Recently there have been a number of developments you need to be made aware of. They are:

	Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDA)
-	From April 2008 all Local Authorities are required to provide information annually to the DCSF about the emotional health and well-being of children in care aged 4-16. This return needs to be submitted by the Local Authority to the DCSF by the end of March 2009.
-	The tool that has been provided to capture this information is the Strengths and Difficulty Questionnaire. This questionnaire is usually completed by the young person, their parent and carer, and their teacher so that the results can be triangulated.
-	All schools that have any children in care in their school who are 11 years or over, will receive a paper copy of the teacher version of the SDQ with accompanying information by the beginning of March. The teacher version is being timed to arrive in schools after the closing date for the carer and young person's questionnaires (due to be returned on 27th February 2009). This is to avoid school staff being the first to broach with a child in care the matter of the SDQ being completed about them before their carer/ social worker has had the opportunity to do so first.
-	All completed questionnaires will be kept confidential and secure. However, it is anticipated that the teacher who completes the questionnaire will discuss this with the young person concerned. Should the young person express an unwillingness for their teacher to complete the questionnaire, that should be noted on the uncompleted questionnaire and returned in the envelope provided.
-	Please could all headteachers ensure that when the envelope with the SDQ arrives in schools, it is passed on to the designated teacher for children in care.

Summer Term KS2 and KS4 results

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To support the Local Authority's evaluation of performance of looked after children at the same time as the rest of the school population is analysed, we are requesting that all schools with end of KS2 pupils provide a data return for children in care, at the same time as they make returns for the Year 6 cohort. The same request is being made to secondary schools for their end of KS4 results. Details of how to make these returns will be included in the instructions issued by Chris Jackson when she communicates with schools about the data returns for the end of Year 6 and the end of Year 11 in the summer of 2009.

	Designated Teacher Consultation
-	As part of the ongoing consultations being undertaken by the DCSF in relation to the implications of the 2008 Children and Young Persons Act there is currently a consultation being undertaken concerning designated teachers. This document can be found on the DCSF website

Designated Staff

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A reminder following on from the request last term for all schools to provide for the Local Authority, the names of their designated staff for each of the following statutory areas - SENCO, Designated Teacher for Children in Care (LAC), Child Protection - if your school has not made a return please could you complete on-line the names of your teachers for these areas. Click here to view the website.