For
a child to qualify for PLAC status they must have been a child in care for at
least one day before moving onto a new order of permanence; Adoption, Special Guardianship
Order, Child Arrangement Order (previously Residency order).
To be ‘satisfied’ of status school
should ask to see the court order (or equivalent evidence). This order will on second
or third page
state that prior to the order, they were under the care of ‘named’ local
authority. Please consider confidentiality and GDPR responsibilities.
Once a school is ‘satisfied’ of the
child’s status and they qualify as PLAC, they can record them on the school
census as such. Ultimately a headteacher takes responsibility
for a school census, registers and DfE returns.
In any situations where legal
parental responsibility is ambiguous for a child and or attempts made via
parents/guardians does not satisfy they school; school should seek further
advice/support to ensure there are no safeguarding concerns and there is clarity
over who holds legal parental rights and responsibilities for the child.
Schools October Census will
determine school funding for the next Financial Year. Each child
recorded as PLAC will currently generate £2530 in Pupil Premium (2023-24).
Please
note if children returns to birth parents they
are not under a new order or permanence and are not PLAC. They may return under a Supervision
Order (or child in need plan or no order or plan), either way this return to
existing legal parent is not a new order of permanence, rather re-unification.
A Supervision Order (is not a new
order of permanence) is a legal order which gives the LA a duty to supervise
the parent around the care for the child for a limited period
of time.
These children will therefore not qualify for PLAC status. They will no longer
be a child in care (looked-after child) and will no longer receive LAC PP form
the Virtual School.
