These exams can be taken at Bethel or through an external authorized Certiport testing center. Certiport.com/locator can help you find an external site. If you would like to take the exams at Bethel, please email our testing coordinator at whiste@bethel.edu.
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Exam cancellations less than 48 hours before the test or lack of attendance at exams are considered non-refundable. To cancel or re-schedule prior to 48 hours please contact the testing coordinator at whiste@bethel.edu or 651.638.6573.
Contact our testing coordinator at 651.638.6573.
Online registration is available for the technology placement exams.
Certification |
Total |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CCNA Data Center (Cisco) |
1,564 | 2,126 | 1,649 | 19 | 3,876 |
CCNP Data Center (Cisco) |
1,025 | 1,339 | 1,508 | 14 | 3,145 |
JNCIP-DC (Juniper Networks) |
125 | 37 | 14 | 4 | 130 |
VCE-CIAE (Dell)* |
81 | 19 | 30 | 14 | 132 |
VCP6-DCV (VMware) |
32 | 37 | 57 | 38 | 111 |
*Search results for the generic phrase “VCE data center engineer”
Regardless of which job board you use, you’ll find many employers looking for qualified people to join their data center teams. SimplyHired lists 114,000-plus data center jobs in the U.S., with more than 172,000 on Indeed, 50,000 on LinkedIn Jobs and 20,000 on LinkUp. With the right credential(s) in hand, one of these jobs is sure to be yours.
Data center job roles start at the network technician level and advance through senior architect. Most of the certifications covered would fit well with an associate- or professional-level network engineer position. According to SimplyHired, the average salary for network engineer jobs is about $79,000, and $111,000 for senior network engineers. Glassdoor reports a U.S. national average salary of about $73,000 for network engineers, and their average for senior network engineers climbs to $94,000.
Cisco certifications continue to be some of the most recognizable and respected credentials in the industry. The CCNA Data Center certification is a great introductory certification for networking professionals who want to specialize in data center operations and support and have 1-3 years of experience.
Candidates for the CCNA Data Center certification need to understand basic data center networking concepts. These include addressing schemes, troubleshooting and configuring switches with VLANs and routers using Nexus OS, network and server virtualization, storage, and common network services such as load balancing, device management and network access controls.
The CCNA Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. Recertification requires passing a current version of one of the following exams:
Candidates can also sit through the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review to achieve recertification for CCNA Data Center.
Certification name |
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center |
---|---|
Prerequisites and required courses |
None required. Recommended training: Cisco offers classroom courses, which run for five days and cost about $4,500. |
Number of exams |
Two exams:
Both exams are 90 minutes and 55-65 questions. |
Cost per exam |
$300 per exam; $600 total (price may vary by region). Exams administered by Pearson VUE. |
URL |
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/associate/ccna-data-center.html |
Self-study materials |
The certification page provides links to self-study materials, including the syllabus, study groups, videos, study guides, Learning Network resources and learning partner content. |
Networking professionals looking to validate their data center skills and achieve a competitive edge in the workplace can’t go wrong with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center credential.
Geared toward technology architects, along with design and implementation engineers and solutions experts, the CCNP Data Center identifies individuals who can implement Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) rack-mount servers; install, configure and manage Cisco Nexus switches; and implement and deploy automation of Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). The CCNP Data Center is designed for candidates with 3-5 years of experience working with Cisco technologies.
When pursuing the CCNP Data Center, Cisco lets you choose either a design or troubleshooting track. Related data center certifications include the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA Data Center), for those with 1-3 years of experience, and the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Data Center, aimed at professionals with seven or more years of experience.
The CCNP Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. The recertification process requires candidates to pass a single test to maintain the credential, or to sit for the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review. Credential holders should check the Cisco website for the current list of qualifying exams before attempting to recertify.
Certification name |
Cisco Certified Network Professional Data Center (CCNP Data Center) |
---|---|
Prerequisites and required courses |
Valid Cisco Certified Network Associate Data Center (CCNA Data Center) certification or any Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification. Training recommended but not required; classes are usually four or five days and start at $3,950. |
Number of exams |
Four exams:
All exams are 90 minutes, 60-70 questions. |
Cost per exam |
$300 per exam; $1,200 total (price may vary by region). Exams administered by Pearson VUE. |
URL |
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/professional/ccnp-data-center.html |
Self-study materials |
The certification page provides links to self-study materials, including the syllabus, study groups, webinars, Cisco Learning Network resources and learning partner content. |
Juniper Networks, based in California and incorporated in 1997, develops and sells network infrastructure equipment and software aimed at corporations, network service providers, government agencies and educational institutions. The company has a large certification and training program designed to support its solutions, which includes Data Center, Junos Security, Enterprise Routing and Switching, and Service Provider Routing and Switching tracks.
The Data Center track recognizes networking professionals who deploy, manage and troubleshoot Juniper Networks Junos software and data center equipment. The single test (JN0-680) covers data center deployment and management, including implementation and maintenance of multi-chassis link aggregation group (LAG), virtual chassis and Internet Protocol (IP) fabric, virtual extensible LANs (VXLANs), and data center interconnections.
The JNCIP-DC certification is good for three years. To renew the certification, candidates must pass the current JNCIP-DC exam.
VCE, short for Virtual Computing Environment, was part of EMC Corporation, which Dell acquired in 2016. The VCE line of converged infrastructure appliances are still being manufactured and widely sold, and the company has a handful of VCE certifications geared toward designing, maintaining and supporting those solutions.
VCE certifications are now part of the larger Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program but have retained some independence. The program currently offers the VCE Certified Converged Infrastructure Associate (VCE-CIA), VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer (VCE-CIAE) and VCE Converged Infrastructure Master Administration Engineer (VCE-CIMAE) credentials. We focus on the VCE Administration Engineer in this article because it’s available to the public as well as Dell employees and partners, and it ranks well in job board searches.
The VCE-CIAE is a professional-level credential that recognizes professionals who manage and support Vblock Systems. The single test includes Topics such as system concepts, administration, security, resource management, maintenance and troubleshooting.
Candidates must recertify every two years to maintain a VCE certification. To renew, credential holders must pass the current VCE-CIA test (this is the prerequisite for the VCE-CIAE certification), as well as pass the current VCE-CIAE test or earn a higher-level credential.
Certification name |
VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer (VCE-CIAE) |
---|---|
Prerequisites and required courses |
Prerequisite: VCE Certified Converged Infrastructure Associate (VCE-CIA) certification
Recommended: VCE Vblock Systems Administration Management training; available as instructor-led classroom and online (five-day course, $5,000; prices may vary by course provider and location) |
Number of exams |
One: exam 220-010 (60 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes) |
Cost per exam |
$200. Exams administered by Pearson VUE. |
URL |
https://education.emc.com/content/emc/en-us/home/certification-overview/vce-certification-framework/vce-administration-engineer.html |
The VCP6-DCV is one of those credentials that sits firmly on the line between traditional data center networking and cloud management. As such, it appeals to a wide networking audience. In fact, the VMware website states that more than 100,000 professionals have earned VMware VCP6-DCV certification, making it one of the company’s most popular certifications.
VMware offers an extensive certification program with a rigorous Data Center virtualization track, which includes the VCP6-DCV. Candidates must thoroughly understand Domain Name System (DNS), routing and database connectivity techniques, and how to deploy, configure, manage and scale VMware vSphere environments and storage. VMware recommends that candidates have a minimum of six months of experience with VMware vSphere 6 before attempting the VCP6-DCV certification.
New candidates must take a VMware training course and pass two exams. Training courses start at $4,125; pricing is based on the specific course, delivery format and learning partner.
VMware requires credential holders to recertify every two years. Recertification is achieved by taking whatever test is most current for the certification, earning a new VCP certification in a different solution track or advancing to the next-level VMware certification.
Note: VMware certifications are geared toward the VMware vSphere product, the latest incarnation of which is Version 6.5. As of April 2019, VMware is still rolling out various Version 6.5 exams. Currently, Version 6.5 exams are offered for the Professional and Advanced Professional (Design only) levels. We anticipate that Version 6.5 exams and credentials at the Associate, Advanced Professional Deploy and Expert levels will follow soon.
Certification name |
VMWare Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) |
---|---|
Prerequisites and required courses |
Candidates who are new to VMware Data Center Virtualization technology: Six months’ vSphere 6 experience plus one of the following training courses:
Note: The cost of VMware training varies; expect to pay from $4,125 for classroom training to more than $6,000 for Bootcamps and Fast Track courses. |
Number of exams |
Two exams for new candidates, those with vSphere 5 training only, those with an expired VCP in a different solution track or those with an expired VCP5-DCV certification:
One test for candidates with valid VCP5-DCV certification: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization Delta exam, 2V0-621D, 105 minutes, 65 questions One test for candidates with valid VCP certification, any solution track: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Exams administered by Pearson VUE. |
Cost per exam |
|
URL |
VCP6-DCV: https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=64178&ui=www_cert VCP6.5-DCV: https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=100942&ui=www_cert |
Self-study materials |
Links to an test guide, training and a practice test (if available) appear on each test page (see the How to Prepare tab). VMware Learning Zone offers test prep subscriptions. Numerous VCP6-DCV study materials are available through Amazon. MeasureUp offers a VCP6-DCV practice test ($129) and a practice lab ($149). |
While not featured in the top five this year, the BICSI Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC) is a terrific certification, designed for IT professionals with at least two years of experience in designing, planning and implementing data centers. This vendor-neutral certification is ideal for data center engineers, architects, designers and consultants. Another good vendor-neutral certification is Schneider Electric’s Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA), an entry-level credential for individuals who design, build and manage data centers as part of a data center-centric IT team.
CNet’s Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP) and Certified Data Centre Technician Professional (CDCTP) are also worthy of honorable mention. Based in the U.K., these certifications don’t appear in a lot of U.S. job board postings but still deliver solid results from a general Google search.
IT professionals who are serious about advancing their data center careers would do well to check out complementary certifications from our featured vendors. For example, Cisco also offers a number of certifications in data center design and support, including application services, networking infrastructure, storage networking and unified computing. VMware also offers additional data center virtualization certifications worth exploring, including the VMware Certified Advanced Professional 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization Design (VCAP6.5-DCV Design) and the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX6-DCV). Also, the Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program offers a bevy of data center-focused certifications, including the Dell EMC Implementation Engineer (EMCIE) and the Dell EMC Certified Cloud Architect (EMCCA).
Because of the proliferation of data center virtualization and cloud computing, you can expect the data center networking job market to continue to remain strong soon. Achieving a certification can be a real feather in your cap, opening the door to new and better work opportunities.
The Reading Specialist Certification program at Drexel University’s School of Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania aims to prepare graduate students to work with individuals with a range of reading abilities and needs by introducing them to multisensory approaches to reading instruction, and to a variety of diagnostic tools for planning and evaluation purposes, as well as to monitor student performance and growth. Students enrolled in the online Reading Specialist Certification program will learn effective reading strategies, and become exceptionally skilled and qualified to support students with reading needs and provide literacy leadership and coaching to teachers and schools.
Drexel's memorizing Specialist Certification program is a 31-credit program that can be completed in about 15 months. In addition to completing the 8 core courses that meet PA Department of Education’s requirements for professional competencies for memorizing specialists in training, the program also requires 5 core courses from the Wilson memorizing System® program, providing our students with in-depth knowledge of language structure, multisensory, and diagnostic instructional techniques for 2nd through 12 grade students and adults who need more intensive support in memorizing or have language-based disabilities.
For PA memorizing Specialist certification, students must complete the PA Praxis test memorizing Specialist (Test Code #5301/0301) with passing score of 164. Graduates of the Reading Specialist Certificate program who have passed the appropriate Praxis exam and received the PA Reading Specialist add-on state certification will have the opportunity to become reading specialists, reading interventionists, literacy coaches, literacy mentors, literacy program directors, reading teachers, and literacy specialists working in a community-based literacy center.
To be admitted to the memorizing Specialist program, students must possess an Instructional I certificate in PA or another state. The online Reading Specialist program aims to help graduate students:
Students will graduate with a Reading Specialist Certification, as well as a WILSON® Level I certificate. The WILSON® Level I certificate will allow students:
Drexel University is one of a few select universities to offer WILSON® Level I courses as a part of the core requirements. Students will receive a Level I certificate from WILSON® in addition to a Pennsylvania Reading Specialist Certification.
The memorizing Specialist certification program is offered 100% online. You can get started by filling out the Drexel Online application.
The ISA Automation Project Management (APM) Specialist certificate program was developed by leading automation project managers from around the world. By leveraging their combined experience, this program offers real-world, practical lessons that you can apply to your job today.
This program was designed to specially address the unique and complex challenges of automation and process control projects, including:
The program is well-suited for project managers who need to understand how to execute automation projects effectively. It is also ideal for automation professionals who need to gain an understanding of core project management principles.
There are no required prerequisites or applications for this program. To earn the APM Specialist certificate, you must successfully complete the Automation Project Management course and pass the multiple-choice exam. Choose one of the following formats:
Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) is a credential for those who create, implement and maintain retirement plans for businesses. Unlike most other professional financial planning and advisory professional designations, the CRPS focuses on wholesale and business clients. It is awarded by the College for Financial Planning to individuals who pass an test demonstrating their expertise.
Successful applicants earn the right to use the CRPS designation with their names for two years, which can Improve job opportunities, professional reputation, and pay. Every two years, CRPS professionals must complete 16 hours of continuing education and pay a nominal fee to continue using the designation.
Keeping up with changes to tax codes and other laws is important for a chartered retirement plans specialist. For example, the passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in December 2019 brought forth some hefty changes to the retirement industry. As of 2020, under the new law, the age for taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) is no longer 70.5, but age 72. Then, a few years later, Congress passed the SECURE 2.0 Act which increased the RMD age to 73. Being mindful of these changes as they occur are central to the role of chartered retirement plans specialist.
The Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist program is a case-study-based, client-centered problem-solving approach. The study program to become a CRPS covers types and characteristics of retirement plans, including IRAs, small business retirement plans, defined contribution plans, nonprofit plans, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and government plans.
It also covers plan distributions, plan design and implementation, plan establishment and operation, and fiduciary issues. The designation is an acknowledgment of the complexity of setting up and running a company-sponsored retirement plan.
Individuals who have earned the CRP designation report a 20% increase in earnings, according to the College for Financial Planning. With it, graduates can test out of one of the seven courses in the college's CFP Certified Professional Education Program. Completing the course can also provide up to 28 hours of continuing education credits.
The program costs $1,350 in addition to choosing between live and on-demand classes. For more information on the certification or to enroll, visit the College for Financial Planning CRPS informational page.
The CRPS course enables candidates to master a wide variety of retirement plan types, such as SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), defined benefit plans, and more. Specific course sections include:
The CRPS program features open enrollment, meaning a candidate may enroll at any time as long as they pass the final test within one year of enrolling. The first final test attempt is included in the program's $1,350 price tag.
CRPS candidates may take the test online via the College for Financial Planning's online portal or live (though dates are limited).
Similar to the CRPS designation is the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), a professional financial planning designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning. Unlike the CRPS, which focuses on businesses, the CRPC focuses on individual clients.
CRPC professionals have to keep up with current trends and any new laws to better serve their clients, so every two years, they must pay a small fee and complete 16 hours of continuing education in order to keep their designation.
Advisors may earn the CRPC designation by completing a study program and passing a final multiple-choice examination. Successful applicants earn the right to use the CRPC designation with their names for two years, which can Improve job opportunities, professional reputation, and pay. Every two years, CRPC professionals must complete 16 hours of continuing education and pay a small fee to continue using the designation.
CRPCs are focused on retirement planning. The CRPC program is developed with a focus on client-centered problem-solving. Applicants gain in-depth knowledge of individuals' needs both before and after retirement.
A CFP certification will generally have a better grasp on a broader range of financial matters. On the other hand, a CRPS will have more specialized knowledge, especially around retirement planning. Individuals may obtain their CRPS earlier in their career as it may be more suitable based on their limited experience. However, a CFP is often better in the long-run for professionals wanting to be more engaged in a variety of financial planning activities.
Test takers must achieve a score of 70% or higher to pass the CRPC exam.
Obtaining a CRPC demonstrates your proven acumen across a variety of retirement planning aspects such as Social Security, Federal taxes, retirement account vehicles, and estate planning. As you embark in your career and strive to land additional clients, having a CRPC provides more legitimacy to your knowledge and installs trust in your clients that you have a proven knowledge of what you consult them on. In addition, holders of a CRPC report having earned higher wages than non-CRPCs.
A Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) is a program designed to demonstrate an individual's savviness in knowing various aspect of retirement planning. The program entails completing courses and demonstrating knowledge via an exam. The CRPS focuses more on businesses, while other programs such as the CRPC focuses more heavily on individuals.
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Drexel University School of Education
A memorizing specialist is an educational professional who works with individuals that struggle to gain or Improve literacy skills. Working primarily with children at the grade school level, memorizing specialists use a variety of diagnostic tools to identify literacy challenges and to determine the types of instruction that will be needed to help young students become confident readers and writers. These professionals work with teachers and school systems to develop literacy curricula and tools for teaching memorizing in the classroom setting. memorizing specialists may also work with older children and adolescents, as well as students learning English as a second language (ESL) or those with learning disabilities. Becoming a memorizing specialist requires a specialized advanced degree or certificate and the development of specific skills to help students at all levels become proficient in memorizing and provide other literacy interventions.
Reading specialists are responsible for several tasks that support student success in memorizing and writing. Responsibilities include working one-on-one with students on phonetics, word identification, and memorizing comprehension, with small groups of students who experience similar needs, and with those experiencing memorizing challenges, like dyslexia. memorizing specialists also collaborate with classroom teachers to develop literacy curricula, partner in the creation of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and conduct ongoing assessments of students’ progress.
There are five common roles memorizing specialists play within educational systems:
Reading teachers and memorizing specialists have many of the same responsibilities. Both types of professionals work with students to Improve memorizing fluency and comprehension and assist students with grammar, spelling, and phonetics. memorizing teachers work with students at all grade and skill levels. In contrast, certified memorizing specialists usually work with students in grade schools and are specially trained to work with students with learning disabilities and those struggling with memorizing at their grade level.
To become a successful memorizing specialist, individuals must possess and be able to demonstrate a passion for memorizing and teaching, and other key skills that lead to effective strategies for improving students’ memorizing and writing. Beyond direct service to students, memorizing specialists must also have the skills to work with parents, schools, and school districts to develop and sustain meaningful literacy programs.
If an individual does not have a state teaching certificate already then an aspiring memorizing specialists should expect to devote several years earning the required degrees and certification. For example, the first four years are spent earning a bachelor’s degree in education, literacy, reading, or another relevant field to become certified as a classroom teacher. Once an individual is a certified teacher, a memorizing specialist certification can be accomplished within 1-2 years. The length of certification programs varies; Drexel’s 31-credit reading specialist certification program can be completed in about 15 months.
In most cases, memorizing specialists need a bachelor’s degree in education, teaching experience (is often preferable), and a memorizing specialist certificate. Considering all levels of required education, training, and field experience, individuals can expect to become certified memorizing specialists in six or seven steps.
Reading specialists are in demand within the overall job market, because literacy is a critical component of academic success, and most K-12 schools will need the support of memorizing specialists to meet specific literacy benchmarks. The job outlook for memorizing specialists is positive. For instructional coordinators and special education teachers, roles similar to memorizing specialists, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 4-7% job growth between 2021-2031.
The average annual salary for a memorizing specialist is $55,248 according to Payscale.com. memorizing specialists typically have a salary similar to that of special education teachers and instructional coordinators, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary is $61,820 for special education teachers and $63,740 for instructional coordinators. Annual salaries for this profession will vary based on location, educational level, and years of experience. And because memorizing specialists can pursue a range of careers – from working in schools and with school districts to develop curricula to consulting for the private sector and textbook publishing companies – salaries will be as equally varied.
The School of Education’s Reading Specialist Certification program at Drexel prepares students to work with individuals with a range of memorizing abilities and needs. The program’s coursework enables students to meet Pennsylvania’s requirements for professional competencies for memorizing specialists, and it’s one of the few select programs in the region that offers courses from the Wilson memorizing System®, a pioneer and leader in the science of memorizing and literacy education. Students will learn effective memorizing strategies, and become exceptionally skilled and qualified to support students with memorizing needs and provide literacy leadership and coaching to teachers and schools.
Drexel’s memorizing Specialist Certification program is offered 100% online. Get started by requesting more information or by completing the Drexel Online application.
Location: online
The Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement qualifies already licensed teachers to teach in a special education setting for students in kindergarten through age 22.
This endorsement is offered through the WIU School of Education for undergraduate students, graduate students, and non-degree seeking graduate students.
The LBS1 endorsement at WIU, approved by ISBE, consists of four courses (13 semester hours).
An LBS1 endorsement can be added to any Professional Educator License. Further questions on any endorsements and grade levels should be directed to Tammy Wilson, WIU's Licensure Officer, TS-Wilson@wiu.edu.
After taking the courses, you must pass the state content exam, Learning Behavior Specialist Test # 290. http://www.il.nesinc.com/Home.aspx
Photo posed by model: Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe Stock
Dorset, Lincolnshire and Wolverhampton will also trial merging targeted early help with child in need teams within a new family help service, as part of the Department for Education (DfE’s) proposed children’s social care reforms.
The three authorities are the first group of an expected 12 “pathfinders” testing out the families first for children model set out in the DfE’s draft strategy, Stable Homes, Built on Love, issued in February.
Based on the proposals of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, this would involve:
The reforms are controversial, with the British Association of Social Workers and Ofsted having raised concerns about the safeguarding risks arising from removing the requirement for social workers to hold child in need cases.
Meanwhile, both Ofsted and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services have voiced misgivings about the impact of the lead child protection practitioner role on social work retention, in the context of mounting vacancy rates in local authority children’s services.
In its response to Stable Homes, Built on Love, the ADCS said social workers had shared concerns about “the high stakes nature of such a role, particularly if a tragedy sadly occurs”.
“High end child protection work is hard to sustain over long periods of time, it is emotionally taxing and there are few guarantees it will result in practitioners staying in frontline practice,” it added.
The three pathfinder authorities are all rated good (Dorset and Wolverhampton) or outstanding (Lincolnshire) by Ofsted and all have social work vacancy rates below the national average of 20%, as of September 2022, with Dorset’s being 13.8%, Lincolnshire’s 15.6% and Wolverhampton’s 17.6%.
In relation to the number of child protection plans per 10,000 children, as of March 2022, Lincolnshire’s (25.6) was well below the national average of 42.1, Wolverhampton’s was around the England-wide figure (42.3) and Dorset’s was above it (47.7).
The DfE has also selected seven councils to pilot the use of so-called family network support packages to enable wider family members to step in to prevent children entering the care system when there are risks to them at home. This was also proposed by the care review.
Brighton and Hove, Sunderland, Gateshead and Telford and Wrekin will start their family network pilots this month (July), and Staffordshire, Hartlepool and Hammersmith and Fulham will do so in spring 2024.
The news comes with a recent evaluation having found that using family group conferences (FGCs) – a form of family network decision making – reduced the risk of children going into care 12 months after families entered pre-proceedings.
Meanwhile, councils would be encouraged to refer families to FGCs from early help onwards, under proposed changes to Working Together, which are currently out to consultation.
The 12 families first for children pathfinders and seven family network pilots will receive £45m in funding overall up to March 2025, with £7.8m of this allocated to the latter.
ADCS president John Pearce said the announcement was a “positive step”, but said it was imperative for the learning from the pilots and pathfinders to be shared with the rest of the sector as quickly as possible.
“The earlier we work with, and provide support to, vulnerable children and families to help them overcome the issues they face, and to stay together safely where possible the less impact these challenges will have on their lives but also on society,” said Pearce. “While the investment announced today is welcome, we continue to need a long-term equitable funding solution for children’s services so that all children and families can thrive, wherever they live.”
The department is still looking for two regions to test its plan to regionalise the commissioning of care placements within so-called regional care co-operatives, which would be collectives of local authorities.
RCCs are designed to overcome the challenge of individual councils being too small – and having too few children – to be able to meaningfully shape the services providers offer and ensure that they meet need and are value for money.
The DfE has said that, by operating at much greater scale than councils, RCCs would be much better able to forecast need, and commission sufficient placements, in the right places, to meet it.
It would also be much easier to share learning, good practice and information about the cost and quality of providers between 20 RCCs, compared with 153 councils, improving the quality of commissioning.
However, the ADCS said last month that, while there were “varying degrees of interest in taking up a RCC pathfinder opportunity”, at present, “no region seems to be interested in adopting the approach as outlined by DfE”.
In a separate paper, the association voiced “significant reservations” about the proposal’s capacity to address the challenge of there being insufficient placements of the right kind and quality for children in care.
The association said creating RCCs would be “costly and time consuming” and “may result in a mass exist of providers”, such was the current fragility of the care placements market.
The DfE said the RCC pathfinders would “enable a test and learn approach to find the most effective way of implementing this reform, doing so in conjunction with local government and the children’s social care sector”.