Partners in learning

There is a range of staff who might be allocated as case manager to children and young people who are looked after, although it is most often a social worker.

In all instances the social worker/case manager has the overall responsibility to ensure that the educational needs of a looked after child are identified and appropriately met. This should be done in partnership with the young person, parents and carers, education colleagues and any other relevant agencies and individuals.

In addition, the social worker/case manager has some specific responsibilities in relation to the education of a looked after child. They should:

• ensure that education is given a high priority, and is central to, care planning for the looked after child or young person
• ensure that the looked after child or young person, and their parents, are aware that information about them may be shared between social work and education services
• work in partnership with the child or young person, their parent(s) and/or carer(s), colleagues in education and other relevant agencies to maximise the educational potential of the child or young person
• notify the designated senior manager for looked after children at the child or young person’s school that the young person has become looked after. Similarly, the designated senior manager should be notified of any changes in circumstance in relation to the child or young person
• ensure that the child or young person’s school is provided with relevant information, eg details of any placements, information about potential barriers to learning or any child protection issues
• where a child or young person is looked after away from home, ensure that the carer - foster carer, residential worker, kinship carer, etc - is informed of the child or young person’s school details either before or at the point of admission to the placement
• work closely with parents and carers to provide an educationally rich environment which promotes the education of young people
• avoid arrangement meetings that require the child or young person to be removed from their normal school routine.