We hope you find the content a useful snapshot of the ongoing work and collaboration taking place across the Eastern Region.
Please feel free to share the newsletter with colleagues and do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more about any of the featured activities.
The final pages include details of our upcoming regional events, all of which are free to attend, including our weekly Black History Month webinars throughout October.
A snapshot of the work in the region this quarter.
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.
Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Resources:
Join us for the next ECCRN Resi Reads Book Club on Thursday 12th February 2026 17:30-18:45 on teams!
This month’s topic – The Language we use
Minding our language
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.
Changing the language and the way we talk about children in care – Surrey County Council
Preferred terminology for care-experienced young people – Surrey County Council
A snapshot of the work in the region this quarter December 25 Improvement East Winter Newsletter
Risk Outside The Home – The Cambridgeshire Approach Slides
On 20th November Improvement East held a Risks outside the home sharing workshop, at which Cambridgeshire County Council presented their approach.
Quarterly Improvement East Newsletter, including a special SEND addition.
Norfolk Shared their Regional presentation on 15th October, here are the slides.
