Our Aims

• promote and support children and young people’s  social, emotional, educational, health needs and leisure opportunities;
• work in partnership to ensure an holistic and collaborative approach to meet individual needs;
• support carers to provide stable, secure placements that promote positive relationships and meet emotional needs;  and
• raise attainment and promote inclusion.

How do ISL Support?

In order to meet the needs and promote opportunities for Looked After and Adopted children (0-7 years) support must be holistic.  In terms of Looked After Children a care placement is reliant on a stable educational experience. ‘Education protects’ and allows a young person access to opportunities to succeed and positively contribute.  Underpinning this is a necessity to ensure the health needs, emotional well being, and development of positive relationships of Looked After and Adopted Children is addressed.

We aim to improve outcomes for Looked After and Adopted Children and Young People in 5 Every Child Matters areas:

Enjoying & Achieving

To support educational opportunities and improve outcomes for Looked After and Adopted  Children we:

• Monitor all Looked After Children in their educational placement.
• Work directly with the child or young person in the school.
• Support the school and Designated Teacher around the individual needs of the child and collective needs of the establishment.
• Ensure all Looked After Children have a high quality and meaningful Personal Educational Plan (PEP).
• Focus on achievement through individual target setting and raising attainment across all Key Stages.
• Provide long-term mentoring support for Looked After Children in Years 10 & 11 and continue this into Year 12 Further Education.
• Support children, young people and carers through transition times (changing school or Year group).
• Provide support and advice on educational matters to all professionals working with Looked After Children.
• Support Looked After Children to attend school working in close collaboration with Social Services and the Educational Welfare Service.
• Support Looked After Children at Foundation Stage for one year before entering Reception class (each 3-5 year old will have an Early Years PEP).

Being Healthy

To support the social care placement of Looked After Children we:

• Work in partnership with colleagues in mainstream health services to raise awareness about the needs of Looked After Children.
• Ensure each Looked After child and young person has an initial Health Assessment and follow-up reviews.
• Provide training to professionals across all agencies about the needs of Looked After Children.
• Support carers by providing advice, home visits, group work and training on the  needs of Looked After Children.
• Work closely with Children’s Homes to ensure health promotion and wellbeing is addressed.

Being Safe

To support the social care placement of Looked After Children we:

• ·Provide some direct work to LAC.
• ·Consultation, advice and support to carers and the network
• ·Provide training to enable carers to understand and support the needs of LAC.
• ·Support planning and transition of placements
• ·Use Protective Behaviours to help LAC to feel safe and understand their feelings

Offers help to carers and parents in supporting all aspects of the education of Looked After and Adopted children (aged 0-7), including homework, national tests, community and leisure facilities.

Positive Contribution

To encourage participation and positive behaviour we:

• Will work with children young people and their parents and carers to ensure their views are incorporated into ISL Service planning and delivery.
• Will work with agencies to reduce absence from school and offending behaviour.

Economic Wellbeing

To support Looked After Children into Further Education and training we:

• work with all parties to ensure LAC benefit from development of 14 – 19 opportunities
• work with partners to successful support transition post 16
• promote and support education, training and employment opportunities.