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Contents

1. Responsibilities of Social Workers Concerning the Promotion of Education
2. Responsibilities of Staff/Carers Concerning the Promotion of Education
3. Responsibilities of all Staff/Carers
4. Aims and Objectives of Residential Homes

1. Responsibilities of Social Workers Concerning the Promotion of Education 

The social worker has the prime responsibility to co-ordinate PEPs and monitor the provision of education.

Advice and support about this area of social care responsibility is readily available from the Education Support Team (see Education Support Team Contact Details).

Social Workers have overall responsibility for ensuring that:

1. A productive working relationship is established between with the school, the carer/residential key worker and themselves.
2. The Head Teacher and Designated Teacher are informed when the child becomes Looked After or if the legal status of the child changes.
3. The education authority to which a Looked After Child moves is informed.
4. A Personal Education Plan (PEP) is agreed within 20 school days of a child becoming looked after, i.e. for the first review post-placement (the 28 day review).
5. The PEP meeting includes the child (wherever possible) and all other significant people including foster carers, supervising social workers, residential key workers, parents and family members if appropriate
6. Any Looked After Child without a school place will still have a PEP prepared for the initial and any subsequent reviews. The PEP will address how a school place is to be found and what arrangements will be made in the interim.
7. All PEP decisions, and recommendations included in the Looked After Review, are implemented by named persons/agencies, to the timescales agreed.
8. Appropriate colleagues in the education authority and school, particularly the Designated Teacher (where allocated) are informed of the legal status of Looked After children in all correspondence.  (This will assist colleagues to prioritise Looked After children)
9. The designated teacher or other member of staff identified in the PEP are informed of any significant events, for example, court cases, contact sessions etc.
10. The child’s educational needs are properly addressed when considering any change of looked after placement.
11. Schools are provided with relevant and necessary information – this might include elements of the Care Plan.
12. Education is appropriately supported via daily care arrangements including : school transport, materials, clothes, dinner money and who will read to the child and supervise homework. 
13. The child’s achievements are acknowledged and celebrated by the child’s carers, education provider, social worker and by the wider Social Care Department as appropriate.
14. The Social Worker contributes upon request to the assessment process leading to a Statement of Special Educational Needs and the annual review of the Statement.

2. Responsibilities of Staff/Carers Concerning the Promotion of Education 

Staff/Carers advocate effectively for Looked After Children. They champion the needs of children dealing daily with the child’s educational issues, problems and successes. They are also the link to teachers, parents and other professionals. 

Caring for a wide variety of children some of whom have suffered rejection and abuse can be very demanding. Therefore there will be instances where staff/carers who are supporting children with varying educational ability will need to be able to call upon a wide variety resources and knowledge to assist them to develop further expertise and understanding of all aspects of education, in order to advocate successfully on behalf of the children they care for. 

Staff/Carers must be encouraged to take an active part in care and education planning, and have clear understanding of who to liaise with at school, LEA and social care level.  They should strive to develop a positive working partnership with Designated Teachers and be involved in monitoring and supporting the targets as set out in children’s PEP. Where requested, they should also be involved in any assessment of special educational needs. As soon as a child in their care commences school the staff/carer must ascertain who the school’s designated teacher is.

Staff/Carers have a primary responsibility for, and a major influence upon regular attendance.  Staff/carers should be mindful of what is required to encourage positive educational achievement even if they only care for the child in the short term. On occasion, this may mean attempting to meet the child’s immediate emotional and behavioural needs whilst at the same time working towards furthering their education and achievement opportunities. As a good parent would, staff/carers must ensure that children do their homework and provide a suitable environment in which to do it.

Positive home-school links enhance educational life chances for all pupils, and it is essential that corporate parents communicate, in order to provide the same opportunity for looked after children.  Carers/keyworkers must ensure that attendance issues are addressed immediately and they are fully involved in supporting all agreed plans and targets for the child. Staff/carers should be encouraged to support any after-school activities in which the child shows an interest.  Where agreed, staff/carers will be expected to attend school events including parent’s evenings.

Advice and support about Staff/carers responsibilities in this area is readily available from the Education Support Team (see Education Support Team Contact Details).

3. Responsibilities of all Staff/Carers 

Also see Section 4, Aims and Objectives for Residential Homes – below

Unless there agreed reasons to the contrary, all of the below should be seen as the responsibilities of staff/carers of Looked After Children.

Social workers, reviewing officers and supervising social workers should negotiate with staff/carers as to how these responsibilities are to be fulfilled.

1. Contribute to Personal Education Plans (PEPs)
2. Celebrate success when the child does well.
3. Encourage children to do well educationally, and to consider careers and further or higher education as appropriate to their abilities.
4. Consult the social worker to decide who should contact the school to provide and receive relevant information.
5. Go to the school and introduce themselves to the class teacher or form tutor and Designated Teacher
6. Encourage and support the child to attend school every day and notify the school as early as possible during the first school day of absence. Actively seek support if the child elects not attend
7. Keep information on the child’s educational circumstances and attainments and ensure that these are passed on to the appropriate personnel should the placement come to an end.
8. Seek support from the child’s social worker if difficulties occur
9. Maintain regular contact with the school and attend parents’ evening and school functions e.g. school plays, sports day.
10. Ensure that the child has somewhere quiet to study and do homework, with age-appropriate reference books available.
11. Encourage the child to do their homework and offer help where appropriate.
12. Regularly discuss with the child their feelings about school/education.
13. Encourage children to develop their talents, and to pursue existing and new interests and hobbies.
14. Enrol children as members of a library as a matter of course.
15. Build a supply of children’s books (these should include books that are anti-racist and anti-sexist and also books particularly relating to the experiences of being Looked After).
16. Read with or to the child.
17. Encourage children to watch educational television programmes and videos/DVDs and go on outings to places of interest.  Use everyday situations to promote learning.
18. Encourage children to participate in school and after-school activities.
19. Act as an advocate on behalf of the child and intervene immediately if there is a difficulty with education.
20. Notify the school as early as possible during the first school day of the reasons for a child’s absences. Upon request from the school this will need to be followed up in writing.
21. The foster carer’s supervising link social workers and the registered manager for residential placements must offer support and training to help staff / carers to contribute effectively in order to improve the educational outcomes of the children they care for.
22. Educational issues should be thoroughly discussed at foster carers’ reviews and via staff development in residential placements.

4. Aims and Objectives of Residential Homes

Also see Section 3, Responsibilities of Staff/Carers – above

Managers/Staff must ensure the following:

1. Each children’s home has a clear written education policy which sets out the requirements for regular school attendance and homework support, regular supported reading, monitoring and support of children’s education plans and liaison arrangements between schools, Children's Services and children’s homes. Please see Section 13 of Education of Young People in Public Care
2. Ensure that all the Children are supported to attend school or an alternative education resource, on a full-time basis wherever possible.
3. Each child is provided with full access to educational facilities in line with the child’s age, aptitude, needs, interests, ability and potential.
4. Encourage the completion of homework and provide the equipment, support and space to do this, e.g. Books (including reference books, calculators and computers).
5. Give education an extremely high priority in all aspects of care planning and ensure that  it is regularly discussed at both individual case level and at a policy level.
6. Develop multi-agency links with education, health and other corporate partners at individual, and service provision level.
7. When arranging out of borough placements, liaise with the local schools / education providers to inform them accurately of the child’s current academic performance.
8. Ensure keyworkers arrange and attend regular progress, education and statementing reviews, and that staff attend school events. In the absence of a child’s parents, care staff must attend parents meetings.
9. Ensure that education is discussed regularly at residents; and team meetings.
10. Maintain up to date information on the child’s education.
11. Promote a positive view of education by regular use of ‘Excellent File’ reward system.
12. Each home must have a designated education link worker to advocate and represent all the residents views relating to education.
13. The Education Support team will provide the appropriate training to foster carer’s, their link workers and residential staff in order to promote further development and policies for Looked After Children’s Education.

Specific Duties and Procedures for each Staff Group

Also see Section 3, Responsibilities of Staff/Carers – above

In relation to children residing within the home, staff should: -

1. On the admitting the child to the home, the keyworker should ensure that either that the Social Worker has contacted the EST or a copy of the most recent Personal Education Plan is on file. If the child is not allocated a Social Worker then the initial referral to the EST should be made by the keyworker to maintain the agreed timescales. (Questionnaires completed and planning meeting arranged within 20 working days).
2. The PEP should cover all aspects of education and is relevant to all educational establishments, it will highlight any special educational needs and how they will be met, it will monitor school attendance, ensure parental/social worker involvement in the education of the child, list dates of national examinations and any other examinations the child is taking, list all members of staff with responsibility for liaising with schools and/or relevant services and arrangements for travelling to and from school.
3. Ensure that when a child is admitted that the home receives a full educational history, any statement of special needs, achievements, needs and aspirations and details of the child’s current school. 
4. Provide support and funding wherever possible to ensure the Child remains at their current school.
5. Consult children about their education, and listen and act upon their views. The home should ensure that the children have opportunities either individually or within groups, to discuss any issues relating to education.
6. Make sure all children have the appropriate school uniform and the equipment necessary for schoolwork.
7. Ensure resources are available so that all children have access to after school activities or school trips.
8. Contact all schools and units, which the children attend on a regular basis. This should include taking steps to obtain a copy of the school prospectus; school rules; dates of parent’s evenings and other events; out of school activities and clubs; and any other relevant information.
9. Where appropriate, give school relevant supporting information about the child as well as contact telephone numbers.  
10. Arrange suitable education provision for children permanently excluded or refusing to attend school.
11. Encourage educational activities e.g. reading, creative tasks or sport for children who are not attending school.
12. For children temporarily excluded, school should supply work on a regular basis, this work should be collected and returned by staff to school, where it should also be marked on completion.  
13. The home should have its own ‘library’ and educational support packages of age appropriate materials, in either software form or booklets.
14. Children are encouraged to participate in extra curricular activities.

End