Someone said to me recently ‘you live & breathe this stuff’. The subject? Reviews. It was meant as a compliment, I think. It’s true & I have no plan to change that. SILP was registered as a trademark in 2012. It’s more than a process, it’s a movement. It led me to establish a community of conscious review professionals who know learning & improvement work can get better. They care deeply & think about reviews & also the power of sector led improvement.

Come & join me in season 2 of the podcast. It’s where the powerful conversations are happening. Comment LEARNING if you’ll be listening. ... See more

Given the recent cuts to the standard element of Universal Credit will be cut, pressure on family budgets will increase - an estimated £6bn a year taken from households.

There is a £2bn partial rescue package for workers, but this is still a £2bn fix for a £6bn cut in family budgets. So the poorest families who cannot work due to illness or disability, caring responsibilities or have lost their jobs will be hardest hit.

Click here for FREE poverty aware resources for review professionals: https://bit.ly/31cIUIG ... See more

What is the difference between a review in which the family is invited to contribute & the one in which the family is integral to the review? What is the cycle the family might experience? & what does a good ending look like anyway?

Click here to join Frank Mullane & me for our masterclass ‘How to Ensure the Family Remains Integral to Your Review Even When There Are Delays’ £47 plus VAT - https://bit.ly/3l9cBkV

If this masterclass isn’t for you, why not browse through our library of masterclasses available to buy now in our Skills Vault. Whether you are involved in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews or any other form of learning activity, we have masterclasses to refresh, upskill or boost your CPD. Visit: https://bit.ly/3oMuBT4 ... See more

As a scoping meeting participant you are keen to be thorough when it comes to setting the scoping period. I hear you. But the review’s focus is to elicit learning. When that learning is derived from outdated practice its benefits are greatly reduced.

Proportionality does not result in a less robust review, but it does respect the limited resources of the sector. Have you tried a shorter scoping period? What are your experiences?

Engagement + Proportionality +Strengths = SILP ... See more

Why do we involve practitioners in reviews?
There are many reasons, but if I had to pick one I would choose this one: better review outcomes are bound to follow. Without this your review is at risk of missing out on ‘the why’.

Click here for episode 030 of The SILP School Podcast: https://bit.ly/3r5u8yj ... See more

How can we justify generating large numbers of recommendations when budgets are so overstretched in the post pandemic era?

8 out of 10 councils in England responsible for children's social care were overspent in 2019/20. Universal & early help will continue to undergo cuts to prioritise spend on looked after children & child protection services.

Extra funds announced for local government were not ring fenced for adult social care, leaving older & disabled people & their families & carers without relief & valued workers being lost.
October’s budget failed to allocate ring fenced funding for specialist ‘by & for’ domestic abuse services. & questions remain about investment in the Violence Against Women & Girls strategy & forthcoming Domestic Abuse strategy.

What can we do as learning & improvement specialists? Sharpen the focus on the strong analysis without creating lengthy reports or multiple layers of improvement action. Less is more. Click here for our FREE Recommendations with Impact toolkit: https://bit.ly/3jBs50j ... See more

Are you involved in or considering embarking on a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review? Which features are considered to have the hallmarks of an SCR compared to those considered to be effective LCSPRs? Click here for our latest masterclass, where we also consider how to add value over & above learning generated by the rapid review. Its only £47 plus VAT: https://bit.ly/3oH3Nnj

If this masterclass isn’t for you, why not browse through our library of masterclasses available to buy now in our Skills Vault. Whether you are involved in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews or any other form of learning activity, we have masterclasses to refresh, upskill or boost your CPD. Visit: https://bit.ly/3oMuBT4 ... See more

SILP has always placed a high degree of importance on process. This was needed back in the 1990s when the culture prevailing was the review being more about final product.

We saw it as our role to shift the focus & to emphasise its importance. But SILP has an equally intense outcome focus. Yes, there is an end product. We do create recommendations, questions & findings.

Check out my recent blog on this. Where do you see most emphasis focussed in reviews? Is it the PROCESS or the FINAL PRODUCT? Hit reply & comment ‘BLOG’ to receive a link. ... See more

When was the last conversation you had which propelled you into forward momentum, fuelling your passion for learning & improvement?

As we begin recording season 2 of the podcast I’m back to networking with inspiring individuals & it’s so uplifting. I realised how much I had missed them. Just like the conversations during a learning event, or other reflective discussion. Are these happening regularly enough for each of us?

Hit reply & let me know how you are staying connected with the good conversations.
If not, perhaps the Tuesday Takeaway would be an opportunity for you. Details here: https://bit.ly/LIRPTakeaway ... See more