A foundations-branded quote card featuring an image of Head of Practice Development Nimal Jude. The image shows Nimal as having bobbed dark curly hair, and light-brown skin and brown eyes. She wears a light pink lipstick. The quote reads: “Teenage years are marked by big changes as young people develop and make choices. Evidence shows us that parenting support can strengthen family relationships, support adolescent development, and reduce risks during this time. The latest Practice Guide translates this evidence into practical recommendations for local leaders and practitioners.”

NEW BLOG 🖋️ Our Head of Practice Development, @nimaljude.bsky.social reflects on her experience & why it's so important that local leaders have access to evidence on #ParentingSupport for families facing adversities, with pre-teens & teenagers: bit.ly/48xz0A8

A Foundations branded quote card (sky blue background with darker blue large quote marks) featuring a head and shoulders image of Laurence Mackie-Jones, Strategic Director, Social Care & Education at Leicester City Council. Laurence is light-skinned with a clean-shaven head, large square glasses and light stubble. Their quote reads: "Being part of Evidence into Practice gives us the structure, tools, and partnerships to accelerate our children’s services transformation, strengthening early help, improving consistency, and ensuring every decision is rooted in what works. Through this partnership, we will strengthen workforce capability, reinforce shared accountability across agencies, and deepen our culture of reflective, data-informed practice."

A Foundations branded quote card (orange background with lighter honey-coloured large quote marks) featuring a head and shoulders image of Audrey Kingham, Executive Director of Children, Young People & Education at Northumberland County Council. Audrey is light-skinned with a shoulder-length white hair, they wear colourful glasses, pearl earrings and a pink and grey scarf. Their quote reads: "We are thrilled to become a Partner Place, working alongside Foundations to improve outcomes for children, young people and families through evidence-based practice and shared learning. This partnership will help us embed what works into our Children’s Social Care transformation journey, strengthening family support, and building a culture of continuous learning and collaboration across our local area and regionally."

A Foundations branded quote card (darker blue background with lighter blue large quote marks) featuring a head and shoulders image of Jo Britton, Executive Director, Children’s Services & Public Health Service at Telford & Wrekin Council. Jo is light-skinned with a long thick wavy light-brown hair, they are wearing a khaki green blouse. Their quote reads: "Evidence-based decision-making is central to our approach. Being a Partner Place will help us integrate research into everyday practice, improve outcomes for children and families, and support our transformation journey. We’ve already seen the impact of using the Kinship Practice Guide to shape our local offer, and we’re excited to replicate this approach across other areas of service design."

Evidence-based decision making is shaped by knowledge of local populations, workforce & systems. As part of our Evidence into Practice offer we're working with 9 Partner Place local authorities of different sizes, geographies & Ofsted ratings 🗣️👇

It’s an honour to be leading this work.
I’m looking forward to joining local authorities across regions to exchange learning on how they’re embedding Practice Guides and Guidebook programmes, and bringing evidence-based system and service design to life in practice.

BIG NEWS 📢 We've announced the 9 local authorities we're working with across England to drive transformation of children’s services through evidence use.

foundations.org.uk/press-releas...

Find out more 👇▶️

An image to promote Kinship Care Week. In the Centre of the image the text reads 'Kinship Care Week. 6-12 October 2025'. At the top of the image is a purple banner with text that reads 'celebrating kinship families, love and community'. At the bottom of the image is Kinship's logo. To the right of the logo is text that reads: 'For family or friends who step up to raise a child'.

This week is #KinshipCareWeek, an opportunity to shine a light on the vital role of #KinshipCarers & the difference they make to the lives of children ❤️

Throughout the week, we'll be spotlighting our evidence on support for kinship carers, as well as the gaps in what we know 🔎

Brilliant leadership from our Principal social worker chairs #cclive2025

Does anyone route for the faithful? Or do most people route for the traitors? I’m curious?

‘This is strength’: stories of enslaved Africans in Grenada made into searchable archive Depths of Paradise project backed by British family and created by Stephen Lewis, a descendant of survivors

‘This is strength’: stories of enslaved Africans in Grenada made into searchable archive

Kicking of #blackhistorymonth with Green Park.
Already some interesting stats and reflections on policy, neo middle class and the race inclusion gap, asymmetrical workforce ( report out tomorrow)

An image of a panel discussion. Sat on stage are (left to right): Dr Jo Casebourne, Sarah Smith MP, Avnee Morjaria, Georgia Gould MP & Ed Davies.

Watch ▶️ Our #Lab25 event 'Inside & outside the school gates', w/ @ippr.org & @csjthinktank.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/ymk6mk5p

Our Chief Exec Jo Casebourne was with @georgiagould.bsky.social, @sarahsmithlab.bsky.social, Ed Davies & @avneem.bsky.social, on giving children the best start in life 🌟

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An image of the panel at our Labour Party Conference event. Panelists from left to right: Cllr Liz Parsons, Donna Molloy, Josh MacAlister MP, Dr Jo Casebourne, Lisa Harker & Anna Feuchtwang.

🗣️ Our Deputy Chief Exec @donnamolloy.bsky.social is speaking now at our #Lab25 event - w/ Josh MacAlister MP, @annafeuchtwang.bsky.social, @lisaharker.bsky.social, Cllr Liz Parsons, & Jo Casebourne - setting out 3 ways to make transformation of children's services a reality 👇

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A Foundations branded quote card, which reads: “At the heart of our Evidence into Practice offer is support of up to £100k for each of the nine local authority Partner Places – one in each region of England – to implement approaches and interventions from the Foundations Toolkit that we know make a genuine difference to the lives of children and families.” The quote is attributed to Nimal Jude, Head of Practice Development at Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families. The card also features a head and shoulders image of Nimal. Nimal has light-brown skin and dark-brown, shoulder-length curly hair. She is wearing a bright coral lipstick, and silver earrings.

NEW BLOG ✍ @nimaljude.bsky.social, Head of Practice Development on how our new Evidence into Practice call for local areas goes beyond delivering a programme – it is a chance to collaborate to build a culture of evidence use in services for children & families: foundations.org.uk/evidence-int...

@sahm-uk.bsky.social
SWAS means breath
We are creating a space so that we can understand and share our experiences and together improve how services safeguard south Asian people. The launch is open to all. Msg me if you would like to attend

This Thursday we launch the new Foundations Guidebook 🎊

With information on over 130 interventions, the Guidebook provides reliable evidence to support decision-making across the spectrum of #EarlyIntervention, services for children & families, and #ChildrensSocialCare.

The team at foundations

The Chief Social worker Isabelle Trowler, minister Janet Daby Estelle Morris, Micheal and Jo Casebourne

Dr Elizabeth Kumah who synthesised the evidence

Noshin Mohammed and Teresa Hills recommending the Guide

Yesterday we held the @ukparliament.parliament.uk launch of the Mentoring & Befriending Practice Guide
Good to hear from @janetdaby.bsky.social &
Micheal who reminded us of the impact mentoring can have.

foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

Tools anyone ? 🔧🪚🔨🪓🗜️

WATCH ▶️ The #MentoringandBefriending Practice Guide provides evidence-based recommendations for local leaders to help them deliver effective support for care-experienced children & young people.

Read the Practice Guide: foundations.org.uk/toolkit/prac...

A quote card with the following copy: "Care-experienced children and young people often miss the chance to form sustained bonds with adults and peers. Mentoring and befriending programmes that match these young people with trusted adults and peers are one way to help them to build consistent relationships, and to support them to grow in confidence, overcome challenges and realise their hopes for the future." The card also features a head and shoulders image of Foundations' Head of Practice Development, Nimal Jude. Nimal has light-brown skin and dark-brown, shoulder-length curly hair. She is wearing a bright coral lipstick, and silver earrings.

NEW BLOG ✍ @nimaljude.bsky.social, Head of Foundations' new Practice Development Team, introduces the latest Practice Guide on #MentoringandBefriending, outlining the positive benefits of proven support for #CareExperienced children & young people: foundations.org.uk/building-the...

Thus equipping readers with knowledge, confidence and ideas to develop their own practice. It includes examples and case studies that will resonate for the reader. It will offer practically applicable approaches to inform social worker’s practice. #arsw #socialwork
#antiracism

A collection of chapters by social workers and academics. Each takes an element of practice and considers it through an anti-racist lens.

Order now and get a discount #arsw

Today, I reflect on what I have inherited, what I am learning, and what I can pass forward.

Love #socialwork #wswd2025 #WSWD

This is a picture of the eldest and the youngest in my family- tag team!

Pass it on. You’re it!

🤜🤛 We are born with clenched fists—holding nothing. As they open, we reach, shape, build. In the end, they close again—not empty, but full of everything we’ve gathered: lessons, love, struggle, and hope.

✊Anti-racism like many calls for justice can shift across generations. Some march, some rewrite laws, some challenge in quiet moments. The work may evolve, but the purpose endures

📚When people move on in jobs, their wisdom shouldn’t vanish. Organisations, like communities, need custodians—keepers and creators of knowledge who build on it further and pass it forward.

🧠Wisdom flows both ways. Not every elder finds someone to pass their knowledge to. Not every young person gets the chance to influence elders. When we hear—across generations—we can all grow, feel seen and feel good.

Pass It on!

World Social Work Day- this year’s theme is Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing.

Some reflections…..

Yesterday’s CSPRP report underlines the urgent need to address race, culture & ethnicity in child safeguarding. We support the call for a sea change in practice & we’re committed to taking a proactive role in addressing these issues. Read more: foundations.org.uk/press-releas...

ICYMI 🔔 Last week we published a report with Coram, Family Rights Group, Daybreak & Data to Insight, exploring how we can collect #FamilyGroupConference data on a national level. We also launched a national data collection on FGCs. Find out more: foundations.org.uk/our-work/pub...

An image showing an open laptop, the news round-up is scrolling on the screen. The text next to the laptop reads: "News round-up. Parenting Through Adversity Practice Guide (0–10).

Last week, we published a new Practice Guide for local leaders and practitioners on Parenting Through
Adversity – parents of babies & children 0 to 10 📑

Find out everything you need to know ✅ summarised in a handy round-up 🗞 #ParentingSupport mailchi.mp/foundations....

Today the Government announced young girls will not be placed in YOIs following recommendations from Susannah Hancock’s review. While a welcome first step, more needs to be done to meet gender-specific needs of girls in the justice system.

Our comment: tinyurl.com/2apm73tr