In advance of the Budget and with the three-year spending review on the horizon, CYP Now alongside the Centre for Young Lives, held a panel discussion for sector leaders on how the new government should address key challenges facing children's services over this parliament.

The event, sponsored by Peopletoo and held at the Evidence Quarter in London, was attended by around 50 senior decision makers from local authorities, the voluntary sector and independent service providers.

The panel discussion, chaired by CYP Now editor Derren Hayes, included contributions from Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington and chair of the Independent Review of Children's Social Care; Anne Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former children's commissioner for England; councillor Arooj Shah, chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board; and Mark Jupp, director of children's services at Peopletoo.

Editor Derren Hayes and online editor Fiona Simpson discuss key issues arising from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, whether a commissioner's decision not to implement a trust model at an "inadequate" local authority signals the end of the practice and what Ofsted scrapping single-phrase judgments means for the sector. Experts share their views on key developments in policy and practice in services for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

This episode of the CYP Now Podcast is sponsored by CACI.

In this episode:

• Latest news from across the children and young people's sector
• CYP Now's hero and villain of the month.
• Special report debate on the problems with access to SEND support which is highlighted by a surge in cases being taken to the SEND Tribunal featuring Amanda Allard, strategic director at the Council for Disabled Children, academic Dr Sue Soan and Marcus Le Brocq, principal consultant at CACI

Useful links:

• October edition of CYP Now: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news/in-october-s-cyp-now-boosting-adoption-inspection-changes-send-special
• What Ofsted's scrapping of single-phrase inspection judgments means for providers: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news/in-october-s-cyp-now-boosting-adoption-inspection-changes-send-special
• Commissioner rejects 'costly and time consuming' trust model for Tameside's children's services: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news/commissioner-rejects-costly-and-time-consuming-trust-model-for-tameside-s-children-s-services
• Special Report: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/features/special-report-special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-2

Podcast music is 'Passion' by AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-passion-127011/

Editor Derren Hayes and online editor Fiona Simpson discuss key challenges for the youth work sector arising from UK-wide riots during the summer, criticism of free schools and a Department for Education warning over a "critical" shortage of social workers over the next decade and a special report on policy developments in children's residential care.

In this episode:

• CYP Now's hero and villain of the month.
• Special report debate on whether supported accommodation will ever be seen as an acceptable option for children in care rather than a last resort featuring Ofsted's national director of social care Yvette Stanley, Carolyne Willow, chief executive of charity Article 39 and David Thompson, chair of the National Association of Supported Accommodation Partners.
• Become's Clare Bracey discusses why the charity is campaigning for an end to children in care being placed miles from their local area.

Useful links:

• September edition of CYP Now: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news/in-september-s-cyp-now-youth-work-riot-response-children-s-residential-care-policy-cyp-now-awards-shortlist
• Youth workers' riot response: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/analysis/riot-response-youth-workers-will-be-crucial-for-healing-communities
• Residential care policy review: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/features/special-report-childrens-residential-care-key-policy-updates

Podcast music is 'Passion' by AlexiAction via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-passion-127011/