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Contents

1. Responsibilities of Social Workers Concerning the Promotion of Education 
2. Responsibilities of Residential Staff/Foster Carers Concerning the Promotion of Education 
3. Responsibilities of Designated Teachers

1. Responsibilities of Social Workers Concerning the Promotion of Education

The social worker for the child must:

1. Have overall responsibility to ensure that the child’s educational needs are met. 
2. Ensure the child’s school is informed of the legal status of the child by telephone/fax/e-mail in the first instance and followed by written confirmation of the information.
3. Inform/confirm to appropriate colleagues in ETLAC and the child's school, particularly the Designated Teacher, the legal status of the child in all correspondence. 
4. Keep the Designated Teacher informed of any significant events, for example, court cases, contact sessions etc.
5. Ensure that whenever possible, a child’s educational needs are addressed when considering any change of placement.
6. Ensure all Care Plans, Child Care Reviews and other planning processes for each child address his or her education.  All targets must be linked to the individual potential of the child.
7. Ensure the child's school receive copies of relevant plans including the Placement Plan/Placement Information Records and that the day-to-day arrangements relating to school transport, clothes and dinner money are addressed.  Plans must include where appropriate, details of who will read to the child and supervise homework.
8. Ensure that tasks contained within the child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) are implemented by named persons/agencies
9. Ensure that a new PEP is agreed as soon as possible and at least within 20 school days of a child coming into care or joining a new school, i.e. for the first Child Care Review post placement.  Where a child is without a school place, the ETLAC should be asked to liaise with the education service and the child's social worker in relation to the arrangements for the child's education.
10. Contribute actively to the assessment process leading to a Statement of Special Educational Needs and the annual review of the Statement.

2. Responsibilities of Residential Staff and Foster Carers Concerning the Promotion of Education

1. Contact the school immediately a child is placed and exchange relevant information.
2. Go to the school and introduce themselves to the class teacher and Designated Teacher
3. Ensure that the child attends school every day
4. Accompany the child to and from school, according to the child’s age and ability
5. Seek support from the child’s social worker if problems occur
6. Maintain regular contact with the school and attend parents’ evenings and school functions e.g. school plays, sports day
7. Ensure that the child has somewhere quiet to study and do homework.
8. Encourage the child to do their homework, offer help where appropriate and make sure it is done.
9. Encourage all children to develop their own talents, interests and hobbies.
10. Encourage children to enjoy music and play musical instruments.
11. Ensure that all children join a library.
12. Build a supply of children’s books (these should include books that are pro-diversity and also books particularly relating to the experiences of being in care).
13. Read to or with the child as appropriate to age.
14. Encourage children to watch educational television programmes and videos/DVD’s and go on outings to places of interest.  Use everyday situations to promote learning.
15. Encourage children to participate in school and after-school activities.
16. Keep information on the child’s educational circumstances and attainments with the child.
17. Check with the child how things are at school; discuss education on a routine/regular basis.
18. Encourage children to do well educationally, consider an appropriate career and go into further or higher education.
19. Act as an advocate on behalf of the child and intervene immediately if there is a problem with education.
20. Liaise with social workers and ETLAC in relation to educational issues.
21. Notify the school as early as possible during the first school day of absence.
22. Supply the school with evidence of the child’s illness.
23. Celebrate success and reward the child when they do well.
24. Contribute to Personal Education Plans.

Residential staff/foster carers can be the positive advocates for children in care.  They deal with the educational issues, problems and successes, on a day-to-day basis. They are the link to teachers, parents and other professionals. 

The fostering social worker should help foster carers with all these responsibilities and offer support and training for carers to help them improve their role and the educational outcomes of the children they care for.

Educational issues should be thoroughly discussed at foster carer’s reviews. See Review of Foster Carers Procedure.

3. Responsibilities of Designated Teachers

The Designated Teacher should:

1. Keep a list of pupils in the school who are in care, with contact telephone numbers and make sure it is up-dated regularly.
2. Ensure all information is stored confidentially and shared on a “need to know” basis.
3. Act as a liaison person for other agencies and individuals in relation to pupils who are in care.
4. Advocate for pupils in schools who are in care.
5. Attend relevant training on pupils who are in care.
6. Ensure that members of staff in school have relevant information/training on pupils who are in care to enable them to positively promote educational issues.
7. Act as liaison officer in school making links where necessary with, for example pastoral support staff and the SEN Adviser.
8. Act as adviser for other staff in school and school governors on issues relevant to pupils who are in care.
9. Ensure that Child Care Reviews are seen as a priority and that an appropriate contribution to the meeting is made.
10. Ensure that they are aware of the contents of Personal Education Plans and that the tasks for which they are responsible are carried out.
11. Keep information on pupils who are in care up to date.
12. Ensure that each pupil who are in care has a member of staff in school they can talk to.
13. Ensure speedy transfer of educational information from the school to all appropriate colleagues.
14. Ensure that the liaison teacher in the primary school passes all information to the Designated Teacher in the secondary school.
15. Ensure that any concerns or significant developments are promptly communicated to the child's allocated social worker.

End