What a difference a year makes

Yet the challenges I wrote about in my last blog a year ago; racial disparities in outcomes for children and families, the limits on the opportunities for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues, and the need to listen to and be inspired by the people with whom we work, are writ larger now than ever.

In London, we have been working hard to learn from the experiences of the last six months of working through Covid, to make sure we shape new ways of working that do not allow us to slip back unthinkingly to our previous state. Directors of children’s services have met for ‘recovery workshops’ to reflect on our shared experiences of leading through the emergency. We have recognised that in our work together through the Covid period we have strengthened our relationships at a regional and sub-regional level and are better for it. Our networks for practice leaders in social care, youth justice, schools and special educational needs and disabilities have all met to learn and plan for recovery together.