Regional Update – April 2026

From our Co-vice Chair and Workforce and Leadership Sponsor:

I am writing this months, Regional Update following the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and I am sure like me you welcome this time of year where we have the pleasure of all that spring brings and long bank holiday weekends, which means summer is just on the horizon.   So, I am writing this update with lots of positivity. 

On 26th March 2026, DCS’s and members of their senior leadership teams came together at Walsall Football Clubs Bescot Stadium for the annual Senior Leadership Networking and Peer Challenge Event.  This event was held at a pivotal time, with the Every Child Achieving and Thriving (ECAT) White Paper setting out sweeping reforms across education, SEND, prevention and multi-agency practice.  Which coincides with the submission of our Best Start in Life Plans and implementation of Families First for Children reforms.   Whilst there is real opportunity for us to achieve alignment across all of these reform areas, with a real focus on meeting need at the earliest opportunity, to make the biggest differences to the lives of our children and their families, the pressures upon us all and the system in which we work cannot be underestimated.    This is why these opportunities to come together as a region, are so important.  During the day we reflected on these key reforms, identifying barriers, shaping solutions and defining what help and support we need regionally and nationally to support us in our work.

In addition to discussing and considering national reforms we also had opportunity for each Local Authority/Trust area to feedback on their Peer Challenge, where every year two local authority/Trust areas team up and provide constructive feedback and challenge on a key area of practice.  This year Walsall joined forces with Solihull and requested feedback on our work in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Solihull requested constructive feedback on their work to strengthen participation and permanency planning.  It was a great opportunity for our two local authorities to come together, spend time with each other and discuss in detail a key area of practice.  Both local authorities came away with some key areas for further consideration.  Thank you Rasheed and team Solihull for your time and helpful feedback.  It was a pleasure to spend time with you all.   It was clear that from all the different presentations during the morning of the event that everyone equally had a positive experience (apart from Coventry who had the pleasure of their ILAC inspection!).

Finally, we also had a focus on anti-racist practice, and the session was really helpful in reminding us that system change is both structural and personal.  Whilst we work in a system, we all have a responsibility to model behaviours and help shape the culture we lead.   Thank you Sandeep for facilitating this thought provoking session.   

I am mindful that whilst I have covered off the key areas of reform we considered at the Senior Leadership Networking and Peer Challenge Event, we also have further areas of reform to consider as a region.  These include Youth Remand Partnership Reforms, Regional Care Co-Operatives, and Fostering Hubs.  To confirm as a region we are currently discussing and considering these opportunities and will keep you updated.

Finally, I wanted to end by reinforcing the importance of looking after ourselves and each other.  This is an unprecedented time for Children’s Services, with widespread radical reforms across our services. It is very easy to become subsumed in the scale of work currently taking place, but we need to purposefully take time to look after ourselves, to check in with each other and prioritise our well-being.  Be kind to yourself and others.

Kind regards

Colleen Male

Inclusive Management for Neurodiverse Teams:

The Staff College is launching a practical, two‑part virtual workshop for team leaders and managers on inclusive, needs‑led management of neurodivergent staff. Delivered as two half‑day sessions, the programme builds confidence to embed supportive approaches into everyday management, improving communication, supervision, feedback and workload planning. These inclusive practices benefit whole teams by strengthening clarity, consistency and performance.

Cohort 1 is available at a discounted rate of £195 per person.

Find out more and book here.

Opportunity to Support Young People’s Voices:

The University of Birmingham, with partners in Bristol and Kent, is inviting care-experienced young people to take part in the national COLLAGE Study, exploring experiences of seeking mental health support. Young people aged 13–25 can join an anonymous online survey, and those aged 16–25 can opt for a 1:1 online interview, with £25 vouchers available. Please share across your services and networks to help ensure young people’s voices are widely represented.

For more details click here.

Aspirant Directors of Children’s Services programme:

The DCS Leadership programme is now recruiting for the next set of cohorts to join the Aspiring DCS programme. This fully funded programme for aspiring DCSs is designed to grow England's talent pool of future leaders.

The second window of applications for the Aspirant Directors of Children’s Services programme is open until midday on Friday 1^st May 2026.

More information on how to apply is available here; you can also book on a free information webinar.

Contact the Staff College if you have any queries.

Introducing Every Learner Matters:

The Staff College has launched Every Learner Matters, a new global network designed to spark international conversations on inclusion and equity in education. Inspired by global frameworks such as SDG 4 and UNESCO’s Education 2030 ambitions, the network will host one‑hour online discussions spotlighting different national systems. The first session focuses on Australia on 31 March at 8am BST. Participation is free—join the network to stay updated and be part of this important international dialogue.

More details can be found here.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Reunification Conference 2026:

Coventry Children’s Services invite colleagues to the Reunification Conference 2026, a full‑day event focused on effective practice in bringing families back together. Taking place on Tuesday 23^rd June at the University of Warwick Conference Centre, the day will include family voices, innovative reunification practice from across the UK, and interactive workshops with partners including Family Rights Group, CAFCASS and Impower.

Early bird tickets are £89 (until 17^th April), rising to £125.

Find out more and book here.

Principal Social Workers Conference 2026 – 2^nd July - FREE:

Planning is now underway for the 2026 West Midlands Principal Social Workers Conference, scheduled for July 2026.  This year’s theme, “Creating Change”, places lived experience at the heart of the programme.

The conference will be co-produced with and through the voices of those with lived experience, bringing together young people, care‑experienced young adults and parents to shape discussions that matter most to practitioners. Sessions will explore how practitioners can drive meaningful change across practice, culture, and implementation of the forthcoming reforms.

Further details — including programme content and booking information — will be shared in the coming weeks.