

JoinedUp is a brand new collective leadership programme for school leaders, youth workers and social workers to learn together, listen to communities together and work together to change the system supporting children and young people.
JoinedUp leaders are deeply committed to the idea that, as leaders, it is our responsibility to create a system that allows all children and young people to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. This means being safe and well supported, being healthy (physically, mentally and emotionally), achieving well academically and having strong relationships and social networks. For too many children and young people growing up in underserved communities this is not what life is like. The current system is unlikely to help.
Persistently disadvantaged children leave school on average 22 months behind their better off peers.
The challenges some children and young people face are linked. The professionals working to support them are not. JoinedUp aims to change this.
At the end of the year, we will deliberately sustain the network so they become an ongoing, purpose driven group of leaders learning from and challenging each other to change the system for the better.
What are the benefits for JoinedUp leaders?
As a leader participating in JoinedUp, you will:
- Develop as a civic leader and strengthen your leadership in your sector.
- Build a deep understanding of the system around children and young people in your community and how you can strengthen it.
- Gain the knowledge, skills and mindsets needed to create communities in which all children and young people can thrive and further strengthen your sector specific leadership.
- Build strong relationships with other professionals working with children and young people locally and a lasting national network of outward looking and community minded leaders.
What is the programme structure?
Over the course of a 12-month initial programme, JoinedUp leaders will:
- Listen to their community: be trained to listen deeply so as to understand the concerns, difficulties, joys and hopes of children, young people and families in your area.
- Visit and be inspired by schools/ youth centres/ social care settings that have developed new ways of supporting children and young people together.
- Work together locally to develop and implement new approaches to working with children and families that are developed based on learning from the community listening exercise.
- Access taught content: both role specific knowledge and cross-sector knowledge (eg. understanding systems, effective listening) needed by leaders wishing to ‘do things differently’.
- Have regular group coaching: to share experiences and learning as you implement new ways of working together locally.
- Influence the wider system: throughout the programme and afterwards, you will be connected to funders, policymakers and other system leaders to explore and develop ideas to spread practice developed on the programme.
At the end of the initial programme, we will deliberately sustain the JoinedUp network so that it becomes an ongoing, purpose driven group leaders learning from and challenging each other to change the system supporting children and young people.
At the end of the initial programme, we will deliberately sustain the JoinedUp network so that it becomes an ongoing, purpose driven group leaders learning from and challenging each other to change the system supporting children and young people.
Joined Up leaders will access: | |
In Person-Training Days/residential courses |
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Site Visits |
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Virtual Training/coaching sessions |
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Costs:
The cost of participating in JoinedUp is £2,500 per leader. This is approximately half the actual cost of running the programme (with the other half being funded philanthropically). We are committed to doing all we can to ensure that there are no barriers to participation, so please do contact us if your budget is especially stretched.
Pilot Programme:
The inaugural cohort of JoinedUp leaders will first meet in January 2022.
Our first cohort will focus on four areas of the country:
- Essex
- London
- Yorkshire
- The North East
If you would like to find out more about how you can participate, please email: james.townsend@reachfoundation.org.uk