Looked After Children SENCO meetings - November 2010 Education LAC Co-ordinator Education LAC Co-ordinator Sue Phillips Sue Phillips Danycoed HouseTel.

Looked After ChildrenLooked After Children

SENCO meetings - November 2010SENCO meetings - November 2010

Education LAC Co-ordinatorEducation LAC Co-ordinator Sue PhillipsSue Phillips

Danycoed HouseDanycoed House Tel. 405689Tel. 405689

Education Welfare Officers for LACEducation Welfare Officers for LAC Julie Rees Julie Rees Tel: 884556 Tel: 884556 Helen StephensHelen Stephens Tel 873461Tel 873461

Access to Learning, Education Directorate, City & County of SwanseaAccess to Learning, Education Directorate, City & County of Swansea

Looked After Looked After ChildrenChildren

ACCOMMODATEDACCOMMODATEDSection 20 of Children Act 1989Section 20 of Children Act 1989

• By voluntary agreementBy voluntary agreement• No parental responsibility acquiredNo parental responsibility acquired• No notice of removal requiredNo notice of removal required

IN CAREIN CARESection 31 of Children Act 1989Section 31 of Children Act 1989

• Court orderCourt order• Interim Care Order (s.38)Interim Care Order (s.38)• Shared parental responsibilityShared parental responsibility

REMANDED / DETAINEDREMANDED / DETAINED

Children Looked After in Wales Children Looked After in Wales as of March 31as of March 31stst 2010 2010

20062006 20072007 20082008 2009 2009

20102010

4,5294,529 4,6424,642 4,6334,633 4,7044,704 5,1625,162

Reasons Why Children Reasons Why Children Became Looked After – 2010Became Looked After – 2010

• Abuse or neglect Abuse or neglect = 59%= 59%

• Family in acute stress/dysfunction Family in acute stress/dysfunction = 24%= 24%

• Parental illness Parental illness = 10%= 10%

• Socially unacceptable behaviour Socially unacceptable behaviour = 5%= 5%

• Other Other = 2%= 2%

• Other includes:Other includes:

Absent parenting; disability; Absent parenting; disability;

adoption breakdown; disruption; low income…adoption breakdown; disruption; low income…

CHILDREN ACT 2004 CHILDREN ACT 2004 Recognised Looked After Children:Recognised Looked After Children:

• Have poor experiences of education & very Have poor experiences of education & very low educational attainmentlow educational attainment

• Have educational outcomes that remain Have educational outcomes that remain significantly lower than for all childrensignificantly lower than for all children

(As a proportion of those who reach ave levels of attainment expected of 7, 11, 14 & (As a proportion of those who reach ave levels of attainment expected of 7, 11, 14 & 16 yr olds)16 yr olds)

• Only very few progress to higher education Only very few progress to higher education compared to their peerscompared to their peers

Duty to promote the education of Duty to promote the education of LACLAC

A Better Education forA Better Education forChildren in CareChildren in Care

The Social Exclusion Unit’s report identified The Social Exclusion Unit’s report identified 5 KEY5 KEY reasons why LAC under achieve in reasons why LAC under achieve in

education:education:

1.1. Too much time out of schoolToo much time out of school

2.2. Lives characterised by instabilityLives characterised by instability

3.3. Insufficient help with their education if they get Insufficient help with their education if they get behindbehind

4.4. Primary carers are not expected / equipped to Primary carers are not expected / equipped to provide sufficient support & encouragement for provide sufficient support & encouragement for learning & developmentlearning & development

5.5. Unmet emotional, mental & physical health needs Unmet emotional, mental & physical health needs that impact on their educationthat impact on their education

The Role of the Education The Role of the Education DirectorateDirectorate

• Inclusive approachInclusive approach

• Full time educational provisionFull time educational provision

• P.E.Ps. P.E.Ps.

• S.E.N. support S.E.N. support

• Teacher with educational responsibility Teacher with educational responsibility

• E.W.O. / L.A.C. support E.W.O. / L.A.C. support

The Role of the Education The Role of the Education DirectorateDirectorate

• To support pupils to reach their To support pupils to reach their individual potential individual potential

• To promote high expectation for each To promote high expectation for each pupilpupil

• Stability & continuity Stability & continuity

• Working in partnership Working in partnership

• High expectationsHigh expectations

• Staff training & supportStaff training & support

The Education LAC Co-ordinatorThe Education LAC Co-ordinator Sue PhillipsSue Phillips

'Co-ordinating Education Programmes of LAC in 'Co-ordinating Education Programmes of LAC in Discussion with Education Providers' Discussion with Education Providers'

Responsible for:Responsible for:

• Full time educationFull time education

• InclusionInclusion

The Education LAC Co-ordinatorThe Education LAC Co-ordinator

• Works with: Social Services / Carers / Works with: Social Services / Carers / Education Education

• Liaises with E.W.O. for L.A.C.Liaises with E.W.O. for L.A.C.

• Planning & review meetings Planning & review meetings

• Education provision Education provision

• Panel meetingsPanel meetings

• Personal Education Plans (P.E.Ps.) Personal Education Plans (P.E.Ps.)

The Education Welfare Officer for The Education Welfare Officer for Looked After ChildrenLooked After Children

Julie Rees & Helen Stephens (0.5 post)Julie Rees & Helen Stephens (0.5 post)

• Encourages & supports attendance by Encourages & supports attendance by our Looked After Children our Looked After Children

• Liaises with EWS colleagues in schools to Liaises with EWS colleagues in schools to support LACsupport LAC

• Regular liaison with residential centresRegular liaison with residential centres

• Links with carers, social workers & othersLinks with carers, social workers & others

• Offers support to LAC in various ways Offers support to LAC in various ways

The Designated TeacherThe Designated Teacher(Usually Head Teacher / Senior Teacher)(Usually Head Teacher / Senior Teacher)

• Ensure high expectations Ensure high expectations

• Responsible for liaison with Social Responsible for liaison with Social

Services Services

• Provide support & guidance to staff Provide support & guidance to staff

The Designated TeacherThe Designated Teacher(Named for each school & centre)(Named for each school & centre)

The RoleThe Role

• Access services & support Access services & support

• Ensure each L.A.C. pupil has a P.E.P.Ensure each L.A.C. pupil has a P.E.P.

• Facilitate transfer of informationFacilitate transfer of information

• Attend L.A.C. reviews - as appropriateAttend L.A.C. reviews - as appropriate

• Contribute to Social Services plansContribute to Social Services plans

• Liaise with carers Liaise with carers

The LAC Liaison TeacherThe LAC Liaison Teacher

Teacher who attends reviewTeacher who attends review......

‘‘Knows the pupil well and…Knows the pupil well and…

Has a good relationship with them' Has a good relationship with them'

(E.g. Class Teacher (E.g. Class Teacher II SENCO SENCO II Head of Year) Head of Year)

Main RoleMain Role::

• Provide information Provide information

• Personal support Personal support

• Liaise with carer, parent, social Liaise with carer, parent, social worker... worker...

The LAC Liaison TeacherThe LAC Liaison Teacher

ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

• Liaise with pupil’s social worker Liaise with pupil’s social worker

• Contribute to record & plans Contribute to record & plans

• Prepare for / attend L.A.C. reviews & Prepare for / attend L.A.C. reviews & meetingsmeetings

• Formulate, forward & review P.E.P.s Formulate, forward & review P.E.P.s

• Co-ordinate review of S.E.N. statementCo-ordinate review of S.E.N. statement

• Liaise with E.W.O. Liaise with E.W.O.

• Liaise with careers staff Liaise with careers staff

Personal Educations PlansPersonal Educations Plans(PEPs)(PEPs)

• Social worker to inform school of young person becoming Social worker to inform school of young person becoming Looked After to initiate PEPLooked After to initiate PEP

• Social worker to fully share information to contribute to Social worker to fully share information to contribute to completion of PEP – ideally in PEP meeting with pupil, completion of PEP – ideally in PEP meeting with pupil, school, carer & parentschool, carer & parent

• PEP to be completed by school PEP to be completed by school WITHIN 20 SCHOOL DAYSWITHIN 20 SCHOOL DAYSof pupil becoming Looked After or changing schoolsof pupil becoming Looked After or changing schools

• PEP to be forwarded to IRO who monitors completion. This is PEP to be forwarded to IRO who monitors completion. This is an authority P.I. we are seeking to improve!an authority P.I. we are seeking to improve!

• PEP is kept by school, amended as needed & updated for PEP is kept by school, amended as needed & updated for forwarding to subsequent LAC reviewsforwarding to subsequent LAC reviews

Raise LAC GrantRaise LAC Grant

• Year 5 of 5 year grantYear 5 of 5 year grant

• To raise attainment in key stage 3 & 4To raise attainment in key stage 3 & 4

• Grant providesGrant provides– Mentoring by 2 project workersMentoring by 2 project workers– Study resourcesStudy resources– Evening home tuitionEvening home tuition

• Recent evaluation by WAG showsRecent evaluation by WAG shows– Swansea in top quartile for GCSE points scores for Swansea in top quartile for GCSE points scores for

LACLAC

Education Project Workers for Education Project Workers for Looked After ChildrenLooked After Children

LAC Educ Project LAC Educ Project WorkerWorkerJo PerkinsJo Perkins

•Provides additional Provides additional support in educational support in educational settings for a number of settings for a number of Looked After Children on Looked After Children on referral to year 8referral to year 8

•Support is usually 1:1 or Support is usually 1:1 or group support in school for group support in school for one session a week for a one session a week for a short periodshort period

LAC RAISE Project LAC RAISE Project WorkersWorkers

Sarah Powell, Lucy WardSarah Powell, Lucy Ward

• Provide additional Provide additional mentoring support in mentoring support in educational settings for educational settings for Looked After Young People Looked After Young People in years 9-12in years 9-12

• Help access further Help access further resources to support the resources to support the young person achieve; e.g. young person achieve; e.g. Study guides, ICT, etStudy guides, ICT, et

• Home tuition is offered to Home tuition is offered to all year 9-12 through our all year 9-12 through our WAG Raise grantWAG Raise grant

"Education is the most "Education is the most important thing we can give important thing we can give

our children"our children"Professor Sonia JacksonProfessor Sonia Jackson

Schools that make a difference Schools that make a difference

• Provide places Provide places

• Support designated teachersSupport designated teachers

• Keep children in their schoolsKeep children in their schools

• Clear communication Clear communication

• School policies on bullying School policies on bullying

• Sympathetic & supportive staffSympathetic & supportive staff

• High expectation High expectation

Education for Looked After ChildrenEducation for Looked After Children

Sue Phillips: Education LAC Co-ordinatorSue Phillips: Education LAC Co-ordinator