Children England Thematic Groups

Overview

Children England has a strong history of engaging members to inform our work. This enables us to ensure both that our voice on behalf of the sector is well informed by the expertise and experience of our members, and that the support we offer meets the real needs of our members. We are looking to enrich our mechanisms for engaging with members on the some of the key issues for the sector, that will add to our regional networks to inform our policy and representation work.

We are seeking to establish new special interest groups, or ‘communities of practice’, based on major themes affecting the children, young people and families voluntary and community sector. The groups will build on our existing network of regional groups and provide new routes for members to exchange views, experience, influence and analyse policy development and implementation, and establish key messages to inform Children England’s campaigning and lobbying work.

Shape & Format

The shape and format of these groups is up for discussion with members. Groups could be virtual either by email or online (making use of soon-to-be-developed ‘forum’ functionality on the Children England website), hold physical meetings regionally or nationally, or a mixture of options. We want to make sure they are established in a way which best supports our members to take part and find them useful.

Themes

The following are the first five themes that we felt reflected current priorities affecting the sector:

• Working with families – as part of the Families Strategic Partnership with the DfE, Children England has already begun convening regional networks of VCS organisations working to support families, involving current members and non-members. Take-up for the groups has been enthusiastic, and if members continue to find them useful, we will keep these networks going after the FSP programme has finished.
• Workforce Development – A number of members already contribute to our regular WorkForce TaskForce meetings and communicate with each other as a network between meetings. This is therefore already a ‘thematic group’ and we aim to build on its work and encourage wider participation across members.
• Child Health – We know that many of our members work particularly to support people with their health, and have close working and funding relationships with the National Health Service. We are keen to gather the expertise and perspectives of those members in order to better engage with developing health policies and promote the work of the sector in improving children’s health and wellbeing.
• Schools/ Education – as with health, we know that many of our members’ work is focussed on supporting learning and training, delivered alongside or in schools. We are very keen to gather a network of members who can speak of the realities on the ground for VCS organisations working with schools, and the impacts of school and education funding reforms on children and young people.
• Small Organisations - We know that national policy often misses out on the realities, challenges and achievements of small community organisations. While our smallest members are of course also encouraged to contribute to any and all regional and thematic groups if they can, we hope this network will focus specifically on sharing the experience and practice, policies and reforms that particularly affect small community organisations working with children, young people and families.

Next Steps & How to get involved

Children England will be contacting members in October/November to gather views on how these groups could be made most valuable to members and utilised to best support our campaigning and lobbying work. If you would be interested in being part of one or more thematic groups please contacts our Membership Services Coordinator, Vicky Odams, Vicky@childrenengland.org.uk, 07966041059.