Previous Children in Care Designated Teacher Duties
The Role of Designated Teacher for PLAC/PCiC
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 states that governing bodies now have a duty to designate a member of staff to promote the educational achievement of previously children in care, including those adopted from abroad. The designated teacher ensures all staff are aware of the needs of these students and contributes to school-wide policies affecting them, including the use of Pupil Premium and monies. The designated teacher should work closely with parents and guardians to ensure the best outcomes for the child, socially, emotionally and educationally.
The full statutory guidance for designated teachers can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children
Schools and other settings must have a Designated Teacher, who is ideally a member of the senior leadership team with appropriate seniority and professional experience to provide leadership.
- The Designated Teacher is responsible for championing the educational needs of looked after children and care experienced children in their school
- The Designated Teacher should have training opportunities and sufficient time away from timetable commitments to fulfil their role.
- The Designated Teacher should be the central point of contact regarding Looked After and Previously Looked After Children within the school.
- The Designated Teacher should make themselves known to parents and guardians as someone they can talk to about issues affecting their child’s education.
Designated Teachers should also help raise awareness in the parents of Previously Looked After Children of the importance of making the school aware of their status so that they can offer the enhanced support they are entitled to.
A high proportion of adopted children experienced abuse and neglect before entering care. Two main additional educational needs that sometimes follow are:
- attachment and trauma issues
- difficulties with learning following impaired brain development
The areas of difficulty may include:-
- cognition and learning
- communication and interaction
- social, emotional and mental health
- physical and / or sensory
As a result of these traumas, they might experience learning difficulties within and educational environment. Your school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will also be able to provide support or alternatively, speak to your Educational Psychologist.
A high proportion of adopted children experienced abuse and neglect before entering care. Two main additional educational needs that sometimes follow are:
- attachment and trauma issues
- difficulties with learning following impaired brain development
The areas of difficulty may include:-
- cognition and learning
- communication and interaction
- social, emotional and mental health
- physical and / or sensory
As a result of these traumas, they might experience learning difficulties within and educational environment. Your school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will also be able to provide support or alternatively, speak to your Educational Psychologist.
Some looked after children are placed for adoption and will live with their prospective new parents prior to the final Adoption Order. Before the final Adoption Order is made by the courts the child will retain his or her Looked After legal status. That means, for example, that although placed for adoption he or she will have an adoption plan and a PEP. It also means that the child should continue to be treated in the same way as any other looked after child for the purpose of school admission priority arrangements and in relation to the designated teacher’s role.
Once the final Adoption Order is made, the child will no longer be looked after. However, his or her educational, social and emotional needs will not change overnight simply as a result of the final Adoption Order. Schools and designated teachers will, therefore, need to be sensitive to the arrangements for supporting the educational needs of children post-adoption.
Some looked after children are placed for adoption and will live with their prospective new parents prior to the final Adoption Order. Before the final Adoption Order is made by the courts the child will retain his or her Looked After legal status. That means, for example, that although placed for adoption he or she will have an adoption plan and a PEP. It also means that the child should continue to be treated in the same way as any other looked after child for the purpose of school admission priority arrangements and in relation to the designated teacher’s role.
Once the final Adoption Order is made, the child will no longer be looked after. However, his or her educational, social and emotional needs will not change overnight simply as a result of the final Adoption Order. Schools and designated teachers will, therefore, need to be sensitive to the arrangements for supporting the educational needs of children post-adoption.
As a group, looked after children achieve significantly poorer outcomes than all children. However, looked after children are no different from their peers and some may display special gifts and talents. No assumptions should be made about their abilities simply because of their looked after status.
As a group, looked after children achieve significantly poorer outcomes than all children. However, looked after children are no different from their peers and some may display special gifts and talents. No assumptions should be made about their abilities simply because of their looked after status.
Education settings should always be considerate of a child’s looked-after or previously-looked after status, alongside the needs of the whole school.
Where there are behaviour concerns with a looked-after child the Virtual School should be informed in order to support improvement.
Adverse experiences, including abuse and neglect can impact on a young person’s behaviour and ability to learn, therefore the design and implementation of school behaviour policies should allow for this.
When applying the school’s behaviour/relationship policy, schools should:
- Be considerate of the looked-after child’s current circumstances and possible previous trauma that may be affecting the child’s current behaviour and development: The allocated social worker can provide relevant information.
- Try to deal with poor behaviour using positive and supportive strategies, based on trauma informed approaches.
- Offer some flexibility when selecting and delivering sanctions/consequences, particularly when using isolation and exclusion.
- Consider the use of individualised graduated responses.
- Make additional efforts to work with parents/carers to support the school in handling the child’s behaviour, working together to address any concerns at home and school.
- Consider triggers that may have led to the behaviour
Education settings should always be considerate of a child’s looked-after or previously-looked after status, alongside the needs of the whole school.
Where there are behaviour concerns with a looked-after child the Virtual School should be informed in order to support improvement.
Adverse experiences, including abuse and neglect can impact on a young person’s behaviour and ability to learn, therefore the design and implementation of school behaviour policies should allow for this.
When applying the school’s behaviour/relationship policy, schools should:
- Be considerate of the looked-after child’s current circumstances and possible previous trauma that may be affecting the child’s current behaviour and development: The allocated social worker can provide relevant information.
- Try to deal with poor behaviour using positive and supportive strategies, based on trauma informed approaches.
- Offer some flexibility when selecting and delivering sanctions/consequences, particularly when using isolation and exclusion.
- Consider the use of individualised graduated responses.
- Make additional efforts to work with parents/carers to support the school in handling the child’s behaviour, working together to address any concerns at home and school.
- Consider triggers that may have led to the behaviour
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