ADCS vice president sets out priorities for the year

Steve navigated the Association and membership through arguably one of the most important years in recent times for children’s services with the publication of major reviews in children’s social care and SEND.

As I look to the year ahead, I know I will continue to be inspired by our new president, John Pearce, who has now picked up the baton from Steve and will be a brilliant advocate for children and lead the Association from the front. It’s truly a privilege to be vice president of the Association and I am really looking forward to working with John, and ADCS all members and wider stakeholders as we work to make this a country that works for all children.

When John delivered his inaugural presidential speech earlier this month at Kings Place in London, which is a beautiful venue and one I intend to go back to as a tourist, he laid out our policy priorities for the year ahead.

Presidents have a knack of building on, developing, and taking further forward their immediate predecessors priorities, shaped by co-production with the ADCS Council of Reference, but informed by the values of the incoming president (note to self: remember this approach next year). This means that we see a careful and informed evolution of our ADCS priorities steeped in the political and policy context always focused on improving outcomes for all children and tackling inequalities that have sadly worsened as we have emerged from the pandemic.

In my last blog back in January, I said there was room to be optimistic when looking at the policy landscape ahead. And as ever a ‘glass half full’ person, I still think that’s the case.

ADCS will shortly be publishing its response to the Care Review which was informed by the views and experience of hundreds of our members through a range of consultation events ran on each chapter. There’s much in the government’s implementation plan that will be good for children and was shaped by the constructive and positive dialogue the Association has with the Department for Education. ADCS and DfE are still not on the same page when it comes to how we best tackle the placement sufficiency crisis, and we need to come together to try and resolve this in the year ahead; a one size fits all structural solution simply won’t work.

That all said, the government’s Illegal Migration Bill is where my sense of optimism instantly wanes. If this becomes law it will drive a coach and horses through the 1989 Children Act. We are making these points very clearly and will continue to do so as champions and advocates for all children. It’s really important the Home Office listen to our serious concerns about what this legislation means for children.

I’m going to end on a positive. Back to the optimism. Back to the reason all of my fellow directors of children’s services and I do the job, because we are ambitious and want the best for children. I know in the year ahead we will continue this endeavour together.

Andy Smith is strategic director of people services at Derby City Council and vice president of the ADCS. This blog was first published on the ADCS website.