Educational support for looked after children

The Education Service to support Looked After Children in Solihull is based at the Craig Croft Education Centre in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull. There are two sections to the Service, the Education Unit and the Outreach Team, details of both are outlined below.

Education Unit

The Unit provision caters for looked after and vulnerable children and young people of statutory school age (5-16) who are experiencing difficulties in their education in addition to their social problems.

Access criteria are as follows:

• Child is looked after by the local Authority.
• Child is "in need" as defined in Section 10 of the Children Act.
• Child is subject to a placement change, which may affect his/her education.
• Child is considered vulnerable and is at risk of social exclusion.

The provision normally caters for approximately 60 children and young people in any one academic year. Frequency of attendance varies from one half day per week to five half days (usually for looked after children who are not attending school). Length of stay varies according to need and when an appropriate placement becomes available.

Issues and range of needs of the children attending include:

• Lack of appropriate school place
• Risk of school exclusion
• Poor school attendance
• Underachievement
• Low self esteem
• Bullied children
• Poor literacy/numeracy skills
• Crisis (looked after children)
• Support with G.C.S.E. course work (LAC only)

Many children experience a range of the above difficulties but the aim is always to try to identify and address the major issues, which are impacting on the child's ability to function appropriately in their long-term placement. For some children it becomes apparent that full time special provision is needed, in which case the Unit will support the child until that provision can be identified to help avoid gaps in education.

For further information contact Dorothy Wain or Mary Bowen (0121 788 4230)

Outreach Service

The purpose of the Service is to act in an advisory/supportive capacity regarding education matters for all children looked after by Solihull MBC.

It covers a wide variety of functions including:

• Supporting social workers in drawing up Personal Education Plans (a mandatory requirement for all looked after children).
• Supporting the review process for PEPs and attending out of Borough reviews as appropriate.
• Supporting key personnel including foster carers in developing strategies for working with the child.
• Working directly with the child in collaboration with the school by responding quickly where there is a danger of exclusion.
• Ensuring coherent provision by working in collaboration with other education support services.
• Monitoring progress of all children particularly in relation to pre-set targets.
• Support in identifying an appropriate school place when the child is placed out of area.
• Assisting in identifying school places where appropriate.
• Liaison with Education Department where a formal assessment of special educational need is required.

All Looked After Children have a named Education Worker. When a child becomes looked after, the name of the identified Education Worker will be sent out when the PEP is issued.

Although the Unit and Outreach provisions each have a clear brief, their work is closely interlinked and where appropriate the two Services compliment each other.

Contact Details

Dorothy Wain or Carole Bell

Telephone: 0121 788 4230/4297

Email: dwain@solihull.gov.uk