Regional Update – June 2026

From Herefordshire’s DCS:

I am writing this month’s Regional Update as we move further into the summer period. With longer days and some welcome sunshine, I hope there is at least a small opportunity for colleagues to take a breath and recharge, even as we continue to navigate what remains a very busy and demanding time across Children’s Services.

Across the region, there is a great deal of activity underway, much of it focused on major areas of reform that will shape our work for some time to come. As Alison reflected last month, SEND continues to be a central priority, but alongside this we are also seeing significant developments across youth justice, care sufficiency and wider system reform—but I’m not telling you anything you don’t already live and breathe every day!

The publication of the recent Youth Justice White Paper sets out a clear ambition, I think we will all agree—to strengthen early intervention, improve outcomes for children on the edge of the justice system, and build a more coherent and child-centred approach across agencies. For us in the West Midlands, this aligns closely with the direction of travel already underway, particularly through our partnership working with police, health and youth justice colleagues. While there will no doubt be challenges in implementation, it also presents an opportunity to build on the strong foundations that already exist across the region.

And there’s more! Alongside this, we recently submitted our Expression of Interest for the West Midlands Regional Care Co-operative. This represents a significant collective endeavour across all fourteen local authorities and our partners. The bid reflects not only the scale of the sufficiency challenges we face, but also the maturity of our regional collaboration and our shared ambition to improve placement stability, strengthen local provision and enable more children to remain closer to home. A huge thank you to Sally, Paul, David and Andy for leading this, and on behalf of us all I want to take this opportunity to thank colleagues across the region for the considerable work that has gone into developing such a strong and ambitious proposal. We do not expect to hear the outcome until at least July—let’s all get those fingers crossed!

Looking ahead to the coming months, we are about to launch this year’s Team Excellence Awards, with nominations opening shortly ahead of the 18^th September event. This continues to be an important and valued opportunity for every authority to showcase the work of an outstanding team and to recognise the real difference they make for children and families across our region. I would strongly encourage colleagues to take the time to highlight and celebrate the teams whose work so often goes unseen but has such a profound impact.

As ever, in the midst of business as usual, colleagues continue to respond to inspection activity, ongoing reform programmes and day-to-day operational pressures with professionalism, resilience and a strong commitment to children and families. The strength of our regional network remains one of our greatest assets, particularly at a time when the pace and scale of change can feel significant—cue applause all round!

Thank you, as always, for your continued commitment and collaboration.

Kind regards,

Tina Russell

The King’s Birthday Honours List:

We are delighted to congratulate Sukriti Sen, DCS at Coventry City Council, on being awarded a CBE. This national honour recognises her exceptional leadership and dedication to improving outcomes for children and families. Sukriti’s impact is felt across Coventry and the wider West Midlands, and her achievement reflects the strength of our region’s children’s services leadership.

Andy Couldrick:

A significant moment as Andy Couldrick concludes nine years with Birmingham Children’s Trust. His leadership has shaped the organisation and delivered lasting benefits across the West Midlands, strengthening collaboration and improving outcomes for children and families.

We thank Andy for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.

Families First:

FFP Communities of Practice are hosting a Shropshire Council Transformation Plan webinar on 9 July, 2.00–3.00pm via MS Teams. Shropshire colleagues will share their single, integrated transformation approach, aligning Best Start in Life Family Hubs, Families First Partnership, SEND reforms, and Youth Transformation. The session will explore the context, approach, benefits, challenges, and key reflections.

To attend, please contact the Regional Team.

Emotionally Intelligent Leadership:

The Staff College’s new Emotionally Intelligent Leadership programme supports public service leaders to strengthen relational leadership and build trust in complex environments. Blending practical coaching approaches with emotional intelligence, the programme focuses on improving everyday conversations, enhancing self-awareness, and creating more accountable, human-centred cultures. Delivered through a flexible hybrid model, it includes virtual sessions, in-person learning, and optional coaching support to embed practice. Participants will develop skills in listening, reflective practice, and intentional communication, enabling them to lead with clarity and compassion while shaping positive team cultures and improving outcomes across their organisations.

For more details follow this link.

Innovate and Grow MACPT Future Model Workshop: 

Plans are continuing for the upcoming Innovate and Grow MACPT Future Model Workshop taking place on 20^th July. Developed following feedback from the regional Community of Practice, the workshop will focus on the development of MACPT and how the model can continue to grow in a practical, consistent and sustainable way across local systems. The session will bring together strategic and operational colleagues, including team managers and key partners involved, to share learning, reflect on practice and explore how MACPT is working in different areas. Building on the wider Families First Pathfinders, the day is intended to be practical and collaborative, with clear outcomes and learning that can support ongoing local development.

Creating Sufficiency Within a Reformed, Regionalised System:

Regional colleagues may wish to note a forthcoming senior leadership forum hosted by Coram (29 June, London) on regional sufficiency within a reformed system. Aimed at DCSs, ADs, commissioners and providers, the session will explore how regional collaboration and commissioning can improve placement stability, what is working in practice, and current system constraints. The event will feature sector leaders and offer focused discussion on actionable steps to strengthen sufficiency across regions.

For more detail, please follow this link.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

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

The Principal Social Worker Network Annual Conference 2026, themed “Creating Change – what makes a difference?”, brings together social workers, practitioners, leaders, and families for a collaborative day in Coventry. The event focuses on co-production, inclusive practice, and effective communication with children, young people, and families. Featuring interactive workshops, experiential learning, and sessions co-produced with individuals with lived experience, it aims to inspire meaningful, practice-led change. Attendees will have opportunities to reflect, share insights, and develop practical approaches to improve frontline practice and outcomes across the West Midlands.

For more details, and to book visit this link.

Save the Date – Anti Racist Conference:

Please save the date for our Regional Anti Racist Conference on Wednesday 4th November.

This event is aimed at senior leaders across the Social Care Directorate and will provide an opportunity to come together to strengthen our collective commitment to anti racist practice, share learning and explore how we can continue to lead meaningful change across our services.

Further details, including the agenda and venue, will be shared soon.