The role of the Looked After Children Education Coordinator

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The role of the Looked After Children Education
Coordinator

• How can we maximise the educational achievement
  of LAC ?
• Wyn Harries
• Pembrokeshire County Council
• 2009

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• The most traumatic aspects of all disasters
  involve the shattering of human connections .
  This is especially true for Looked After
  Children . Being harmed by the people who are
  supposed to love you, being abandoned by them,
  being robbed of the one to one relationships that
  allow you to feel safe and valued and to become
  humane these are profoundly destructive
  experiences..
• Ref - Dr Bruce D Perry in The boy who was
  raised as a dog 2006

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Looked After Children

• Each week one child will be killed by their
  parent or carer in England and Wales
• 6 of children experience frequent and severe
  maltreatment during childhood
• 18 experience some absence of care
• 25 of reported rapes are of children under 18
  years of age. ( NSPCC )
• 6,000 young people will emerge from the care of
  the state this year. 4,500 of them will have no
  educational qualifications. (Handle with Care)

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Looked After Children

• The term Looked After is used in the Children
  Act of 1989 if a child is provided with
  accommodation or care by the Local Authority
• Concerns were raised after the 1996 Waterhouse
  tribunal which resulted in the Lost in Care
  report, and the Every Child Matters programme.
  ( WAG Circular 2/2001 )

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Legal Perspective

• Children come into care for a number of reasons

• Looked After by Pembrokeshire County
• Council Corporate Parenting
• Voluntary / In Care, Remanded/
• Accommodated through Detained
  
• the court

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Pembrokeshire County Council

• What is a Corporate Parent?
• We are

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What is Corporate Parenting

• Corporate forming one body from many
  individuals
• Parent father or mother
• Once a local authority has taken the profound
  decision to remove a child, short term or long
  term, from his or her family , it is the duty of
  the whole authority to
• safeguard and promote his welfare
• ( Children Act 1989 S22 (3)(a) The whole
  authority includes local education authorities
  and schools
• Refer to LAC flowchart.

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The importance of Education

• Valuing and supporting the education of looked
  after children is the single most important
  contribution a corporate parent can make to their
  lives, because it is about investing in and
  caring about their future, and recognising that
  education is their passport to better life
  chances

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Aiming High

• Research tells us that those involved in
  corporate parenting had lower expectations for
  Looked After Children, both in terms of
  achievement and behaviour.
• The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to
  raising standards for all children. Higher
  expectations of children who are looked after is
  essential.
• The WAG have provided funding to help authorities
  to raise educational achievement of LAC.
• WAG publication for councillors, If this were
  my child
• covers foster placements, health, childrens
  rights, leaving care and education.

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If this were my child .Key Questions 6

• Do all LAC have a school place , attend school
  regularly and how many are excluded officially or
  unofficially ?
• Are those out of school provided with appropriate
  and full time alternative learning provision ?
• Does every child have a PEP and is it up to
  date ?
• Do they receive the support they need to be able
  to make effective use of the education available
  to them ?
• What is being done to tackle bullying and unequal
  treatment of LAC ?

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If this were my child .Key Questions 6

• How many LAC have a statement and how does this
  compare to the average rate of statementing for
  the school/authority ?
• How many LAC achieve what was predicted for them
  when they entered care and what aspirations do
  schools have for them ?
• How does the council encourage and support young
  people to continue in education ?
• Do you know what they want to be when they grow
  up ?

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Principles of Corporate Parenting

• Prioritising education.
• Having high expectations.
• Listening to children young people.
• Early intervention and prioritising action.
• Inclusion challenging and changing attitudes. We
  must keep these children in school.
• Asking if this were my child would it be good
  enough ?

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Children in public care are our children. We
hold their future in our hands and education is
the key to that future.DfES 2000.
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Looked After Children in Pembrokeshire - January
2009

• No of LAC in Pembrokeshire in Jan 2009 145
• Pre School Children 19
• Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils 47
• Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils 67
• Key Stage 5 pupils 10
• Special school within county - 5 pupils
• PRU 5 pupils
• Alternative Curriculum 5 pupils
• 31 statemented pupils out of 400
• 31Pupils educated outside Pembrokeshire 19 in
  mainstream schools, 7 in residential schools, 5
  in school placements in childrens homes.
• There are also 40 children from other counties
  who are educated in Pembrokeshire schools

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Looked After Children in Pembrokeshire - January
2009

• Of the 145 LAC-
• 84 are on Full Care Orders
• 4 are on Interim Care Orders
• 51 are Accommodated (with their parents
  agreement.)
• 6 freed for adoption
• They are allocated to the following teams-
• Child Assessment Team
• North South
  Disabilities
• Leaving Care/over 15s team Adults
  Disabilities Team

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Who is Looked After?

• 58, 900 children in the UK
• 55 boys
• 43 under 10 years old
• 65 in foster placements
• 12 with parents
• 10 in childrens homes
• 6 placed for adoption
• 5 in other placements, e.g. residential schools.
• 2 living independently.

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Life Chances?Care leavers make up

• 50 of London beggars
• 66 of male prostitutes
• 26 of all prisoners
• 54 of the prison population under 25 years
• 33 of rough sleepers.
• 63 leave care with no qualifications

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Poor life chances..

• 70 have health problems due to inadequate or
  inconsistent attention during childhood.
• 80 experience destitution and poverty
• LAC are 250 more likely to become teenage
  parents than their peers.

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Why?

• Abuse or neglect
• Family dysfunction
• Family in acute stress \ anxiety.
• Absent parenting
• Disability
• Socially unacceptable behaviour
• Low income
• NB. Less than 2 of youngsters are in care
  because of offences theyve committed.

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How do children feel ?

• Rejected by their family
• Uncertain of their future
• Separated from all they knew as familiar
• Surrounded by changes

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LAC in Wales

• There are about 4,800 LAC in Wales
• After 1 year in care, a child is likely to fall 1
  year behind in maths and 2 years behind in
  reading.
• 1 in 200 may be qualified to follow Higher
  Education, compared to 68 of general population.
• LAC represent 33 of all secondary school
  exclusions and 66 of all primary school
  exclusions - in spite of being less than 1 of
  the school population.

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Collecting Data

• The Welsh Assembly Government, through Children
  First, set a target to improve the educational
  attainment of looked after children.
• By 2003 at least 75 of the proportion of
  children leaving care at 16 should have a GCSE or
  GNVQ qualification.
• Is this good enough for our children ?
• WAG now collect the figures of the number of
  children who leave school with no qualifications

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How is this achieved - Finance - Children First
- RAISE

• The Children First Programme was introduced in
  1999 and aimed to improve the quality and
  management of childrens services in Wales. It
  focused on all children in need which included
  Looked After Children. Its main objective was,
• to ensure that children looked after gain
  maximum life chance benefits from educational
  opportunities, health care and social care.
• The Children First Programme was absorbed into
  the councils finances in 2007/8.
• RAISE money has been allocated specifically for
  LAC until 2011

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How is this achieved - Finance - Children First
- RAISE

• RAISE money has also been allocated to schools to
  target vulnerable children including LAC
• WAG has also given grants to support LAC in the
  National Year of Reading 2008 and an Improving
  Connections grant for training purposes

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How is this achieved ? Resources

• IN PEMBROKESHIRE -
• At KS4 pupils have the opportunity of a a laptop
  computer to help with their coursework
• All GCSE pupils have received Revision Guides to
  help improve their grades
• All pupils at KS3 and KS2 have access to Revision
  Guides also
• Some pupils have had extra tuition in weaker
  subjects
• Pupils are encouraged to build up their self
  esteem through Adventure Challenge and Duke of
  Edinburgh awards
• RAISE money provides learning coaches help for
  pupils

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How is this achieved ? Resources

• A joint protocol between the directorates of
  Education and Health and Social care is in use
• A foster carers guide to education has been
  published and used to train foster carers
• Governor training has taken place
• Councillors are kept informed of LAC procedures
  and results
• Each school in Pembrokeshire has a designated
  Teacher for Looked After Children

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Designated Teachersare Investors in Children,
they should

• Ensure the speedy transfer of educational
  information between agencies and individuals.
• Act as a resource and advocate.
• Attend training on LAC guidance etc.
• Ensure that colleagues have relevant information
  and positively promote the education of LAC.
• Ensure every LAC has a Personal Education Plan.
• Attend LAC Review meetings

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Personal Education Plans.

• It is a STATUTORY requirement for all LAC to have
  a PEP within 14 days of entering care or joining
  a new school.
• PEPs ensure access to services and support.
• Improve communication between agencies.
• Contribute to stability.
• Minimise disruption and broken schooling
• Indicate particular needs.
• Establish clear goals and act as a record of
  progress.
• Detail respective roles and responsibilities.
• Targets for the school, child and the carer that
  will assist the childs progress.
• They are measured by WAG and ESTYN.

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Personal Education Plans.

• IN PEMBROKESHIRE
• We currently use a Personal Education Plan based
  on the All Wales model.
• Every LAC has to have a PEP within 14 days of
  entering the Looked After system. This is
  dependent on information sharing within the
  County Council and should be initiated by the
  social worker in contact with the designated
  teacher in the school. The important process is
  the dialogue between all interested parties.
• Social Care have been developing documents in
  ICS.
• At a previous INSET teachers discussed what
  information they wanted to see in the PEP
• The two processes have produced a new PEP on Care
  First/ICS
• Next step to move Care First into schools ???
  Could we pilot this with 1 secondary and 1
  primary school ?

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Using the Personal Education
Plan

• Within twenty eight days of a child becoming
  looked after a review meeting is held.
• All those involved with the child attend this
  review.
• It is to review the care plan for the child.
• A representative from the childs school must
  attend. This can be the designated teacher or the
  childs class teacher or the childs head of
  year.
• The Personal Educational Plan is discussed and
  all are made aware of the educational targets for
  the child.
• A further review is held in 3 or 6 months and the
  Personal Education Plan and its targets are
  reviewed.

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What can get in the way of education?

• Poor self esteem
• Lots of baggage around personal life
• Fear of failure
• Change of placement can mean travelling to
  school, loosing stability.
• Change of school can mean different school
  subjects/exam syllabi, making new friends
• Poor attendance in early years can mean pupils
  are behind in everything
• Permission slip/requests for money
• Meetings !!

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What can be positive about education ?

• The only stable part of their lives
• Supportive school staff
• Opportunity to interact with peers and friends
• Positive messages about their abilities
• Achievement in any form
• Somewhere structured and calm
• ( relatively speaking !)
• Somewhere they can be like everyone else
• Safe haven to talk about issues rather than a
  social services setting

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What DesignatedTeachers need to do ?

• Link with the childs social worker and foster
  carer.
• Know which children are looked after
• Ensure that they have equal opportunities and
  access to education - PEPS
• Have high expectations for Looked After Children.
• Monitor performance
• Know what support is available from the
  authority.
• Provide additional support if required, for the
  child and for the school.

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Why do some LAC behave differently to others ?

• We are all born with innate resilience by which
  we are able to develop problem solving skills or
  social competencies. Why are some children more
  resilient that others ?
• Some of us deal with lifes transitions much
  better than others.
• Secure attachment from birth is very important .
  It builds up self esteem.
• Much research done in orphanages and prisons.
  1945 Dr Rene Spitz concluded that the quality of
  the mothering experience in the early weeks and
  months of life is of critical importance to
  healthy psychological development and to life
  itself. Emotional literacy.
• 52 of adopted children have attachment problems
• Studies in Neuroscience have shown us that there
  are critical periods for learning and
  children who suffer stress, like the lack of
  consistent care, in their very early development
  can suffer brain impairments.
• The neural network is created within the first 20
  months of life. The brain continues to develop .
  Its greatest growth spurt draws to a close at
  the age of 10

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What is attachment ?

• In a study of 1000 Romanian orphans-
• 25 had irrecoverable brain impairment and
  retardation.
• 40-50 had moderate impairments reflected
  in either learning difficulties or behavioural
  difficulties
• 25 were unscathed FEDERICI 1994
• Post Traumatic Stress disorder can be something
  associated with war, but
• exposure to trauma at any age releases
  cortisol( a stress hormone ) which in children
  affects the development of the limbic system and
  the cortex area of the brain linked to emotion
  and attachment. These areas can be up to 20-30
  smaller in children who experience trauma. Mayers
  2003.
• High exposure to cortisol during the first three
  years of life increases the activity in the brain
  structures linked to vigilance and arousal,
  creating a brain wired to respond to an hostile
  environment creating fear anxiety, stress and
  hostility
• So some children who have suffered abuse in their
  very early development will carry the damage with
  them into their school years.

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What can teachers do ?

• We need early identification
• We need to build resilience through-
• Caring and supportive relationships in school
  and positive and high expectations. This is
  Nurture.
• Longitudinal research over 40 years indicates
  that outside families the most frequently cited
  positive role models were teachers Werner and
  Smith 1998

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What works ?

• Jackson and Martin identified the following as
  contributing to the educational success of
  children in care-
• Learning to read early
• Having a carer who valued education
• Regular school attendance
• Having friends outside the care system who were
  educationally motivated
• Developing hobbies and interests
• Access to a significant adult
• Jackson and Martin 1998

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New initiatives

• Improving Connections grant from WAG. Many
  authorities organised conferences for their
  Designated LAC Teachers.
• National Year of Reading 2008
• Grant to join up this initiative and LAC
  and to encourage improving literacy

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New initiatives

• WAG -Towards a stable life and a brighter
  future
• Convening of a multi-agency panel to place a
  child out of county
• Use of CCSR
• Reporting back to Partnerships and Elected
  Members
• Limit of 10 working days to register child health
  wise.
• Extension of monitoring by IRO
• Regulations regarding qualifications for staff of
  Childrens Homes.
• Responsibilities of LHB.

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New initiatives

• COLA Children from Other Authorities.
• Information in new guidance on this, which
  effects Health and Education.
• At present we have about 40 COLA in Pembs, some
  in schools and some educated in Childrens Homes.
• We also have 28 Pembs LAC out of authority.
• Pembrokeshire Out of County Protocol.
• Belongings regulations

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New Resources

• The National Childrens Bureau - Understanding
  Why Understanding Attachment and how this can
  affect education
• www.ncb.org.
• Nobody ever told us school mattered ed Sonia
  Jackson
• The Golly in the Cupboard Phil Frampton
• Shattered Lives Camila Batmanghelidjh
• The boy who was raised as a dog Bruce D Perry
  and Maia Szalavitz
• Attachment, trauma and resilience - Kate Cairnes
• Attachment in the classroom H Geddes
• Partnership Working and the Education of LAC
  NFER
• Lucky Duck Publications www.luckyduck.co.uk
• Amys Diary The Fostering Network
• Education Works Rob Long
• Teachers T V publications on LAC

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Looked After Children in Pembrokeshire - 2007

• Wyn Harries,
• Looked After Children Education
• Coordinator,
• Neyland PPEC
• St Clements Rd , Neyland. Milford
• Haven, Pembs SA65 1SH
• 01646602154
• 07979054959
• wyn.harries_at_pembrokeshire.gov.uk

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Looked After Children in Pembrokeshire - 2007

• RAISE Learning Coaches-
• Stephanie Davies and Louise Hay
• Neyland PPEC
• St Clements Rd , Neyland, Milford
• Haven, Pembs SA65 1SH
• 01646602154
• stephanie.davies_at_pembrokeshire.gov.uk
• louise.hay_at_pembrokeshire.gov.uk