A Better Education for Children in Care

a A Better Education for Children in Care

What’s in a name? • Children in care • Looked after children • Children in public care

Who is a child in care? • “A child placed in the care of the local authority by a care order or provided with accommodation by the authority; for more than 24 hours” • Voluntary Agreement Section20 (2) • Care Order Section 31 • Emergency Protection Order Section 44 • Children Act (1989)

Why do children come into care? • 62% - Outcome of Child Protection – Care Orders • 10% - Family Breakdown • 4.5% - Unaccompanied Minors (12-18 year olds) • 4% - Respite care provided for 3 months+ for children with complex health needs • 3% - Beyond parental control – socially unacceptable behaviour

“I think that teachers have a stereotype of what it is like, what a young person is like in care. I think they think that we are stupid. I think that teachers believe that we are not going to achieve any GCSE results. I think that they think that people in care are trouble makers”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Where do they live? • Foster Care • Residential Homes • Living at Home • With members of their extended family • Residential Schools • Secure accommodation • Hospital • Supported Lodgings • In their own accommodation (Care Leavers)

“I was so used to moving around that it got to the point that if I did get settled too long, I’d start to get on edge” (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

“All the moving stuff with so much things to do when you are not at school, it’s hard to concentrate when you are there because you are worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow or the day after”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Key Data for children in care - in Leicestershire (OC2 Figures) • Total number in care for 12 months at 30th September 2007 • 227 (about 330 at any one time) • Number eligible for full time schooling • 186

Key Data for children in care(DFDS; Outcomes indicators for LAC; twelve months to 30th September 2004) • 27% of children in care have SEN Statements • Compared to 3% of all children • In Leicestershire 37% (69 children)

Key Data for children in care • 55% of children in care achieved level 2 at KS1 compared to 86% of all children • 43% of children in care achieved level 4 at KS2 compared to 79% of all children • 23% of children in care achieved level 5 at KS3 compared to 70% of all children

“I don’t think they meant anything bad by saying “Take is easy and just don’t work too hard”. It’s just that they didn’t think that for one year I would be able to achieve as much as people who have done it for two years”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Key data for children in care • 46 % of children in care achieved 1 GCSE/GNVQ • Compared to 97% of all children • 41% of children in care did not sit an exam • In Leicestershire 22 young people (73%) sat at least one GCSE

“I moved schools and got entered for the exam but no-one told me that the book had changed so I went in a found that the paper was on ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ and I had been studying ‘Romeo and Juliet’” (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Cared-for pupils’ results ‘shock’ Just over half the children looked after by local authorities are entered for only one GCSE, it has emerged. Education Minister Maria Eagle said she was “shocked” by the figure of 54%. David Kidney MP, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Children in Care said it was “outrageous”. There are some 61,000 children in care. Ministers say they aim to close the gap between their attainment and that of other children “substantially”.

Cared-for pupils’ results ‘shock’ Barriers Labour MP Mr Kidney said: “We have had an outrageous situation where achieving one GCSE has been a target for children in care for a long time. Mr Kidney said children in care often had difficulty getting into good schools, despite government guidance which emphasised that schools should make children in care a priority. As reported on BBC News, Friday 24th February 2006

Key data for children in care – In Leicestershire • Number of young people in yr 11 = 30 • Number who sat at least 1 GCSE = 22 (73%) • Number who obtained 5 GCSE Grade A*-G =14 (47%)

Key data for children in care – In Leicestershire • Number who obtained 5 GCSE Grade A*-C = 2 (7%) • Nationally 9% of children in care obtain 5 GCSE Grade A*-C • Compared to 54% of all children

Key Data for children in care • 0.9% of children in care have been permanently excluded • Compared to 0.1% of all children • In Leicestershire 3 young people in care were permanently excluded at 30th September 2007

Key Data for children in care • 1% of children in care go on to university • Compared to 40% of all children • In Leicestershire there are currently 9 young people at university

Key Data for children in care • Between ½ and ¾ of rough sleepers have been in care. • Half of the adult prison population has been in care • Social Exclusion Unit ‘A Better Education for Children in Care’ 2003

Children within care • 52% have development / behaviour difficulties – (Skuse et al- 2002) • 45% have mental health issues. Of these 2/3 are in residential care (Office National Statistics 1999)

What are the ISSUES for children in care? • Low expectations at school • Living somewhere that is not ‘home’ • Social Workers/Other professionals ‘interfering’ • Abuse and/or Neglect • Everyone talking about them • CONFIDENTIALITY • Meetings • Rejection • Bereavement • Constantly at risk of losing their current ‘home’ • Contact • Etc……

“Because of moving all the time there wasn’t really any point maintaining friendships, because the minute you did they would be gone, you’d go through the heartache. And also the fact of missing out many years of social skills, all really contributing to me really having a hard time at school not having friends, the teachers not liking me, being bullied”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

“I didn’t really expect like teachers to tell people but sometimes they brought it up in classes and stuff”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Meetings Meetings Meetings……… • Placement Meeting – as soon after placement as possible • Review Meetings • 1 month • 3 months • 6months • PEP Meeting • Meetings with other professionals • Ad infinitem………..

“I think that Social Services, carers and schools could work a lot harder together if they communicated better”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY • “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property” • This is a concept with relevance to all children

WHO HAS PR? • Mothers • Married fathers • Fathers who are named on the birth certificate • Care Orders & Interim Care Orders – The Local Authority shares PR with the parent(s) but LA has greater influence • Anyone who has successfully applied to the courts to gain parental responsibility such as those who hold a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order in respect of a child

AMENDMENT • 1st December 2003 an amendment was made to the Children Act 1989 • States: • that unmarried fathers can now obtain ‘parental responsibility’ as long as the birth was registered by both parents • A birth father who was not married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth and did not take part in the registration of the birth does not – But he can apply for ‘parental responsibility’ through the courts

Why is this relevant to you? It will affect who you: • Telephone to discuss the child • Invite to discuss the child’s progress • Ask permission for the child to take part in a particular activity • Allow to collect the child • Ask for permission for medical treatments or checks

“If more carers and teachers just took a little bit more time out to see the person in front of them and see how they need help as opposed to just looking at their case file and judging them from that because it’s not fair and you just damage the child even more by doing that”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

Designated Teachers, carers and other professionals working with the child • This is why children in care need a CHAMPION • School is important and can be the ONLY constant in the life of a child in care • The DT, carer, and/or other professional can make a difference by always thinking about what could help that child/young person • Thinking what the issue might be and what could be a solution

“I didn’t have to change schools which was really good because I still had the normality of going to school ‘cos that was like my sanctuary”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

“I stayed at the same secondary school which was really helpful because half way through I moved and lived about 20 miles from school. Social Services wanted to move me but then respected that fact that I didn’t want to move”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

A FINAL THOUGHT…….. …..as a Corporate Parent

“If you feel that something wouldn’t be good enough for your own children and you wouldn’t be happy to put your own children somewhere, then don’t expect looked after children to be put in that position”. (Quote from a young person in care in Leicestershire)

A Better Education for Children in Care