The conference provided clinicians and researchers with a unique overview of recent advances in research and practice in the field of childhood maltreatment. 

The speakers, including Tracey Kayne, Supervisor of the MST CAN team in Leeds (pictured), are experts in psychological treatment, social care, neuroscience and policy. They reviewed the emerging evidence and considered:

With 2016 drawing to a close, the Multisystemic Therapy (MST) 2015 outcome data is in. And the numbers look good. 

As an evidence based programme that works to keep at-risk young people out of trouble, at home and in school, achieving our goals is bigger than the MST organisation. Meeting our goals means helping children and families across the world live healthier, more productive lives.

Northamptonshire County Council has been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards in recognition of its drive to transform public services, its high-quality children’s homes and its work to recruit foster carers.

The council’s Next Generation Council model has been chosen as finalist in the Most Innovative Service Delivery Model category of the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards, and its work with care leavers through its residential homes has been shortlisted in the children’s services category.

Excluded from mainstream schools, often the victims of extreme neglect, pupils at Gloucester House primary have finally found somewhere they can learn. As the doors are opened to TV cameras, Lena Corner pays a visit to a remarkable place

To read the full article, please visit the i News website

Milton Keynes Council has given its support to two agreements that will ensure children in care are treated fairly if they find themselves subject to the youth justice system.

The announcement came at last night’s Cabinet meeting during which Councillor Zoe Nolan shared details of the Thames Valley Protocol and the Concordat on Detention in Police Custody.

Please visit the MK Citizen website to read the full article.

The British Psychological Society have published a review of what good could look like in integrated psychological services for children, young people and their families with preliminary guidance and examples of practice.

Click here to downlaod a copy of the review

Whether you see it as a battle to bust bureaucracy or defend children’s rights, the fate of ‘innovation’ proposals in the Children and Social Work Bill will shape how services work in the future. Andy McNicoll reports.

Please visit the Community Care website to read the full artcle.

The excellent work of the MST team in Sandwell has been heralded on BBC News which highlights the difference they are making in the lives of young people and their families.

To view the news article please visit the Midlands Today facebook page

A poll of specialist workers finds that 20% believe services are seriously lacking, with potentially dangerous consequences

Seven out of 10 specialist nurses caring for the growing number of young people struggling with mental health problems believe that NHS services are insufficient.

For many years, Lara felt that she had no voice in her own home. Even though she was the mum, Lara was overwhelmed by her son Harry’s aggressive outbursts, using drugs and alcohol, and not going to school. Lara often felt she couldn't manage her 'unmanageable' child and had no choice but to call the police on Harry. This left her feeling ashamed, embarrassed and she couldn’t see her way out.

Congratulations and a warm welcome to the new MST teams from Dublin and Birmingham who successfully completed last week's 5 day orientation training in Leicester.

Here is a photo of the group who all contributed to a great course!

Thanks also go out to the trainers Zoe Ashmore, Simone Fox and Lori Moore.

Dr Martin Robinson - a consultant for MST-UK at the National Implementation Service - is the first MST-CAN Expert to be hired outside of MST Services . In August, he successfully helped to train a new MST-CAN team in Rotterdam as MST-CAN expands around the world.

Martin currently works with Leicester and Nottingham CAN teams and is looking forward to working with new CAN teams in Leeds and Newcastle in the coming months.

The independent Mental Health Taskforce published its Five Year Forward View in February 2016 which set out the current state of mental health service provision in England and made recommendations in all service areas.

NHS England accepted all the recommendations in the report for which it held responsibility and it was agreed with the Government that to support this transformation, mental health services will benefit from additional investment of £1bn per year by 2020/21.

Congratulations to Tom Burke, who was honoured for his specialist work in supporting families in West Essex.

Tom, who works for Action for Children, has helped reduce the number of children taken into care in Harlow's region through their Multi-systematic Therapy programme.

Mr Burke was presented with the award in a ceremony in the Essex County Council offices.

The government is to pilot a scheme to enable young people leaving residential care to live near to, and retain links with, their children's homes.

Called Staying Close, the scheme stops short of offering those in residential care the same right to stay in care until they are 21 as those in foster care receive under Staying Put arrangements.

Please visit Funding Central for a range of information about grants, contracts and loans