Post Scrutiny Executive Response

In Respect of: The Panel's Review of the Educational Attainment of Looked After Children

Cabinet Deputies: Councillor John Taylor and Councillor Joe Kitchen

Date : 6th April 2004

1. We both welcome this opportunity to examine and improve ways of working together in the interests of looked after children.

These children are amongst the most vulnerable in our society. It is the responsibility of the whole Council, as the Corporate Parent to these children, to ensure that they receive the best possible chances in life.

We are confident that systems are in place to ensure that looked after children receive the best possible educational support. However there is always scope for improvement and to that end we welcome the interest and support of the Scrutiny Panel.

2. The National Context

In September 2003 the Social Exclusion Unit produced a report "A better education for children in care" The report set out the national context: -

The Care Population

• At any one time there are around 60,000 children in care. Over the course of a year over 80,000 will spend some time in care.
• 41 per cent of children in care are aged under 10, with one in five (19 per cent) aged under 5.
• Boys, children from some minority ethnic groups, disabled children and those from lower socio-economic groups are over-represented in care.
• Most children are in care because they have been abused or neglected, or for family reasons - less than one in ten is in care because of their own behaviour.
• Two-thirds of children in care live in foster placements. Of the remainder, most live in children's homes or with their parents.
• One in four children live outside their local authority. Out of authority placements can make planning for and supporting children's education particularly difficult.

A looked after child means a person under the age of 18 who is provided by a local authority, acting in its social services capacity, with accommodation for a continuous period of more than 24 hours, by agreement with the parents or with the child if he is aged 16 or over, or who is the subject of a relevant court order under part IV of the Children Act 1989. Children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements (respite care) are excluded.

Children in care are more likely to be from groups that tend to do less well in education. They are also more likely to have statements of Special Educational Need (27% compared with 3% of all children).

In addition the long-term outcomes nationally are poorer than for other children:

• Between a quarter and a third of rough sleepers were once in care.
• Young people who have been in care are two and a half times more likely to become teenage parents.
• Over a quarter of prisoners were in care as children.

3. True for us? Tameside's Children

The national picture can be misleading and there is a tendency to stereotype looked after children.

In Tameside there are very low rates of offending and teenage pregnancy amongst looked after children. Our care leavers have a good record of getting and keeping appropriate accommodation.

The majority (82%) of Tameside's looked after children are in foster care or placed for adoption, and the stability of those placements has improved greatly over the past 2 years.

Foster carers in Tameside work to a contract with the Fostering Service. They are paid a fee for their services and an allowance to cover the cost of looking after each child.

Each foster carer is expected to undergo training and is offered monthly supervision in order to ensure that the needs of children who are looked after are met.

The Education Resource Team is an additional provision which Tameside Council provides. It is staffed by qualified and experienced teachers who work within Social Services and who oversee the education of all of our looked after children.