Looked After Children in Education (LAC)

What do we do?

To promote education amongst all Looked After Children, their carers and amongst other professionals working with this group; to raise the attendance, attainment and self esteem levels of these young people.

Definition of 'Looked After'

A young person is Looked After by the Local Authority if he or she is in their care by reason of a court order or is provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours by agreement with the parent. If looked after by agreement this is referred to as being ‘accommodated.’

Service Priorities

To support unhindered access and full integration of Looked After Children into all education establishments.
To promote Corporate support for Looked After Children.
To support children, parent/carers, and schools to raise the attainment of Looked After Children.
To support young people, carers and the Education Welfare Service to improve attendance rates of Looked After Children.
To raise educational aspirations of Looked After children.
To train and support residential social workers, field social workers and foster carers in educational matters.
To train and support designated teachers within each educational establishment.
To offer pro-active support to Looked After children who are underachieving in their education.
To provide reactive support to young people who are experiencing problems with their education.
To implement national and local guidance on the education of children in public care.
To co-ordinate and analyse Personal Education Plans for all Looked After Children.
To monitor the academic progress of all Looked After Children.
To monitor exclusions of all Looked After Children.
To develop inter-agency work.
To support the County’s Children’s Homes and Foster Carers by assisting in the development of policies and ethos.
To support young people through the transition between Year 6 and Year 7 and Years 9/10.
To encourage and support transfer to further and higher education.
To ensure that all Looked After Children with Special Education Needs have their needs identified and met as early as possible.
To offer home / school liaison service.
To provide academic support during school holidays and out of hours - including the provision of residential activities for Looked After children.
To raise policy issues with the education and social service department.
To provide cultural activities for Looked After Children.

Referral

The Service operates an open referral system for young people, schools, parents/carers and other professionals. Informal enquiries are always welcome. All referrals are via a Referral Form, which can be completed by anyone including the young person. The development of an interactive web page will enable all to contact the Service.

What the Service can offer

Additional Curriculum Support

Support offered to meet to needs of individual Looked After Children who are in danger of under achieving. This support could be in class support, 1:1 support in school or at home, homework clubs, study support groups.

Home/School Liaison

Assisting schools and carers to develop closer links with one another and to raise the knowledge of issues surrounding the education of Looked After children.

Advice

Advice is available to young people and to all adults with an interest in the education of young people in public care.

Counselling

Confidential conselling service for young people to discuss and find solutions to issues of importance to them. A variety of different counselling methods are applied including SFBT.

Monitoring

The service collects data for the LEA and Social Services. This information includes attendance rates, exclusion rates, GCSE results and SATS results.

Supported Integration/Re-integration

Support to enable chronic non-attenders to return to school or any other educational provision.

Children's Homes

Working in partnership with residential social workers to implement policies and to strengthen the educational ethos within the Counties Children’s Homes.

Cultural & Social

Working in partnership with carers and social workers to provide cultural and social development opportunities: e.g. Arts projects, museum visits, links with Libraries, holiday activities and residential activities.

Transitions

To support Looked After Children at Key Stages of their education. Particularly Year 6 and Year 7, Year 9 options and transition into post 16 provision.

Training

Training will be offered for specific interest groups (e.g. carers, designated teachers, governors, Members, other professionals). Training will also be arranged to promote greater understanding and knowledge across a range of agencies.