresa May announces that a review will be carried out on the children and young people’s mental health services urging an improvement in this area to be a priority.

State of the Nation's Foster Care 2016 report

The Fostering Network has collated the views of foster carers through their State of the Nation survey. They found that ¾ of looked after children in the UK are cared for by foster families, meaning that improving the outcomes for children in care must start with improving foster care.

MoJ has been criticised for 'weak' response to youth justice review

The Ministry of Justice has been criticised for its "weak" response to a major review of youth justice.

Mental Health Services and Schools Link Pilots: Evaluation report

In summer 2015, NHS England and the Department for Education (DfE) jointly launched the Mental Health Services and Schools Link Pilots.

Prisons and Courts Bill

The prisons and courts bill will give governors control over their budgets for education, employment and health and introduce a new system of league tables and performance standards.

£40m for projects to tackle child abuse

A £40m package of measures to help tackle sexual abuse and child trafficking has been announced by the Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

Leed’s Council granted £9.6m to establish children's services 'centre of excellence'

Leeds Council has been awarded £9.6m from the Department for Education's innovation fund.

Internal inclusion units for schools

Tom Bennett (appointed in 2015 to advise the government on behaviour in schools) has call on the government to fund schools to create internal inclusion units to offer targeted early specialist intervention for children with behavioural problems.

Government misses important opportunities to tackle childhood obesity

Government criticised by Members of the Health Select Committee.

£30m to improve children's life chances

The government has announced that £30m will be spent to increase the life chances of children in disadvantaged families by resolving conflict among parents.

Children in care moving too much

Concerns at the high number of looked-after children are being moved about.

Adoption Leadership Board data

Fall in the number of placement orders granted by courts in England.

ADCS response to the NICE guideline on child abuse and neglect

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services Ltd (ADCS) welcomes the opportunity respond to the draft of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) child abuse and neglect guideline.

EIF - refreshed Guidebook

The EIF Guidebook provides information about early intervention programmes that have been evaluated and shown to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Scottish review into children's care system

A "root and branch" review that will look into legislation, practices, culture and ethos of the children's care system in Scotland has launched.

Calls for effective participation practice

A recent strategy aiming to give children and young people a chance to have a voice and with the help of the Youth Justice Board as well as the Beyond Youth Custody programme it will consider the implications for work with young people leaving custody.

Teachers fear Prevent strategy 'stigmatises Muslim students'

School and college staff in England have concerns that the government anti-radicalisation strategy is increasing stigmatisation of Muslim students, research has found.

Report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a fit and healthy childhood

A report on maternal obesity by the All Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) on Fit and Healthy Childhood needs to be revised.

Concerns over the growth of academy status on school-based childcare

Growth of academies could seriously impact of the policy introduced by the Government in 2010.

New publication Parental Mental Health and Child Welfare Work

This Annual brings together different perspectives on success and collaborative working for parental mental health and child welfare professionals.

Our own Wendy Weal has a section (Chapter 11 p75-77) on the schools vulnerability tool.

Councils receive cash to test out youth services

Six local authorities are to receive a share of £200,000 in government funding to test out alternative ways of providing youth services... read more...

Ofsted joint safeguarding inspections

Joint inspections of health, social care and criminal justice services for vulnerable children and young people will launch in February... read more...

MP Tim Loughton supports New Level 4 Training ‘Working with children individuals and families.’

We are delighted that MP Tim Loughton has endorsed our new Level 4 training 'Working with vulnerable children, individuals and families' programme.He has also agreed to write a foreword for the comprehensive learner recourse explaining to learners how valuable their role is in transforming the lives of vulnerable families.

Improvement role for councils

LGA’s Roy Perry says the improvement agenda in children’s services should be led by councils instead of the government threatening to parachute in outside experts and set up independent trusts to oversee children’s social care.

Nursery World Interview with Wendy Weal - New Level 4 certificate for early intervention

London Staff Support / Supervision Training 23-24th November 2015

London Staff support/Supervision Training 23-24th November 2015...

Birmingham Staff Support / Supervision Training 19-20th October 2015

Birmingham Staff support/Supervision Training 19-20th October 2015...

Try our elearning course Tools to support work with children and families

Try our elearning course - Tools to support work with children and families
From only £29 per user - contact us to discuss a discount on multiple licences.

MPs call for urgent changes to pupil premium

MPs call for urgent changes to pupil premium

More needs to be done to ensure the pupil premium improves outcomes for disadvantaged children, a group of MPs has said.

Transfer of public health services for under-fives

Transfer of public health services for under-fives

Parents will see "massive benefits" for their children as a result of responsibility for public health services for under-fives transferring to local authorities, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.

Charities demand government strategy for children of prisoners

Charities demand government strategy for children of prisoners

Brand New Level 4 Training!

We are proud to announce the launch of our new Level 4 training programme - Working with vulnerable children, individuals and families.

Webinar Recording: Brand New Level 4 Training!

We are proud to announce the launch of our new Level 4 training programme - Working with vulnerable children, individuals and families. This includes a recent webinar recording - so be sure to read more...

Concerns over effectiveness of young carer regulations

The DfE has published its response to a consultation around regulatory change on support for young carers outlining changes to ensure councils put young carers at “the heart of the assessment process”. Councils should also have a whole-family approach to supporting young carers and their sick or disabled relatives.

School transition project set for launch

Early years providers are to develop closer working with primary schools in in North Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire with an initiative developed by Pacey (the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years).

Charity seeks 5 year on Neets

It is “essential” that the government creates a five-year plan to help young people navigate their journey from school...read more...

Internet guide for parents

An internet safety guide has been launched to support parents...read more...

Welsh government increased funding for CAMHS

The Welsh government has boosted funding for child and adolescent mental health services...read more...

30-hour free childcare plans ‘unlikely to succeed’

Extending the free childcare offer without first addressing these funding gaps will only exacerbate this problem further...read more...

Early Years Pupil Premium: Guidance for Providers

The Department for Education has published a model form and letter to help providers of early years education identify which children are eligible for the early years pupil premium.

ADCS criticises academies for refusing to take on new pupils

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) argues that too many academies are refusing to take pupils that move into their local area, saying it would not be cost effective for them.

Call to boycott testing of four-year-olds

Schools are being encouraged to boycott new tests for children entering reception classes.

MPs call for compulsory sex education in primary schools

MPs have stated that age-appropriate personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, which includes sex and relationships education (SRE) should be introduced as compulsory subjects in all state primary and secondary schools.

CAMHS cuts blamed for rise in pupils with mental health problems

Survey from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers shows nine out of 10 schools or colleges have had to provide more support to pupils with mental health problems over past two years.

£11m of DfE innovation funding given to 4 areas

Four children’s services initiatives have been awarded a total of £11m from the Department for Education’s Innovation Fund.

Ofsted urge LAs to tackle extremism in schools

Sir Michael Wilshaw told MPs at the education select committee session that councils must have a role overseeing academies in order to prevent further cases of extremism in schools from occurring.

DfE support adopter 'buddy' scheme

People who are keen to adopt will be able to “buddy up” with existing adopters who will mentor them as part of an initiative being backed with £500,000 of government money.

Schools to link up with nurseries to improve standards

More than 60 teaching schools across the country will partner up with local nurseries in an effort to improve the quality of early years education for young children.

Call to boost protection for older teenagers

Research by The Children's Society has found that teenagers aged 16 and 17 are the most at risk of abuse and neglect than any other age group but get the least protection.

Evaluation of Islington’s Early Help Family Support Services

We are delighted to be carrying out an evaluation of the operational, strategic and cost effectiveness of Islington’s Early Help Family Support Services.