I am not sure why some local authorities are stopping staff from accessing the internet. The Click Guide to Children’s Services is a free downloadable resource which, for the first time, brings together the wide range of resources for looked after children. It is a rich source of knowledge and information and demystifies the complexity of children’s services as well as being a signpost for useful online resources.

It appears that MessageLabs (an email filtering service that a lot of organisations are using) have marked our email messages as SPAM. We would advise you to contact your IT department asking them to ‘white list’ www.shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk or add the email address info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk to the approved senders list. IT departments should know what to do to make it happen.

If your local authority does not have a social media policy it is worth looking at the trailblazer Blackburn with Darwen guidance.

Contact us – we can help your local authority develop a social networking policy

The Click Guide to Children’s Services is our contribution to promoting joined up thinking across the care sector. We are now working on Guides to Personalisation and Workforce Development (which are due to be published November 2010).

Tags: Click Guide to Children's Service's, encouraging innovation, integrated working, shirley ayres consulting

“The challenges confronting children and young people in the care system are complex. Their health and well-being depend on the contribution of many different professionals who are not always aware of the organisations and resources that are available. We want to challenge the organisational ‘silos’, and ensure that everyone has access to quality information and resources which enable informed choices to be made about the appropriate support for young people in care ”.  Shirley Ayres Publisher and Author ~ Click Guide to Children’s Services  

For the first time a free-to download, innovative guide brings together the wider resources for looked after children. The Click Guide to Children’s Services has been welcomed by child care practitioners, voluntary organisations and private companies who want to improve the well-being of children. The Click Guide to Children’s Services has been published to support a more joined up approach to services for vulnerable children and young people.

The Guide features live links to hundreds of web based resources and is a signpost for useful information including:

• Research reports and policy initiatives
• Advocacy and support services
• Good Practice guides

The Click Guide to Children’s Services is an essential tool for anyone supporting children and young people in care.

The Click Guide originated from a growing awareness that, while many fantastic resources are available to support children in care, information about these resources is often difficult to find and spread across different sources on the internet. The wider audience for the Guide includes foster carers, adoptive parents, social entrepreneurs developing new services, and young people themselves. For the benefit of these users the Guide includes further information about how children’s services work, and the roles of the various national, regional and local bodies.

Obtain the Guide here http://shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk/clickguide  and receive regular updates.

The Guide is also available to purchase as a printed book 

Shirley Ayres Consulting work with a wide range of organisations developing innovative solutions for managing knowledge to deliver quality care services. We believe that in the 21st century organisations need to find different ways to engage excite and energise their stakeholders. This doesn’t just mean communicating well – it means having a good story to tell. Our in-depth knowledge of social work and social care combined with expertise in communications and social networking provides unique perspectives for promoting integrated working across the care sector. This guide is the first in a series which will support joined-up thinking about information and knowledge across adults and children’s services.
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Tags: be inspired, health and well being, integrated working, looked after children, shirley ayres consulting

“Attention has become the scarce resource of the information economy”

One of my favourite sayings because it is a reality that there is so much information available on the internet that it can become overwhelming. Every organisation I am connected with now sends out an e-Letter. Improving access to, and use of, knowledge and information has been identified as a priority for improving care services. But identifying the resources which will add value to your knowledge and skills is a major challenge.

The national Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) provides information and intelligence to improve decision-making for high quality, cost effective services. It supports policy makers, commissioners, managers, regulators, and other health stakeholders working on children’s, young people’s and maternal health. One of the key roles for ChiMat is to act as a signposting organisation for relevant work in the areas of children, young people’s and maternal health and to identify and support potential synergies in national work between government departments and other agencies.

The ChiMat Knowledge Update is one e-Bulletin that I always read. This free online resource provides a snapshot of current issues, news, research, policy and practice across the wide area of children and young people’s services. It is an excellent example of joined up thinking in health and social care. 

Sign up for the weekly ChiMat Knowledge Update here

Recent Knowledge Updates have included information about:

National Indicators datasets
Access to information about national indicators which range from National Indicator 58 – Emotional Behaviour of Looked After Children through to National Indicator 62 – The percentage of children looked after at 31 March with three or more placements subsequently adopted in that placement. Access the ChiMat Data Atlas here

In the News
Community Care: BASW brands integrated children’s system a failure
The British Association of Social Workers has branded the implementation of the computerised integrated children’s system (ICS), which records details of children receiving social care, a “systematic failure”. Access the article here

CWDC: Dawn Primarolo launches Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme
An important chapter for the young people’s workforce, and those it serves, begins today, as Children and Young People’s Minister, Dawn Primarolo launches the Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme. Access more information here

Supporting social care for families and children: An introduction to SCIE’s resources
A new booklet presenting SCIE’s range of resources for families and children’s social care. Access here

BASW and ADCS call for no-blame approach in SCRs
Social workers and directors of children’s services have called for serious case reviews to use a no-blame “systems approach” as developed by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. Access here

Hidden Children –separated children at risk
Professionals ‘missing opportunities’ to help hidden children exploited for sex and forced labour. Children and young people trafficked into the UK, or exploited after their arrival, are struggling to get help from authorities responsible for their welfare, according to new research from The Children’s Society. Access more information here  
 
Guides and Practice
Commercial and Procurement Skills for Commissioners of Children’s Services
This page links to a set of guidance documents designed to help commissioners understand and apply commercial and procurement skills in their work. The documents cover the key principles of procurement, an overview of both strategic procurement and the contracting process, an overview of resource mapping and a basic jigsaw tool designed to help commissioners understand the key principles of change management.  Access here 

Policy and Reports
Community engagement key to Enfield’s JSNA strategy
The London Borough of Enfield has teamed up with the local primary care trust (PCT), NHS Enfield. They have placed community engagement at the heart of their joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA). This cas study gives an account of this process and includes key learnings for other councils. Access here

Meeting the specific needs of children with disabilities
The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes presents the latest guidance on the importance of ‘differentiated’ services for disabled children. Access here  

Research
Exploring family environment characteristics and multiple abuse experiences among homeless youth
A qualitative study of homeless youth to examine how they describe past instances of abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and to explore family characteristics in their home environment. Identifies themes relating to the home environment, such as home instability, abandonment and substance abuse; also identifies themes around abuse, including intrafamilial abuse, rejection and carer abuse.
Access here

Consultations
Safeguarding Targets and Indicators
The National Safeguarding Delivery Unit (part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families) has launched a consultation on Safeguarding Targets and Indicators. Deadline for responses is 8 December 2009. Access here

Events and Training
Five Years On: What’s Changed for Children and Young People?
London, 8 December 2009
Participation Works and 11 Million are holding a one-day conference to review the changes that have taken place since the Children Act 2004. The conference will identify what has worked well and what still needs to be done to ensure that the views and opinions of children and young people help to shape and influence policy and practice. This is a unique opportunity to find out what works in participation and help you to meet the duty to listen to and involve children and young people and to champion their interests. Access more information here

Shirley Ayres Consulting are committed to development through communication in the care sector. With extensive experience in knowledge management and communications we believe that a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, up-to-date with the latest legislation, policy and best practice, enables staff to make the most effective use of their time. This promotes the best outcomes for children, young people, their families and carers.

Tags: advanced social work practice, apho.org.uk, ChiMat, cwdc, DCSF, health and social care, health and well being, integrated working, knowledge management, research, scie, Social Work

The new regulations for Direct Payments came into force on the 9th of November 2009. To coincide with this change, Cheryl Lewis and Marcia White, on behalf of the Department of Health Personalisation team, have thoroughly overhauled the Direct Payments Solution set. It can now be located in the Personalisation toolkit under the topic heading Direct Payments. Click here

The Direct Payments Solution Set is an online resource aimed at sharing what works through examples and resources produced by people with experience. It will help others promote and provide direct payments, both where personal budgets are available and where they have yet to be introduced.  The Solution Set will be updated regularly.

In conjunction with the Direct Payments Solution Set, the Direct Payments Uptake Group DP is a private group to enable members of all regional Direct Payments groups to share a single message space. Click here to join the DP Solution Set Yahoo Group

Did you know about the DH Care Networks? This very useful online resource provides information around integration and whole system reform, housing with care, assistive technology and partnership working. Click here for more information

Shirley Ayres Consulting, in conjunction with Cheryl Lewis, have developed a Direct Payments Training programme for managers and staff to explore how Direct Payments support Personalisation, Self Directed Support, Individual Budgets and Personal Budgets. For more information contact info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk

Tags: cheryl lewis, Department of Health, DH Care Networks, Direct Payments, personalisation, Putting People First, research, Resource Allocation System, Self Directed Support, shirley ayres consulting, Social Work

 Statutory Guidance on Promoting the Health and Well Being of Looked After Children (November 2009). This statutory guidance replaces the version published in 2002 which was statutory on local authorities. The revised guidance is statutory on local authorities and also Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. There have been a number of criticisms about the implementation of the 2002 Guidance which are addressed in this publication. Access this publication  

You may also find it useful to refer to the recent Government office for London publication “Promoting the Health and Well being of London’s Looked After Children: Learning from Emerging Practice” which details how Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts are addressing the challenges of ensuring that the health and well being needs of children in care are met. Access this publication

The National Commissioning Framework: Consultation Document (November 2009). This National Commissioning Framework (NCF) is now published for consultation. The consultation runs until 17:00 on 5th February 2010, and will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to review the proposed approach and feed in comments. The final version of the NCF will be published, subject to legislation, by the Young People’s Learning Agency, in April 2010. Access this publication 

 The Government Response to the 5th Annual Report of Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group (November 2009). This response to Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group’s annual report reflects the continuing high priority given to teenage pregnancy over the last years and sets out a number of steps the Government has taken to help local authorities and Primary Care Trusts to accelerate their local strategies. Access this publication

DCSF Publications can be viewed, downloaded and ordered through the Online Publications Shop. If you register  as a user you can order hard copies – paper-based, CDs and videos - some of which are free.

Tags: Care Matters, commissioning, DCSF, improving children's services, integrated working, looked after children, Social Work

For years project management software has been about charts, graphs, and stats. Has it worked? sadly pictures and numbers don’t get projects done.  Basecamp tackles project management from an entirely different angle: With a focus on communication and collaboration. Basecamp brings people together. Basecamp is a web-based project-management tool developed by 37signals.
All projects undertaken by Shirley Ayres Consulting use Basecamp which is intuitive and easy to use for everyone. Our philosophy is to encourage collaboration and networking amongst individuals and across organizations.

We are also supporting and following closely the development of the IDeA (Improvement and Development Agency) Communities of Practice which encourages sharing and networking.

If you would like to join one of our current open projects which include Developing a Resource Bank for Learning and Development in Children and Adult Services and eLearning for Social Care email info@shirleyayresconsulting.co.uk with the subject line “Open Projects”

For more information about Basecamp http://www.basecamphq.com
For more information about IDeA  http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/forum/networking-gateway.do

Tags: collaboration, networking, stakeholders