Children with a Social Worker (CWSW)

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• Select section Children with a Social Worker (CWSW)

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  Children with a Social Worker (CWSW)

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  This brief video outlines key information for schools about children who have, or have had, a social worker.

   

   
  

  Supporting the Education of Children with a Social Worker

  From September 2021, the Virtual School Head’s role has been extended to include the strategic leadership of promoting the educational outcomes of all children and young people with a social worker, or those who have had a support of a social worker in the past six years. It covers all children who are, or were, assessed as needing a social worker at any time in the past six years due to safeguarding and/or welfare reasons, which includes all those subject to a Child in Need plan or a Child Protection plan. This includes children aged from 0 up to 18 in all education settings.

  Key Aims

  • Make visible the disadvantages that children with a social worker can experience, enhancing partnerships between education settings and local authorities to help all agencies hold high aspirations for these children
  • Promote practice that supports children’s engagement in education (avoiding absence, suspensions and exclusions), recognising that attending an education setting can be an important factor in helping to keep children safe from harm
  • Level up children’s outcomes and narrow the attainment gap.

  
  

  Click here to access important resources, including:

  • Virtual School Guide to PEPs, Statutory Duties and More
  • Education Support Plans
  • The PEP Toolkit
  • Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQs)
  • Reach to Teach App
  • Training Offer
  • A Relational Approach and Attachment Research Community (ARC)
  • Attachment, Trauma, Awareness Settings (ATAS)
  • Education Psychologists Consultations
  • Attendance, Suspensions and Exclusions
  • Admissions
  • Governors
    

  
  
• Select section Responsibilities of Schools and Education Settings

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  Responsibilities of Schools and Education Settings

  • Identify and know their CWSW and CWSW EVER 6 cohort
  • Key colleagues (DSL, DT, SENDCO, attendance and progress leads, safeguarding governor) to liaise and collaborate to ensure consistency in support for CWSW and CWSW EVER 6
  • Identify and understand the barriers and needs for this group of children
  • Ensure prioritisation of the cohort and targeted response
  • Ensure relationships and pupil voice are at the centre of any approach
  • Utilise wider support and partnerships

  • Select activity Signposting to External Agencies - Areas Covered Include: Safeguarding, Trauma, SEND, Health and Wellbeing Roles and Responsibilities

    

    Signposting to External Agencies - Areas Covered Include: Safeguarding, Trauma, SEND, Health and Wellbeing Roles and Responsibilities File

    

• Select section Virtual School Support

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  Virtual School Support

  • Enhancing partnerships between schools and social care
  • Training and development offer to schools and partners
  • Targeted data informed interventions / projects
  • Providing advice and guidance
  • Free tools, resources and information for schools

   Virtual School Heads are not being asked to:

  • work with individual children who have, or have had, a social worker or their families - including tracking and monitoring educational progress of individual children or providing academic or other interventions
  • respond to requests from parents or carers to offer advice, intervention and support in relation to individual children with a social worker
  • take responsibility for children with Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) who do not require or need a social worker, as defined above.

  
  
• Select section Key Documents

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  Key Documents

  • Promoting the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements: virtual school head role extension
  • Working together to safeguard children - GOV.UK
  • Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK 
  • Pupil Premium Overview
  • Help, protection, education: concluding the Children in Need review