Education Support Team

The role of the team is to liaise with other agencies to improve attendance and reduce exclusions. We do this through a range of initiatives designed to enhance the educational prospects and life chances of our children looked after. We also assist the local authority to meet national targets and objectives as set out in the ‘Guidance for children and young people in public care’ and ‘Care Matters’.

We provide a range of services for our children looked after in and out of the borough, who are:

in residential care and other specialist placements arranged or approved by the corporate parenting department
of school age who are in foster care
of school age who are placed for adoption but not yet legally adopted.

Team intervention

The team offer support to a child in public care in the following situations:

Positive encouragement to enjoy and achieve
Rewarding excellent school attendance
Offering guidance and advice to parents/carers in supporting the child’s education
Addressing the issues that result in truancy
Reducing the likelihood of permanent exclusion through early intervention
Identifying and responding to any change of circumstances which are recognised as likely to disrupt the child’s education
Supporting young people through the transition into adult working life
Identifying and positively addressing any ‘Barriers to Learning’
Assisting in the maintenance of placement stability by supporting the child’s education provision
Providing support to any child returning to Walsall from an out of borough placement
Intervening where there is a significant change in the child’s positive behaviour and attitude towards school
Where the team feels that there is a need for an immediate independent assessment
Providing support to enable the child to be re-included in the school at the earliest opportunity
Where support is identified in a young person's Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Forging positive working relationships with other corporate parents
Offering 'time limited' positive intervention concentrating on a specific area of educational need
Where the young person requests it in connection with her/his education
Arranging alternative education provision where it is identified as appropriate.

Roles and responsibilities

The team will be responsible for:

Consulting and including children looked after in planning and delivery of services designed to raise their educational attainments and achievements
Ensuring that every child looked after has a current Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Co-ordinating Personal Education Plans through professional assessments, multi-agency strategy meetings, and so on
Ensuring that every child looked after is receiving the best education available to them
Ensuring that every effort is being made to encourage and support every looked after child to maximise their educational/social potential
Monitoring every looked after child’s attainment progress and taking whatever steps deemed necessary to ensure that progress is being maintained
Monitoring every looked after child’s attendance record and provide a rapid response to patterns of regular non-school attendance
Maintaining an up to date database of statistical information which will allow each individual child to be ‘positively tracked’ through school and home placement
Providing appropriate training for designated teachers and other education staff
Providing training and support for parents/carers
Providing training and support to social care staff
Co-ordinating direct and indirect support from the Education Support Team and all other appropriate departments/agencies to young people / designated teachers / parents / carers / social workers where appropriate
Providing a 'One Stop' Information Centre to enable carers and others to access materials and resources to support the education of children looked after
Maintaining accurate and up to date records of interventions and outcomes
Liaising with other departments and agencies in order to further advance the role and responsibilities that 'Corporate Parents' have with regard to the education of children looked after
Providing reports for internal and external use, for example Scrutiny Committee/Ofsted
Attending all relevant regional/national conferences and training events in relation to the education of children and young people looked after.

Team personnel

The team is multi-disciplinary and consists of:

Team Manager
Education Liaison Officer
Connexions PA for children looked after
Residential Education Linkworker
Administrative Assistant

Contact us

Education Support Team
2 Jervis Court
Dogkennel Lane
Walsall WS1 2BU

Telephone 01922 748114

Education Support Team