The East Midlands Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance exist to support better outcomes for children, young people and families by bringing the region together around a shared commitment to improvement.
We believe that lasting improvement is achieved through strong relationships, trust, transparency and collective responsibility. Our Alliance provides a space for local authorities and partners to collaborate, challenge, learn and innovate together. We use evidence, data, peer insight and professional expertise to understand what is working well, where support is needed and how we can improve as a region.
Our work is driven by the priorities of children’s services across the East Midlands and is delivered through regional networks, improvement activity, peer challenge, shared programmes and partnership working. By learning from one another and working collectively, we aim to strengthen practice, support leadership, develop the workforce and improve services for children and families.
At the centre of everything we do is a commitment to children and young people — their safety, wellbeing, opportunities and futures.
East Midlands RIIA Priorities
A combination of national policy guidance, regional peer challenge conversations, and collaborative regional efforts shapes the EM RIIA priorities. At the core of this process are needs analysis and diagnostics, which involve senior leadership teams from all ten local authorities and the Northamptonshire Children’s Trust.
SDSA: Our Strategic Partner
The School Development Support Agency (SDSA) is a strategic partner for the East Midlands Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance.
SDSA works alongside EM RIIA to support the development, coordination and delivery of regional improvement activity across children’s services. As a not-for-profit organisation with extensive experience across education, children’s services and sector-led improvement, SDSA provides practical capacity and specialist expertise to help turn regional priorities into meaningful activity.
This includes support with programme management, facilitation, communications, branding and design, web development, data and impact analysis, event management and the development of resources. Through this work, SDSA helps EM RIIA to share learning, strengthen collaboration, support regional networks and communicate effectively with partners across the East Midlands.
SDSA’s role is to work behind the scenes with regional leaders and partners, helping to create the conditions for effective collaboration, clear delivery and lasting impact. Together, SDSA and East Midlands RIIA are committed to supporting improvement and innovation that contributes to better outcomes for children, young people and families across the region.
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