A CELCIS Emerging Insight Series Webinar: Reforming Children's Services

In 2023, a ground-breaking study, published by CELCIS, into the integration of public services to improve understanding of service delivery models and their effectiveness in meeting the needs of children and their families, outlined what it takes to make real, long-standing transformational change.  

Public sector reform will always face a backdrop of continuing and ever-moving challenges in investment, capacity and competing policies and priorities. 

With the incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots Law, The Promise of the Independent Care Review, and the Getting it Right for Every Child approach all in place, Scotland has the intention, ambition and will to improve support for children and their families and outcomes for all children and young people.   

A year on from the publication of the Children's Services Reform Research study's Concluding Report, CELCIS began a new series of webinars to take a further look at what the study's findings mean if Scotland is to achieve impactful, meaningful, change and how these themes have been developing.

Leading for Change

Scotland has ambitious policy aspirations for children and families, not least in meeting the hopes enshrined in GIRFEC, The Promise of the Independent Care Review and the UNCRC. Realising these ambitions are complex and prolonged processes. The Children’s Services Reform Research study highlighted that effective leadership is a key foundational element of creating optimal conditions for change. An understanding by leaders of what it takes to achieve such change is vital: without this, the time, space, permissions and resources that are required cannot be built. 

What do the findings of the research tell us about the role of leadership in supporting transformational change and how leaders need to adapt and approach the unique task of making transformative and effective changes real for children, young people and their families and carers? What support do leaders tell us they need?

Join us on 26 March when Dr Heather Ottaway, the study’s Principal Investigator and CELCIS’s Head of Evidence and Innovation, will look at what the research tells us about leadership the context of reforming services. We will be joined by Mike Burns, Programme Director, Child Poverty and Prevention, Glasgow City Council and Lorraine Sanda MBE, Strategic Director (People), Clackmannanshire Council, who will reflect on what it takes for leaders to implement transformational change; and what support leaders need nationally and locally to achieve this. 

There will also be space to take questions from attendees.

Why should I attend?

This series offers attendees the opportunity to:

• Gain insights into the themes and findings of the Children’s Services Reform Research study to understand the significance of these for efforts to reform services.
• Explore where we are now and what it takes to make change happen to provide the essential learning needed for progressing improvements to make transformational and meaningful change in children’s services.

Who should attend?

This webinar is open to everyone with a role and interest in public service reform and improving public services and supporting children, young people and families. This includes:

• National and local policy leads and decision-makers
• Local service commissioners
• Service managers responsible for shaping and delivering key services
• Practitioners in social care, health, and education
• Parents and carers

We welcome participants from Scotland, the rest of the UK, and beyond.