Looked after children

Actions from 'We Can and Must Do Better'

The 'We Can and Must Do Better' report sets out 19 actions, and 57 associated tasks, aimed at improving the lives and educational outcomes of looked after children and young people.

The Implementation Board is responsible for completing the actions with the assistance of eight working groups. 

We Can and Must Do better bulletin

The We Can and Must Do better bulletin provides updates about the progress of the action plan.

Word files iconWord file: We Can and Must Do Better Bulletin - October 2008 (290 KB)

 

Working together

Action 1

We will fund the appointment of a senior executive who will work closely with chief executives and senior officials within each local authority. He/she will discuss what is being done to improve educational outcomes for looked after children and young people and care leavers with the relevant corporate parents and will provide reports twice a year to Cabinet.

Action 2

We will work together with local authorities to identify measures which could be put in place to improve the effectiveness of their corporate parent role, and we will write to them in the first instance to alert them to this work.

Action 3

We will work together with COSLA and the Improvement Service to include corporate parenting in the induction programme for new elected members.

Action 4

We will ensure that progress on improving the educational outcomes of looked after children and young people is one of the key components of the outcome agreements for children’s services to be tested with pathfinder local children’s services partnerships.

Action 5

We will inform all local authorities, relevant educational establishments and care providers that they must be able to demonstrate in the course of their inspection cycles that they actively meet the educational needs of all looked after children and young people for whom they have responsibility.

Action 6

We will improve training for parents, foster carers, residential workers, teachers - including teachers in training - social workers, health workers and appointed lead professionals.

Action 7

We will continue to work in partnership with local authorities to deliver a more robust and comprehensive data collection and reporting framework in relation to the educational outcomes of Scotland’s looked after children and young people.

Action 8

We will fund the development of a national network and information website for professionals, foster carers, residential workers, parents and looked after children and young people.

Becoming effective lifelong learners

Action 9In partnership with COSLA, local authorities and Learning and Teaching Scotland, we will produce a list of core tasks which clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the designated person within each school or residential establishment who undertakes this important role. The list of core tasks will be published as part of a practical resource developed to provide support for the designated person.
Action 10We will commission the development of guidance and a practical resource which will focus on those looked after children and young people who have experienced or who are likely to experience a challenging transition.
Action 11We will highlight the particular issues faced by looked after children in relation to school attendance and exclusion.

Developing into successful and responsible adults

Action 12We will encourage local authorities to use existing powers under Section 30 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to provide appropriate financial support for care leavers who are in full-time education, training or a modern apprenticeship.
Action 13We will work with colleges and universities to raise awareness and responsiveness to the issues faced by care leavers who enter further or higher education.
Action 14We will commission the development of a resource pack for looked after young people and care leavers which will provide them with information relevant to their transition into adulthood.

Being emotionally, mentally and physically healthy

Action 15Each NHS Board will assess the physical, mental and emotional health needs of all looked after children and young people for whom they have responsibility and put in place appropriate measures which take account of these assessments. They will ensure that all health service providers will work to make their services more accessible to looked after and accommodated children and young people, and to those in the transition from care to independence.
Action 16We have agreed with the Care Commission that they will review the health of looked after children and young people.

Feeling safe and nurtured in a home setting

Action 17We will provide £5 million of additional funding in the current financial year to local authority and voluntary providers of children’s homes and units in residential schools to improve their physical environment and to create an educationally rich environment for the children and young people who live there.
Action 18We will clarify the duty on local authorities to ensure that they provide safe, secure and appropriate accommodation to looked after young people until at least 18. The accommodation must appropriately support their longer-term outcomes in terms of education, employment and training.
Action 19We will clarify the duty on local authorities to provide appropriate support to their care leavers up to the age of 21.