Regional Update – May 2025
- paulmartin.brewster
- May 23
- 6 min read
From Sandwell MBC’s Director of Children and Education and our incoming Strategic Commissioning Network Sponsor:
Welcome to this month’s newsletter – time for a more outward focus.
As I reflect on my first full year in post, I look back at twelve months of necessary focus on Sandwell but now look forward to engaging much more fully in regional work and take on the role of sponsor for the West Midlands Regional Commissioning Network (RCN). It’s energising to be stepping back into this collaborative space — especially at such a pivotal moment for children’s commissioning.
It’s certainly an interesting, if challenging, time to step into this role. Pressures across the placement market remain intense, with continued demand for suitable provision and a lack of placement sufficiency creating significant strain for local authorities. This context makes our regional collaboration more critical than ever.
One of the most significant developments shaping our work is the proposal for Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs), set out in the white paper Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive. As highlighted in Children and Young People Now (April 2025), the ambition for these cooperatives is to bring greater strategic coordination to placements and foster care services, placing a stronger emphasis on regional decision-making and long-term stability. The move signals a clear shift in direction and offers both opportunities and challenges for all of us working in this space.
However, the April 2025 poll in CYP Now revealed that many leaders remain cautious about the implementation of RCCs. The key concerns include:
Implementation Challenges: Whether the proposed timelines and structures are realistic, given the complexities involved in establishing RCCs.
Resource Allocation: Whether sufficient resources will be allocated to support the development and sustainability of RCCs.
Impact on Local Autonomy: Whether RCCs will erode local decision-making powers, potentially leading to a one-size-fits-all approach that may not suit the diverse needs of different regions.
Workforce Implications: How RCCs will affect the existing workforce, including potential changes in roles and responsibilities.
These are all issues for us to work through together in the West Midlands. I’m also particularly interested to see how the Regional Leaders Group being formed by the South-East and Greater Manchester RCCs, with support from Mutual Ventures, develops. This new forum is designed to enable open sharing of experiences, challenges, and lessons from those already embarking on regional commissioning arrangements. I anticipate that insights from this group will be valuable to us as we consider our own regional ambitions.
Closer to home, I’m really pleased to hear that the Strategic Commissioning Network (SCN) is planning to refocus this autumn, with a regional conference scheduled for September. This will be a timely opportunity for us to come together, reflect on our shared priorities, and align on future plans in light of the fast-evolving landscape.
Finally, I want to express our thanks to Natasha Moody - who has chaired the SCN with such dedication and expertise over recent years - and to Isabel Vanderheeren, who is now stepping in to this role.
I look forward to working more closely with many of you over the coming months.
Kind regards
Sally Giles
Research into the Experiences of Foster Carers who look after children with Autism and/or ADHD:
We have been contacted by Prithvi Perepa from University of Birmingham who is doing a small project with colleagues from Ways for Wellbeing, which is a charity focused on advocacy work. The project is funded by Research Better Together. The focus of the project is to understand the experiences of foster carers who look after children with autism and/or ADHD. As part of the project, they will be conducting some focus groups with foster carers across Birmingham and also one focus group with professionals working with foster carers.
They are looking for a member with a social work/care background to join their advisory group. The advisory group is likely to meet three times across the course of the project.
If you know of a colleague, with experience of working with foster carers, who will be interested in being part of the advisory group, can you please pass their details to Prithvi Perepa.
SAFEBED Research:
We have also been contacted by a research team at Aston University who are investigating the use of enclosed bed designs (sometimes referred to as 'safe sleeping spaces') in children with intellectual disability.
They are looking for children aged 3-11 who have an intellectual disability/autism and/or a genetic syndrome who are on the pathway to receiving an enclosed bed. They are also looking for caregivers who have used an enclosed bed with an individual they care for at any point in the last two years (they don't still have to be using the bed).
Caregivers who have used an enclosed bed at any point in the last two years will be invited to participate in a two-hour focus group with up to five other caregivers to discuss their experience of bed assessment and implementation.
All data will be collected by the Aston University research team, the role of the local authority will only be to identify eligible participants. If you are able to support the research team with identifying suitable participants, please contact Sandra Prew.
Families First Programme – Regional Peer Support:
I am supporting the region to bring together leads involved in implementing the Families First Programme (FFP), part of the discussion will focus on strengthening peer support through collective visits to local authorities. These visits will provide an opportunity to share learning, observe delivery, and support each other in embedding this important reform. If you are planning any visits linked to FFP, please let me know so we can coordinate where possible.
The first regional FFP session will take place on 18 June – I look forward to seeing you there.
Sandeep Virk - Senior Officer
Women in Leadership:
The Staff College’s Women in Leadership Programme Cohort 20 in London is officially available to book! Register today to accelerate your career!
Key details:Dates: Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th October 2025 (In Person)Location: Clayton Hotel Chiswick, 626 Chiswick High Rd, Hounslow W4 5RYPrice: £895 + VAT
For more details and to book, click here.
Aspirant DCS leadership development programme:
The Staff College have commenced recruitment for the next round of the national Aspirant DCS leadership development programme, there will be a final recruitment window between May and June 2025 with onboarding during the Summer and the first residential in late September.
As always, they are keen to attract a diverse range of applicants in terms of protected characteristics as well as professional background.
For more details, including how to apply, can be found here.
Upcoming Conferences and Events
Principal Social Worker Conference 2025: Thinking Family and Permanence from First Contact - FREE:
This year’s Principal Social Worker Conference is on 19th June. Booking is now open to all social care staff; however places are limited by local authority area. If you, or members of your team, want to attend please coordinate with your PSW.
To book, please click here.
Age Assessment training – April to July – FREE:
West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership are facilitating a series of Age Assessment training sessions, delivered by the National Age Assessment Board.
Sessions will be delivered in person, at the City of Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RL.
Details can be found please find the webpage here and to book, use the links below.
Team Managers/Decision Makers Session – session is delivered in one day
Reunification Conference – 26th June: Coventry are hosting a Reunification Conference Since we launched their Reunification Project in 2021, they have had lots of interest nationally and want to take the opportunity to share what has worked in Coventry, the voices of families who have been part of the project and bring together some leading voices on reunification nationally. With the focus on reunification within the Families for Children First Reforms, this will be a day which will support practice which brings families back together.
For more detail click here.
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