Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 48
48
Paragraph: 115
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a...
Conclusion
Careers and employability outcomes for care-experienced young people up to age 25 should be a core part of the Virtual School Head remit. Every Virtual School should have a designated careers lead whose function is to promote and support the career outcomes of looked-after young people. This should be done through the extension of Pupil Premium Plus funding past age 16, which would resource career leads to commission bespoke careers mentoring and support for every looked-after child from primary up to age 25. Virtual School Heads should work with local charities and businesses to identify community support and mentoring opportunities.
Paragraph Reference:
115
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Children Act 1989 sets out a statutory duty on local authorities to ensure that all children in care have an effective and regularly reviewed Personal Education Plan (PEP) as part of their Care Plan. The PEP is dedicated to covering the full range of education and development needs of a child–as specified in the ‘Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010’.19 The VSH statutory guidance, Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children20, states that the PEP is the “joint responsibility of the local authority that looks after the child and the school.” Relevant professionals including social workers, VSHs and designated teachers should work closely to ensure the PEP accurately reflects the needs of the child, and that this should include careers advice and guidance, with discussions about longer term goals starting early and, ideally, well before Year 9 at school. Local authorities are required to provide every care leaver with a Personal Adviser, to age 25, to help them make a successful transition to independence, which includes support with education, employment, and training (EET). Local Authorities are also under a duty to support care leavers to engage in EET, including giving them a £2,000 bursary if they go to university. Care leavers are also a priority group for the 16–19 bursary (up to £1,200 a year) if they are in FE; and a £1,000 bursary if they start an apprenticeship. Local authority leaving care teams work with a wide range of local partners to provide care leavers with access to mentors, community-based organisations and organisations that provide targeted support to engage in education, employment, and training. The care leaver covenant also secures similar offers of support for care leavers across England. However, whilst current guidance and legislation does provide support for care leavers up to age 25 (including those with SEND), we have noted the Committee’s recommendations and will give them purposeful consideration as part of the department’s work to respond to the care review’s recommendation for VSHs to be held accountable for educational attainment for looked-after children and care leavers up to age 25 through Ofsted’s ILACS framework.