Pathways funding axe: What next for children's services leadership training?

What is Pathways?

It is a leadership development programme for children’s social work managers and supervisors led by Frontline, the charity set up by Care Review chair Josh MacAlister in 2013 and best known for its highly successful fast-track social worker training scheme. Pathways was established in 2022 with £10mn from the Department for Education. Although initially funded for two years, it was anticipated this would be extended for a further two years. The scheme replaced Frontline’s previous Firstline and Headline programmes as well as DfE-funded practice leader and practice supervisor development programmes.

Who is it aimed at?

Since 2022, Frontline says that around 1,800 practitioners have participated in the Pathways programme rising to more than 2,000 by July. There are four different modules of leadership training available through the scheme: practice supervisor, middle manager, head of service and practice leader. Training is delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online learning with Foundations – What Works for Children’s Social Care delivering modules on evidence and evaluation at management level. Frontline says demand for places has outstripped supply, with several of the modules having waiting lists.

What’s happened recently?

At a recent education committee meeting, Frontline chief executive Mary Jackson told MPs that the DfE had decided not to renew funding for Pathways for a further two years. In a statement, the charity said the decision was “not based on the quality or impact of the programme but rather due to hard budget decisions and departmental priorities”. Jackson told CYP Now that the DfE’s decision was “incredibly disappointing” and a “retrograde step”.

“For a short-term cost saving of £7.5mn over two years we’re risking people’s opportunity for progression,” she adds.

Was it a surprise?

Yes, says Jackson. “We had been given a lot of assurances that it was just a matter of time [for the Pathways contract to be renewed], and then out of the blue I got email saying it was not,” she explains.

While acknowledging that the DfE funding landscape was difficult, Jackson says having more notice that the contract may not be renewed would have helped Frontline prepare.

“If we’d known this was a genuine possibility three, six months ago, we would have been clear with local authorities about that,” she adds. “In terms of managing the message and planning for the future, it’s been made more difficult for us.”

What impact could it have?

“We’re feeling the impact at Frontline but primarily we’re concerned about the impact on the sector,” Jackson says. “The programme develops social workers’ leadership and ability to innovate, and the reason we do that is to improve the culture and conditions in local authorities so that social workers can work more effectively with children and families.”

Jackson adds that the decision could damage staff retention rates and “cut off” the pipeline of future leaders, which could undermine the long-term quality of children’s social work.

“Pathways is all about relationship-based practice and helping the workforce cope with increasingly complex caseloads,” she explains. “It would have paid dividends for years to come. That pullback risks…not realising that long-term investment in changing the system and making it more effective for social workers.”

How has the sector reacted?

All but 10 of 151 English local authorities had staff who had undertaken training through Pathways and Jackson says since the announcement her inbox has been “overflowing” with messages from “disappointed, frustrated and angry” directors of children’s services.

Nicola Curley, chair of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services workforce policy committee, says: “This short notice ending of funding for the Pathways programme leaves a gap in the support and development opportunities available to future leaders, and so it will be important that the department works with the sector on what comes next to minimise any short-term disruption to the workforce development offer.”

What happens next?

The final Pathways cohort is due to complete training in July. Jackson says that since being informed of the decision Frontline has been working with the DfE to develop a “different solution at reduced cost and scale” but so far none of the proposals have met funding requirements. “We’re hitting a wall of red tape,” she adds.

Frontline is set to meet children’s minister David Johnston in May, but Jackson is realistic about what can be achieved. “Clearly, a decision has been made and I’m not expecting it to be reversed,” she says. “But we hope something can be salvaged from this so that we can take the work forward.”

Are there other options?

“If we can’t salvage something from the programme we’re not going to [leave] this space,” says Jackson, although she admits whatever comes next will take time to organise and fund. “The importance of leadership means that we will always be looking to get funding to help us offer support in this area,” she adds.

“We will ensure it’s at a price point that local authorities can afford given the current climate, which may mean we have to change the programme to meet that – we’re not going to develop something that’s unaffordable.”