Case studies

Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service run a very successful annual Summer Reading Challenge. Early Years practitioners in Staffordshire reported a negative impact on the development of early speech and language as a result of the pandemic. The Mini Summer Reading Challenge seemed an ideal programme to support parents and settings with early speech and language in the home learning environment.

Collaborating with Children’s Services in the LGA Family Hubs Peer Review, Dorset Library Service began to explore how we could develop our contribution to the Best Start in Life* and Dorset Council’s: Our Children, Young People’s and Families Plan 2020-2023.

Leicester sees T Levels as an entry to employment for young people. The council has used learning from apprenticeships and the Kickstart Scheme to put in place robust systems and support for team managers and students undertaking industry placements.

‘Grow our own’ is an important ethos at Somerset Council. T Level placements are one element of a variety of early career routes into the council, and T Level opportunities are making the council an attractive local employer to young people.

Over 140 Ukrainian families attended holiday playschemes in Cambridgeshire over the summer holidays.

Gloucestershire County Council has taken a dynamic and innovative approach to recruitment and retention of social workers which has driven increased stability in the workforce to achieve better outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Education Partnership North East provide a range of T Levels and have successfully worked with Sunderland Council and local businesses to produce successful outcomes.

Theatre Tracks is an innovative dance and drama project focusing on community safety themes which supports cared for children in Tameside.

A dedicated team has been set up in Derby to support children from asylum-seeking families. It is part of the 0-19 Derby Integrated Family Health Service and involves two public health nurses dually qualified as health visitors and school nurses, a family health practitioner and child practitioner. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system and includes case studies from across the country focussed on how they provide an invaluable role to children.

In many areas school-based immunisation programmes are run separately from 5-19 Healthy Child Programme services, but that is not the case in Stockport where the HPV, the teenage three-in-one booster and MenACWY vaccines programmes are delivered by the service. The approach has helped ensure high uptake of immunisations and meant the service was well placed to respond to the demands placed on it by the pandemic. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system.