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/

• Editor Derren Hayes and online editor Fiona Simpson discuss key measures for children and families services in the King's Speech, what the reorganisation of the Department for Education means for special educational needs and disabilities policy, and changes to ministerial portfolios.
• Reporter Amrit Virdi shares sector leaders' reaction to the launch of the SEND curriculum review.
• CYP Now's hero and villain of the month.
• Special report debate on whether family hubs can fill the void left by the closure of more than 1,000 children's centres in the past decade featuring contributions from Matthew Dodd, head of policy and public affairs at National Children's Bureau and Claire Meek, deputy director of services and innovation at Family Action.

Useful links:

• August edition of CYP Now: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/in-august-s-cyp-now-labour-s-key-policies-kinship-care-family-support-special
• SEND policy review: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/analysis/article/send-inclusion-in-mainstream-schools-key-to-dfe-reorganisation
• Family support and family hubs special report: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/features/article/special-report-family-support-and-family-hubs

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

Sound effect is 'Clock Ticking Sound with 360 Panning SFX' byhansonfeodor_official via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/clock-ticking-sound-with-360-panning-sfx-173484/

In this edition of the CYP Now podcast:

• CYP Now's editor Derren Hayes and online editor Fiona Simpson assess the impact of the general election result for children's services, key policies the new government should prioritise and what social problems sector leaders want to see addressed.
• BBC journalist and presenter Ashley John-Baptiste speaks to Amrit Virdi about his new book documenting his experiences of the care system.
• Special report debate: will opening up the family courts to media scrutiny improve decisions for children? Featuring contributions from Lisa Harker, director of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory; Somia Siddiq, co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Children; and Yvonne Wilson, chair of children's guardians body Nagalro.

Useful links:

• July edition of CYP Now https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/in-july-s-cyp-now-family-courts-and-care-proceedings-calls-for-next-government-inside-family-hubs
• Ashley John-Baptiste interview https://www.cypnow.co.uk/features/article/interview-ashley-john-baptiste-bbc-journalist-and-presenter
• Children's charities on issues for the next government https://www.cypnow.co.uk/features/article/children-s-charities-on-issues-the-next-government-must-prioritise
• Special report: Family courts and care proceedings https://www.cypnow.co.uk/features/article/special-report-family-courts-and-care-proceedings

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

In this special edition of the CYP Now podcast:

• CYP Now online editor Fiona Simpson and reporter Amrit Virdi examine key manifesto pledges for children and young people from the three main parties.
• A look at what sector leaders want to see from the next government
• Young people's views on manifesto pledges, votes at 16 and political education in schools.

Useful links:

• Key party manifesto pledges for the children and young people's sector: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/general-election-2024-key-party-manifesto-pledges-for-the-children-and-young-people-s-sector
• What the children and young people's sector wants to see from the next government: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/general-election-2024-what-the-children-and-young-people-s-sector-wants-to-see-from-the-next-government

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

In this edition of the CYP Now Podcast:

• News roundup: a rundown of the top stories from across the children's services sector, including reaction to early campaigning in the General Election and what charities want to see in the party's manifestos.
• Highlights from the June edition of CYP Now magazine: behind the doors of Oasis Restore, the UK's first secure school; and a visit to a London primary to see how a programme teaches students ways to respond to sexual harassment in school.
• Hero and villain of the month.
• Special report debate: will regional care co-operatives solve the shortage of care places? Featuring contributions from Harvey Gallagher, chief executive of the National Association of Fostering Providers; Rob Finney, chief operating officer at Tristine Healthcare; and Kevin Gallagher, managing director of Amberleigh Care.

Useful links:

• June edition of CYP Now: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/in-june-s-cyp-now-secure-school-leadership-diversity-care-commissioning
• Scheme tackles harassment in schools: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/analysis/article/scheme-tackles-harassment-in-schools
• UK's first secure school opens after years of debate and delay: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/analysis/article/uk-s-first-secure-school-opens-after-years-of-debate-and-delay
• Making children's services leadership more diverse: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/features/article/making-children-s-services-leadership-more-diverse
• SEND Summit: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/conferences

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

Sound effect is 'Clock Ticking Sound with 360 Panning SFX' byhansonfeodor_official via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/clock-ticking-sound-with-360-panning-sfx-173484/

In this edition of the CYP Now Podcast:

• News roundup: a rundown of the top stories from across the children's services sector, including how scrapping funding for the Pathways programme will damage the development of children's social care leaders of the future.
• Events: at the launch of Anne Longfield's new book that highlights how drugs gangs are targeting younger children to exploit; and at an emotional reception to mark the publication of Free Loaves on Fridays which details care-experienced people's stories.
• From the May edition of CYP Now magazine: Spotlight on national and local initiatives to make childminding a more attractive career.
• Hero and villain of the month
• Special report debate: does AI pose a risk to children's services? Featuring Kevin Yong, head of consultancy at Coram; Andy Coulter, Teams technical specialist at Microsoft and Sean Manzi, senior data specialist at Dartington Services Design Lab.

Useful links:

• May edition of CYP Now: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/in-may-s-cyp-now-childminder-sos-digital-solutions-in-children-s-services-byc-closure
• SEND Summit: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/conferences

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

Sound effect is 'Clock Ticking Sound with 360 Panning SFX' by hansonfeodor_official via Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/clock-ticking-sound-with-360-panning-sfx-173484/