Role: Ryan Bainbridge (Thurrock)

Inclusion Case Studies

Becky Granger

April 20, 2026

Over the past year, the Inclusion Community of Practice has been sharing examples that celebrate areas of development and good practice across their local authorities.
The case studies below showcase this work.

Eastern Region of Parent Carer Forums

Click below to see the case Study from Eastern Region of Parent Carer Forums. This is highlighting the Meaningful Co-production and working with PCFs.

Parent Carer Forum’s Case Study

Bedford Borough Council

Click below to see the case Study from Bedford Borough Council. Coming soon…

Bedfords’s Case Study

Cambridgeshire County Council

Click below to see the case Study from Norfolk County Council. This is demonstrating Working collaboratively to
ensure our young people thrive. Focusing on the National Reforms & Inclusion for All.

Cambridgeshire’s Case Study

Central Bedfordshire Council

Click below to see the case Study from Central Bedfordshire Council. This is sharing the Review Following Alternative Provision (AP) Placement

Central Bedfordshire’s Case Study

Essex County Council

Click below to see the case Study from Norfolk County Council. This is sharing how Essex have been Improving inclusion in mainstream settings

Essex’s Case Study

Hertfordshire County Council

Click below to see the case Study from Hertfordshire County Council. Coming soon…

Hertfordshire’s Case Study

Luton Borough Council

Click below to see the case Study from Norfolk County Council. This is outlining the ways of Reducing the risk of exclusion of young people with SEND.

Luton’s Case Study

Norfolk County Council

Click below to see the case Study from Norfolk County Council. This is highlighting The Norfolk School’s School Evaluation Framework development.

Norfolk’s Case Study

Peterborough City Council

Click below to see the case Study from Peterborough City Council. A case study of: Ordinarily Available Inclusive
Provision – Local Area Partnership Co-production.

Peterborough’s Case Study

Southend-on-Sea City Council

Click below to see the case Study from Southend-on-Sea City Council. Showcasing their SEND Therapies Project
– A New Model for SEND Therapies: Building Capacity, Improving Outcomes, and Delivering Value.

Southend-on-Sea’s Case Study

Suffolk County Council

Click below to see the case Study from Suffolk County Council. This is highlighting the Specialist Education Services (SES) and Psychology & Therapeutic Services (P&TS) implementation and impact.

Suffolk’s Case Study

Thurrock Council

Click below to see the case Study from Thurrock Council. Coming Soon…

Thurrock’s Case Study

Eastern Region ADASS & ADCS Transitions Conference

Bryony Edwards

April 1, 2026

Uncategorized

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.

ADASS & ADCS Conference Slides

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Conference 22/01/2026

Bryony Edwards

February 18, 2026

Anti-Racist Practice, Uncategorized

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.

Watch ‘Home’ here

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:

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Conference 2026 Slides

Wall of Pledges

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Pledge

February ECCRN Resi Read Book Club

Bryony Edwards

January 29, 2026

Uncategorized

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

https://improvementeast.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ECCRN-Resi-Reads-Book-Club-Flyer-12-February-20261.pdf

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

Language that cares guide

Improvement East December Newsletter

Bryony Edwards

January 21, 2026

Uncategorized

A snapshot of the work in the region this quarter December 25 Improvement East Winter Newsletter

Improvement East – December 2025 Newsletter

Improvement East – Risk Outside The Home Sharing Workshop – Cambridgeshire

Bryony Edwards

December 4, 2025

Uncategorized

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.

Improvement East September Newsletter

Bryony Edwards

October 24, 2025

Uncategorized

Quarterly Improvement East Newsletter, including a special SEND addition.

September 25 Improvement East Newsletter

Norfolk New Roads Regional Presentation

Bryony Edwards

October 24, 2025

Uncategorized

Norfolk Shared their Regional presentation on 15th October, here are the slides.

Norfolk New Roads Regional Presentation 081025 v1.2. _

Eastern Region Edge of Care Sharing Workshop 15/07/25

Rachel Black

July 21, 2025

Anti-Racist Practice, Uncategorized

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.

EASTERN REGION – DBIT EDGE OF CARE SHARING WORKSHOP (002)

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Conference 16/05/25

Rachel Black

May 20, 2025

Anti-Racist Practice, Uncategorized

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.

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Resources

Eastern Region Anti Racist Practice Pledge

Eastern Region Anti-Racist Practice Conference Slides

Heartbreaking Moment When Kids Learn About White Privilege | The School That Tried to End Racism

S.O.E Still Can’t Breathe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLDMt3eSwI