Section outline

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    Children with a Social Worker

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    The role of the Virtual School has been extended to include the strategic leadership of promoting the educational outcomes of children and young people who have, or have had, support from a Children's Services Practitioner within the previous six years (CWSW and CWSW Ever 6). This cohort includes young people who have been assessed as needing support from Children's Services due to safeguarding and/or welfare concerns, including those who have been subject to a child in need plan or child protection plan. For post-16 providers, this includes eligible learners up to the age of 18, and in some circumstances older learners where safeguarding vulnerabilities continue to be relevant. 

    Young people with a Children's Services Practitioner are significantly more likely to experience disrupted education, lower attainment, mental health difficulties, housing instability, family challenges, periods of crisis, poor attendance, exclusion from education, and barriers to progression into higher education, employment or training. Post-16 settings have a crucial role in providing stability, trusted relationships and high aspirations during this important transition stage. 

     

    Key aims 

    • make visible the disadvantages that young people with a Children's Services Practitioner can experience, enhancing partnerships between education providers, local authorities and other agencies to help maintain high aspirations for this cohort 

    • promote practice that supports learners' engagement in education, training and development, recognising that participation in education can be a protective factor and improve life chances 

    • reduce barriers to attendance, participation, retention and achievement 

    • improve progression outcomes, including access to further learning, apprenticeships, employment and higher education 

    • ensure that relationships, belonging, learner voice and effective transitions remain central to support arrangements 

     

     
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    Responsibilities of Post 16 Education Settings

    • identify and understand your CWSW and CWSW Ever 6 cohort where this information is available through local authority working arrangements and safeguarding processes 

    • ensure key colleagues (DSL, safeguarding team, SENDCo/additional learning support leads, attendance and pastoral teams, curriculum leaders and senior leaders) collaborate to provide a coordinated response 

    • identify and understand the barriers and needs experienced by individual learners, including safeguarding, SEMH needs, attendance concerns, SEND, housing instability, care experience and financial disadvantage 

    • ensure that vulnerable learners are appropriately prioritised through pastoral, safeguarding and academic support systems 

    • ensure trusted relationships and learner voice are central to planning and decision-making 

    • support effective transitions into, through and beyond post-16 education 

    • utilise wider support and partnerships including social care, Early Help, Virtual School, health services, careers services and community organisations 

    • maintain effective safeguarding arrangements in line with statutory guidance for further education providers 

    • promote participation, engagement attendance and respond early to signs of disengagement or withdrawal 

    • consider how teaching, behaviour and support strategies can be trauma-informed and attachment-aware

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    Virtual School Support

    • enhancing partnerships between education providers and children's social care 

    • training and development for post-16 leaders, safeguarding teams and practitioners 

    • targeted, data-informed projects and interventions 

    • advice and guidance relating to vulnerable learner cohorts 

    • resources, tools and evidence-informed practice to improve outcomes 

    Virtual School Heads are not being asked to: 

    • work directly with individual learners or families, including case management 

    • track and monitor the educational progress of individual learners on behalf of providers 

    • provide direct academic interventions for individual learners 

    • respond directly to requests from parents, carers or learners regarding individual cases 

    • take responsibility for SEND provision or statutory duties that remain the responsibility of education providers and local authorities 

    • replace existing safeguarding, pastoral, attendance, SEND or learner support arrangements within post-16 settings

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    Key Documents

    • Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) (Particularly Annexes and sections relevant to colleges and further education providers) 

    • Keeping Learners Safe: Guidance for FE Providers 

    • Children's Social Care National Framework (DfE) 

    • Prevent Duty Guidance: England and Wales 

    • Working Together to Improve School Attendance (relevant principles for vulnerable learners transitioning into post-16 education) 

    • Local authority guidance relating to participation of young people aged 16-18. 

    • SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years 

    • Children and Families Act 2014