CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSON’S
COMMITTEE - 24 SEPTEMBER 2003
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
SERVICE – L.A.C.E.S.
This report and presentation is
being provided to inform Members of the developments pertaining to this
service.
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE
COMMITTEE
To debate and make recommendations as to the future
development of this service.
To enable elected members
to consider the Council’s performance as a corporate parent in relation to
Government Performance Indicators and the Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA)
targets.
The L.A.C.E.S. Team developed
initially from a joint Social Services and Education initiative to address the
poor educational performance and under achievement of children and young people
in the public care system.
Looked After Children are central
to Government initiatives and legislative changes to transform the quality of
Children’s Services.
The broad policy themes have been
:
Ø
Raising educational standards and tackling under
achievement.
Ø
The recognition that particular groups are at risk of social
exclusion.
Ø
An emphasis upon planning and target setting.
Ø
An integrated approach to service provision.
Ø
Delivering efficient services, which represent value for
money.
The Quality Protects Programme was
launched in September 1998, which set out eleven key National Objectives for
improving Children’s Services. In
particular Objective 4 focussed upon improving outcomes for Looked After
Children, measured in part by :
A2 Percentage of young
people leaving care with at least 1 GCSE at grades A – G or GNVQ.
C24 Percentage of children
looked after continuously for at least 12 months and were of School age, who
missed 25 or more days schooling for any reason during the previous School
year.
QP8 The proportion of Looked
After Children obtaining at least 5 GCSE’s at grades A – C during the most
recent School year, as a ratio of the proportion of all children in CSSR
achieving these standards.
QP9 The percentage of children
who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months and were of
School age who were permanently excluded from School at any time during the
previous School year.
The Social Exclusion Unit introduced
three new Government targets this year.
Ø
By 2006, outcomes for 11 year olds in English and Maths are
at least 60% as good as those of their peers.
Ø
By 2006 the proportion who become disengaged from Education
is reduced, so no more than 10 % reach School leaving age without having sat a
GCSE.
Ø
By 2006, the proportion of those aged 16 who get GCSE
qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSE’s graded A – C has risen on average by 4 %,
points each year since 2002 and in Authorities at least 15 % of young people in
care achieve this level.
The Governments expectation of the
Local Authority as corporate parent have been set out within the Quality
Protects framework and sent by the Secretary of State for Health to Local
Authority Councillors.
Corporate parenting emphasises the
collective responsibility of Local Authorities to achieve good parenting i.e.
to do at least what a good parent would do.
The whole Authority has a
responsibility ‘to safeguard and promote his welfare’ - Children Act 1989
Section 22 (3) (a).
The whole Authority includes the
Education Department as well as Schools and Social Services, School Governors,
Elected Members, representatives of the Health Trust.
The L.A.C.E.S. Team was a service
developed to co-ordinate the actions and efforts of all those involved with
Looked After Children in order to translate corporate parenting into good
parenting and therefore to improve the educational outcomes of Looked After
Children and Young People.
The L.A.C.E.S. Team currently
comprises of :
A full time Educational
Co-ordinator
A full time Education Assistant
Two part time Education Assistants
Administrator to be appointed
Areas of responsibility include :
Ø
Formulating policy and procedure and measuring performance
around the completion of Personal Education Plans (P.E.P.) for each Looked
After Child.
The P.E.P.s cover four areas :
Ø
An achievement record
Ø
Identification of developmental and educational needs –
short term and long term plans
Ø
The Social Worker is responsible for initiating the P.E.P.
in partnership with the child or young person, Designated Teacher, Parent or
Carer and any other relevant person.
Ø
Provision of training, advice and consultation for Social
Workers, Designated Teachers and Foster Carers and Education Welfare Officers.
Ø
In School – support to individual children and young people
to help maintain their placements within School. This might include support in class with work, behaviour support
or co-ordination of out of School activities.
Ø
In February 2003, the ‘drop in Education Service’ at 9 A St
John’s Place, Newport was with the assistance of a Children’s Fund Grant, and
the service was officially opened on the 24th April 2003. The centre has only been open one term and
has been without much needed Internet facilities during this term due to
technical problems. However, a positive
start has been made – 32 young people have visited the centre and 15 regularly
use the facilities.
Ø
Maths tuition has been made available after School once a
week and has been well attended.
Ø
The team have taken responsibility for Foster Carers ICT
Training.
Ø
The team has established Library Study Groups for young
people of High School age.
Ø
The team have engaged Cluster Group Meetings covering each
High School and Designated Teachers, Social Workers and carers have been
invited. These have provided the
opportunity to meet one another, hear about local and national initiatives and
share good practice ideas.
Ø
The team has produced information packs and re-designed the
website which includes PEP and policy information after carers and young people
and teachers provided.
Ø
The Education Co-ordinator has collected and shared data
i.e. attendance, exams, test results, exclusions, special educational need
issues.
Ø
The Education Co-ordinator in conjunction with colleagues
from Education and Social Services are planning an Awards Ceremony for Looked
After Children to celebrate their Educational achievements.
Ø
The Education Co-ordinator in partnership with Social
Services is responsible for the oversight of the Local Public Service Agreement
plans, which needs to be delivered in a 3-year period. The objective is to increase the percentage
of Looked After Children obtaining at least 5 GCSE’s from a base of 15%
stretched to 46% in year one to 60% in the third year.
To achieve
this, a teacher has been employed to target Years 10 and 11 Looked After
Children to review grades, coursework and provide direct input to those in
greatest need by :
Ø
Providing assistance in completing examined coursework.
Ø
Direct tuition in liaison with Schools.
Ø
To liaise directly with College, Further Education and
Training Providers.
Ø
Looked After Children are a priority group for School
admissions although 11% have missed more than 25 days schooling 2002 - 2003.
Ø
There is a Designated member of staff in every School to
raise understanding of key issues.
Ø
Transport policy now includes the ability for Looked After
Children to remain at their School regardless of where they live, through joint
funding arrangements with Social Services and Education.
Ø
There is a multi agency Looked After Children Education
Steering Group with Senior Officer representation to oversee and support
development activities.
“It’s a cool place !”
“I like it – you can learn, but
it’s not like School”
“This is one of the few places
where people really listen to you and do something, instead of just asking what
you think and doing nothing to help”
Targets have been set for GCSE
although cohorts are small and volatile, leading to significant variations in
statistics. This academic year 42%
achieved GCSE’s. The Island figure is
88%. 58% received no GCSE’s compared to
4% across the island.
Future directions of the service
need to be clarified between Social Services and Education and a Business Plan
is being prepared.
Priority areas are the
mainstreaming of the 9 A centre as Children’s Funds grants are subject to
annual bids leading to insecurity and restrictions in terms of long term
planning.
Strengthening of the staff groups
to provide more diverse skills mix is essential.
Processes need to be strengthened
to ensure fast tracking of disengaged pupils into Local Education Authority
Education provision and reduction of numbers of pupils on part time timetables.
Buy a microwave
More holiday activities
After School English tuition as
well as Maths
Saturday opening
“Get the Internet sorted out (it’s
not working properly) !”
None
Education Protects
A Toolkit for Local Authorities
Department of Health Performance
Management Plan 2003 / 2004
Directorate of Education and
Community Development
Contact Point
Sue D’Authreau Education Co-ordinator Telephone 532817
Doug Wright Local Education Authority Telephone 821000
Mary Brimson Social Services Telephone 525790
JIMMY
DOYLE
Head of
Children’s Services