Join the Forum
It's free to join the LAC Education Forum.
Anyone who is interested in improving the educational outcomes of looked after children and young people is welcome.
If you would like to join please register in the Members' Area.
Or email chairperson Graham McCann (graham.mccann@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Why join the Forum?
A teacher's view
'People in the Forum are very helpful and supportive.
Membership of this Forum is the most informative and influential outside agency on my practice. To be able to share experiences with like-minded people is good as sometimes I feel isolated as the sole practitioner in my city. I am amazed at how the same experiences seem to occur that no matter what part of Scotland you are working in. The camaraderie is very good. There is much to learn through the experience of others.
At the Forum I have met a lot of people and formed very good networks. My confidence has increased, now I will speak at the Forum. I have never attended a gathering run in the forum-style before and find its format of discussion/debate/evidence-sharing thought-provoking.
The Forum has active email notification which disseminates up-to-date information and research as soon as it is published. Access to the information can be used to cut down workloads as you can use the experiences, good practice, published materials etc.'
An education officer's view
'Membership provides access to a network of colleagues, working across agencies and facing similar challenges. The Forum provides advice, information, support and insight into the variety of ways that agencies are meeting challenges for LAC.
Membership can also provide reassurance that you are working along the right lines or that you are not the only one facing certain types of challenge.
Everyone faces a range of challenges. This means that at times, you can take your eye off the ball and important areas slip into the background of what you are doing. Hearing about the work others are doing can provide an important means of refocusing on the important aspects of the work for LAC and can identify areas where you are missing something from your strategy.
Through information-sharing at Forum meetings, I have come back to work with a renewed eye for evaluation of what we are doing. I have been able to make adjustments to our work on the basis of sharing of good practice with others in the Forum.'