Looked After Children Team (LAC Team)

The LAC team consists of two Specialist Teachers, three experienced part-timeTeaching Assistants, a Senior Educational Psychologist with dedicated LAC time and an office administrator, who work together to help children and young people who are in care of the local authority to get the very best out of their educational experience.

The team aims to ensure that Looked After children receive the best possible provision, to minimise any disruption to their learning and to promote the importance of education.

All services provided by Stockton-on-Tees Council have a responsibility towards our young people in care. We work in partnership to ensure that the many needs of LAC are addressed, to safeguard and promote their education and achieve improvements across the five Every Child Matters outcomes to Be healthy, Stay safe, Enjoy and achieve, Make a positive contribution and Achieve economic well being.

Objectives

• Improved educational attainment of LAC
• Coordinated response to their learning needs Speedier assessment of special needs, identification of underachievement and guidance regarding appropriate intervention
• Establishment of effective networks at local level and strategic levels to support LAC
• Development and embedding of good practice
• Effective advice to schools, carers and other agencies to promote the educational achievement of LACRaising confidence, self esteem and celebrating achievements in LAC
• Encouraging LAC to take part in out of school hours learning
• Minimising time out of school and improving attendance of LAC

The LAC team offers:

• In school support
• One to one work
• Small group work
• Direct tuition in school, home or alternative venues
• Interim teaching and support for LAC pending identified school placement
• Initial Literacy and/or Numeracy assessments and reviews where there are concerns regarding progress or underachievement
• Advice, guidance and specific recommendations regarding appropriate intervention and to inform planning and provision
• Support at meetings, for example LAC reviews and meetings within school
• Advice and support to pupils, foster carers, care staff and other agencies regarding transition at Key Stages e.g.Year 6 to Year 7 and post 16
  Liaison with key agencies
• Pre Ofsted advice to schools
• Multi-agency training on all issues relating to LAC
• Training, advice and support to foster carers, residential care staff in supporting the educational attainment of LAC
• Telephone help line for advice, support and rapid response to requests from designated teachers, social workers, foster carers and any other agencies working with LAC

The team prioritises pupils for early intervention and at Key Stages/ Year groups. Children and young people are also referred via schools, social workers, foster carers or parents and pupils can request support themselves.

This involves a multi-agency approach and close liaison with Social workers, Primary carers, and schools via their LAC Designated teachers. We work with our colleagues in Children, Education and Social Care in minimising time out of school, improving attendance, improving school stability, promoting inclusion through raising awareness and expectations, supporting youngsters in their education and to facilitate primary carers' knowledge of the school system and how children learn so that they can provide support and encouragement.