Introduction
Local Authority Children’s Services in London are working to transform the lives of our children and families across the capital, both locally and through regional collaboration. This motivation binds us together and cements our connection to one another and the children, young people and families we serve.
Launched in November 2024, Practice Spotlight received over 100 submissions of practice, each hosted in the Practice Spotlight digital hub. The initiatives served to raise awareness, catalyse shared learning opportunities across the system and inspire creativity and change.
The Practice Spotlight initiative is championed by the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services (ALDCS) and the London Social Care Practice Leader Network, and delivered by London Innovation and Improvement Alliance (LiiA).
Purpose
To recognise and celebrate the individuals and teams who have delivered this work and raise awareness with broader audiences
To discover the practice that is making a difference, often around very complex and challenging areas of work
To boost engagement opportunities for sharing and learning across all of London’s LAs and partners, underpinning the positive culture of collaboration
2026 Theme: New & Emerging Practice
This year the focus is on New and Emerging Practice; enabling developing areas of practice to benefit others through shared learning at the earliest opportunity.
We also want to hear how your practice is shaping or responding to key areas of national reform across the Children’s Social Care and Special Education, Needs and Disabilities spectrum with effective partnership working and multi-agency collaboration as a central feature.
9 Categories
1. Reducing racial disparities and tackling racism, sponsored by the Racial Equity And Leadership (REAL) Reference Group
2. Impact for children with special educational needs and disabilities, sponsored by the London SEND Steering Group
This category is for those that are actively working to eliminate discrimination and disproportionality. Best practice examples may be related to innovations or improvements undertaken in recruitment and retention of the workforce, or directly related to practice with children and families. It is important to show how the initiative has had an impact for the workforce and/or children and families.
This category is for those that are actively working to make a positive impact on outcomes for children and families with special educational needs and disabilities. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements in practice with children and their families and/or effective partnership working with schools, colleges, parents/carers, health bodies and other organisations. It is important to show how the initiative has had an impact for children and young people.
3. Building safety for young Londoners, sponsored by the London Adolescent Safeguarding Oversight Board
4. Supporting and strengthening the workforce, sponsored by the Workforce Steering Group
This category is for those that are actively working to make a positive difference to outcomes for children and young people through early support initiatives with those at risk of poor outcomes. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements in the identification of need and preventative intervention practices and approaches that demonstrates improved support for children and families at the earliest point. It is important to show how the initiative has improved outcomes for children and families, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.
This category is for those that are actively working to positively impact recruitment, retention and the experience of their workforce. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements that embed equitable recruitment practices, demonstrate commitment to understanding and responding to the feedback and experience of staff, or enhanced training and development opportunities. It is important to show how the initiative has had a positive impact to the workforce and therefore their ability to support children and young people.
5. Delivering excellence for care leavers, sponsored by the Care Leavers Trust Board
6.Improving outcomes for children with complex needs who are in care or on the edge of care, sponsored by the Regional Commissioning Arrangements (RCA) Development Board
This category is for those that are working to make a positive difference to outcomes for care leavers. Best practice examples may relate to the development of new support offers, innovative practice with care leavers, or partnership working. It is important to show how the initiative has improved services and experiences for care leavers.
This category is for those that are actively working to improve outcomes and value for money for children who have complex needs and/or would have been in high cost placements. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements that have improved the experience, quality and stability for children in residential care and/or that have demonstrated improvements in placement sufficiency, quality and value for money. It is important to show how the initiative has improved outcomes for children and young people.
7. Delivering together with health services, sponsored by the Children’s Social Care Practice Leaders
8. Making data speak for London’s children, sponsored by the Intelligence & Data Research Steering Group
This category is for those that are actively working to develop integrated working between Local Authorities and health organisations. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements that show effective engagement and partnership working that has made a difference to the collective responsibility for planning services, improving health for children and young people, and reducing inequalities. It is important to show how the initiative could improve health outcomes and experiences for children and young people.
This category is for those that are actively working to use data and intelligence as the catalyst to make a positive difference to outcomes for children. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements that show a creative use of data to provide fresh insights, build a robust picture and enable effective practice and/or demonstrate an impact in engagement levels through the introduction of data products, reports or visualisations. It is important to show how the initiative is supporting improved outcomes for children and young people.
9. Delivering positive impact through early intervention, sponsored by the London Early Help Network
This category is for those that are actively working to make a positive difference to outcomes for children and young people through early support initiatives with those at risk of poor outcomes. Best practice examples may relate to innovations or improvements in the identification of need and preventative intervention practices and approaches that demonstrates improved support for children and families at the earliest point. It is important to show how the initiative has improved outcomes for children and families, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.
Submitting your practice
Submitting your practice
Applications are open to all individuals and teams working in a London Local Authority or multi-agency partner. We welcome both single and group Local Authority applications as well as collaborative multi-agency partnership submissions. All submissions must be submitted in partnership with at least one London Local Authority to qualify.
*All submissions must be approved by the LA’s Director of Children’s Services (DCS) or Practice Leader/Assistant Director in order to be accepted*
Submission Framework
All submissions should follow the S.H.I.N.E framework:
Common themes
We recognise there are common themes that cut across all areas, such as such as: racial equity, participation, partnership working, voice of the child, value for money. Where not explicitly requested through the submission process, we encourage you articulate these themes within the body of your submission.
Multiple or duplicate submissions
We encourage LAs to submit examples of practice to as many of the 9 categories as you can. If you feel your practice example parallels with more than one of the 9 categories they you can submit the same example of to more than one category.
Supporting materials
You are welcome to provide supporting materials as part of your submission. However, the critical information should be included within your main submission, aligned to the SHINE framework, and any supporting evidence should therefore serve to augment your entry. We welcome any images, logos or links as part of your submission where relevant.
Benefits to sharing your practice
Regional Peer Review
All examples of practice will be peer reviewed by a cross section of colleagues from the regional sponsoring network or group. This is an important feature of Practice Spotlight that provides peer review at a regional level, which is directly fed back to those who have shared their practice through ‘Recognition Letters’, and to raise awareness of excellent practice at a regional level and to directly inform and strengthen priority areas.
Sector-led Improvement
- Share best practice across the London children’s services community: promoting and disseminating your work to help improve services and outcomes for children and families, with additional promotional press opportunities
- Showcase your people and practice: gain recognition for the innovative and excellent people and practice that you and your team are delivering together
- Promote your Local Authority and partners: the London Social Work for Children team will work with you to promote and share your best practice and the culture of your LA to strengthen local recruitment and retention campaigns to reach those considering their next career move in children’s services
- Network with your London peers: connect with a range of colleagues from across the children’s services community in London and expand your network of contacts
- Keep the sharing going: work with the London Innovation & Improvement Alliance (LIIA) to make sure your examples of best practice reach all the relevant networks across London and beyond, so that London can keep learning and sharing beyond the event
Next Steps
Key Milestones
Primary elements of Practice Spotlight.
Timeframes
What’s happening and when.
