Children in public care may live in a children’s home cared for residential social workers or with foster carers. The child will also have a social worker who is responsible (usually in partnership with the natural parents) for overseeing the care and educational arrangements made for him or her.
The vast majority of children are in public care because their parents are experiencing difficulties.
Children
and young people may be looked after because:
·
Their
parent/parents are too ill to care for them – physical or mental health
·
Their
parent/parents are dead and there is no-one else in the family to care for
them.
·
Sometimes
children and young people are placed with other members of the family e.g.
grandparents, but are ‘looked after’ to provide support through advice and
financial means.
·
Their
parent/parents need support in caring for their child because of the level of
the child’s needs e.g. 24 hour care
·
Their
parent/parents is/are unable to care for them because they are in prison
·
Their
parents are unable to manage the child’s behaviour
·
Their
parent/parents are not caring for them appropriately and not meeting their
needs – often these cases fall into the Child Protection area – parents may be
abusing their children physically, sexually, emotionally or neglecting them -
neglect includes failure to protect the child or young person from abuse by
others.
The situation might be that:
· A court has made a Care Order (Children Act 1998 Section 31), in which case the local authority has been granted certain powers but shares parental; responsibility with the natural parents and is expected to act in partnership with them.
· Or that the local authority is accommodating (Children Act 1989 Section 20) the child by agreement with, or even at the request of, the natural parents. In this case the local authority does not have parental responsibility and the natural parents can ask for their children to return home at any time.
When the child attends your school, ensure that;
· A child or young person joining the school other than at the usual admission age i.e. entry to Primary or Secondary phase, has an induction meeting attended by the young person, carer (and if appropriate social worker and natural parents) and the school’s Designated Teacher for children in public care. Your local Education Coordinator should also be consulted.
· The school has obtained educational records from the last school and a copy of the Personal Education Plan and any relevant personal information from the social worker or carer, but treat the latter as confidential.
· If the child lives in a children’s home, you know who is the key worker (residential social worker) you should link with and how to contact each other.
· You have discussed with the social worker who should receive school reports and other communication, and who should be invited to parents’ evenings, etc..
· You discuss with the young person what they wish their peers to know about their home/care situation, if anything, and how they refer to their carers (for example, first names).
· The school has been informed of when the next Social Services Review on the child will be taking place so that you or an appropriate teacher can contribute to the review either in person or by a report.
· You should be aware that young people in public care may suffer educational disadvantage for a number of reasons: for example, disrupted home and school placements; emotional trauma; unresolved concerns about their families; fears about their future; low self-esteem; being subject to stigmatisation and bullying; unaddressed special educational needs; the lack of a consistent adult to act as their advocate.
· Personal Education Plan – if the young person already has a Personal Education Plan it should be reviewed and revised as appropriate.
· If the young person does not have a Personal Education Plan one should be completed by the time of the next Social Services Review.
· By reviewing/revising or completing a Personal Education Plan for the child or young person, you will ensure that all these issues have been covered.
· Your local Education Coordinator can be contacted for advice and support.