Every Child and Young person in public care needs a Personal Education Plan which ensures access to services and support; contributes to stability, minimises disruption and broken schooling; signals particular and special needs; establishes clear goals and acts as a record of progress and achievement.

Government Guidance on the Education of Young People in Public Care May 2000

DfEE/DOH Guidance (May 2000) requires local authorities to provide all young people with a Personal Education Plan (PEP)

This requirement has been given statutory force.  

The PEP should be an integral part of the Care Plan.

The PEP covers four areas: an achievement record, identification of developmental and educational needs, short term targets and long term plans.

If a child has Special Educational Needs the PEP should detail their needs and the support already provided. The child will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and this should be discussed and attached to the PEP. The meeting will also need to record the actions to be taken by other corporate parents to support the IEP and the child’s education.

When a child enters public care the social worker will inform the school and the Education Coordinator for Looked After Children.

The first PEP should be prepared within 20 days i.e. in time for the first review (the 28 day review).

The PEP will normally be reviewed concurrently with the Care Plan, i.e. within 28 days, 3 months, 6 months, etc. However reviews can take place anytime in response to need.

The PEP can be done as part of the LAC review, immediately before it or at other times if more appropriate. The timing should be discussed with the Reviewing Officer.

The social worker is responsible for initiating the PEP in partnership with the child or young person, designated teacher, parent or family member, carer and any other person who may be relevant.

Designated teachers will be expected to provide information and contribute to the PEP meeting and assume management at school level.

In the case of a young person without a school place the social worker should liaise with the Education Coordinator on the PEP. The Social Inclusion Officer of the LEA should be invited to the PEP meeting.

In the case of a child who is being offered a placement at one of the Pupil Referral units PEPs should be completed with the teacher in charge at the admission meeting and subsequent review meetings at the unit.

Foster carers will attend and contribute to PEP meetings and have a key role in monitoring to ensure that the actions outlined in the PEP are carried out.

Schools should designate a teacher to act as a resource and advocate for children and young people in public care. LEAs and SSDs should coordinate suitable training for them and maintain an up to date list of designated teachers in their area.

Government Guidance on the Education of Young People in Public Care May 2000

This requirement has been given statutory force.

Having a designated teacher, who understands about care and the impact of care on education, in each school is critical to making joint working a reality.

Pupils need careful induction in new schools and teachers need to be diligent to ensure no one is isolated or bullied. The school’s designated teacher has an important role in supervising the smooth induction of young people in public care, treading a path between the child’s need for confidentiality and making a child feel welcome.

She or he should be an advocate for young people in public care, accessing services and support, and ensuring that the school shares and supports high expectations of them.

The designated teacher should also ensure speedy transfer of education information between agencies and individuals and that each child has a Personal Education Plan.
S/he will also ensure that the primary carer has any home school agreements and will act as a point of contact for the carer.

A network of designated teachers would strengthen the overall role of the Local Authority in acting as corporate parent, by sharing expertise about tailored packages of support, preventing unnecessary moves of school of exclusion and minimising delay.

The Personal Education plan requires a teacher to sit with the child and review progress.

The designated teacher will provide information on test results, attendance and academic progress for the education planning meeting

If a child or young person has special educational needs they should be known to the Special Educational Needs coordinator (SENCO).Their PEP should detail their needs and the support already provided. Action should be taken according to the code of practice and strictly within the timescales prescribed. Designated teachers should alert the senior officer for children with SEN and the Education coordinator for Looked after children of any delays.

THE LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY  

All services and officers in the LEA will reinforce the need for children and young people to have a PEP in place and will take an active part in planning as corporate parents when appropriate.

THE SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICER (Access & Inclusion) 

The Senior Education Officer (Access and Inclusion) will promote education planning for children in care on the island (including those from other local authorities). As manager of the Welfare and Behaviour Support Services he will ensure that workers in this section are aware of the importance of Personal Education Plans. Arrangements will be put in place for the Education Coordinator for looked after children to deliver training to staff. The teachers in charge of the Pupil Referral Units will take the role of designated teachers of looked after children and have responsibility to ensure that all children in public care who attend the units have Personal Education Plans (which should be reviewed at the admissions meeting and subsequent progress meetings). All other Welfare and Behaviour Support Service staff will also be expected to contribute to education planning meetings when appropriate and work in partnership with other corporate parents


THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR FOR LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN. 

The Education coordinator will audit progress with the PEPs system and offer induction training and multi agency workshops. Information, advice and the Viewpoint software will be made available at the LACES Drop In Education Centre. The Education coordinator will attend regional meetings and conferences to benchmark the progress on the Isle of Wight. The LACES team will also consult with children and young people. LACES education assistants will act as advocates for children and young people at PEP meetings if they request this.

When individual cases are complex the Education coordinator can offer advice and information to assist social workers and teachers with the PEP process. If there are serious difficulties accessing provision (and when time allows) the education coordinator will also chair these PEP meetings.

CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION 

Young people will be given a copy of the DfES young peoples guide when they come into care and copies are available at the LACES Drop- In centre. Younger children will be told about PEPs by their social worker. The reviewing officers will check that they understand what a PEP is.

Children and young people will be able to give their views on Viewpoint (available on computers at the LACES Education Drop-In Centre and on lap top computers with the Social Services Looked After Children’s team (0-16)

Teachers should ask if they wish to express their views on the form provided (Pupil View)  and take this form to the PEP meeting.

Social workers should remind children and young people that they can take a friend or advocate to the PEP meeting.

The PEP meeting should support the child or young person to give their views. The meeting will be child friendly and consider ways that corporate parents can support the child or young person.

Social workers are responsible for ensuring that the child or young person has a copy of the completed PEP to keep and refer to. The reviewing officers will check that are being sent copies.

MONITORING

The Education coordinator will audit the PEPs system monthly and give a list of PEPs in date to team managers at Social Services. She will meet with the team Managers of the Looked After Children’s teams (0-16 and 16+) and give qualitative information. The reviewing officers will ensure the PEPs are with the LAC papers and will also monitor the quality.

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