On Wednesday 11 February, we brought together colleagues from children’s and adults’ services, partner organisations, and individuals with lived experience for a joint Regional Transitions Conference.
The day opened with an insightful and thought‑provoking keynote from Dez Holmes (Research in Practice), who explored the critical theme of Transitional Safeguardingand what it means for how we support young people as they move into adulthood. We were also privileged to hear an exceptional keynote from young people in Central Bedfordshire, who shared their lived experiences of transitioning from being in care to becoming Care Leavers.
In the afternoon, delegates took part in a workshop session that enabled colleagues from each local area to collaborate in identifying examples of good practice and potential solutions to strengthen transitions in their communities. The ideas and information gathered have since been collated to inform and support future work in this important area.
22nd January marked a truly inspiring milestone as we hosted the first Practitioners Anti‑Racist Practice Conference in the Eastern Region. With more than 160 colleagues in the room, the sense of shared purpose and commitment to meaningful change was unmistakable.
We were honoured to hear from Maria Takaendisa, whose keynote was powerful, insightful, and deeply grounding. Her reflections set the tone for a day centred on honesty, learning, and collective responsibility. We were also joined by BAFTA‑nominated King Simpson, who shared his remarkable short film Home and offered a thoughtful Q&A exploring themes such as broken attachment and lived experience. His openness and perspective added a profound layer to the conversations that followed.
The afternoon workshops, led by leaders from across our region, focused on how we can bring the regional anti‑racist pledge to life in practice. These sessions were rich with ideas, challenge, and practical steps — exactly what’s needed to keep this work moving forward.
What stood out most was the pride and determination in the room. The commitment to sustaining momentum and embedding anti‑racist practice across our services was clear, and it was energising to be part of it.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed, attended, and helped shape such a powerful and purposeful day. The work continues — and so does our collective commitment to doing better.
Lots of people have helpfully written about the importance of language in ‘the care system’ and how that can impact on children and young people. Some of that work is excellent and has highlighted a hugely important issue.
The following encourage practitioners to reflect on why they use the language that they do, understand the implications of that language, and make informed decisions based on a set of principles, and dependent upon the context in which they are speaking or writing.
On Tuesday 1705/2025, the D-Bit team from Essex Council hosted an online sharing workshop on behalf of Improvement East to showcase the fantastic work they have been doing for nearly a decade.
On Friday 16/05/2025, the inaugural Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Conference took place in Stevenage. The event was designed for leaders in Children’s Services to take a monumental step forward in anti-racist practice activism and officially launch the Eastern Region’s Anti-Racist Practice Pledge.
The Pledge is a collaborative effort co-developed and committed to by all 11 local authorities in our region.
Over 200 senior leaders from across our local authorities came together to listen, reflect, share, be challenged, and commit to meaningful change. The day was not just about dialogue, but about action—ensuring we move forward with purpose and accountability.
The inspiring speakers Antonia Ogundayisi (Service Manager – Anti-Racist Practice Essex County Council), Helen Lincoln (Executive Director, Children Families & Education Essex County Council and Eastern Region Sector Led Improvement DCS Lead), Teresa Hills (Director of Operations Luton Borough Council), Jeffrey Wotherspoon (Executive and Career Coach and Organisation Relationship and Systems Coach), Tapiwa Julius (Principal Social Worker and Co-Chair of National Children and Families Principal Social Worker Network Cambridgeshire County Council), Olga Staicu (Head of Assessment Hertfordshire County Council) and Harmesh Bhogal ( Executive Director of Children’s Services Bedford Borough Council) gave thought-provoking insights that resonated deeply throughout the room.
The workshop session in the afternoon focused on how the pledge will be implemented in local authorities across the region and the shared call to action.
The real work begins now and together, as a region, we will drive transformation and lasting change.
