Luton’s Virtual School: Social workers

The virtual school provides advice and support to children and young people 0-19 years who are looked after or previously looked after. Working with a virtual school involves a group of professionals who support children in care through their education.

The virtual school are a team of people who work with the child's school, social worker, carer, and other professionals helping young people in care:

• reach their full potential
• raise educational attainment and aspirations
• narrow the gap between young people in care and their peers
• help improve life chances and to promote practice that supports mental health
• helping to support children's ability to self-regulate
• and engage in education

• the personal education plan (PEP) is essential for ensuring a child’s learning progress and is part of their care plan
• every effort should be made to minimise school changes, particularly in key stage 4
• the virtual school supports schools in maintaining educational placements and developing strategic interventions

‘2.69. When a child becomes looked after the responsible local authority will arrange a suitable care placement. In doing so, the child’s allocated social worker, supported by local authority management and resources, should do everything possible to minimise disruption to the child’s education. This means maximising efforts to arrange a care placement which enables existing educational provision to be maintained where this is in the best interests of the child.

Subject to age and understanding, it is important to seek the child’s views about his/her education. Where a child is in key stage 4 (years 10 and 11) everything possible should be done to maintain the child in her/his existing school and a move should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Where it is impossible for the child to remain in his/her existing educational placement the care placement should not, except in an emergency, be made unless the education provision is made at the same time.’

The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations Volume 2: care planning, placement and case review, DfE 2021

Personal education plans (PEPs) should be initiated by the social worker as part of the care plan but developed and reviewed in partnership with relevant professionals.

Please visit admissions page for further information.

Under the Children Act 1989 & Children and Families Act 2014, social workers have a few of the main aspects of the role that are as follows:

• collaborating with partners in education, health and social care to provide support
• making high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people
• helping children and young people prepare for adulthood
• identifying children and young people’s needs (‘needs’ being their difficulties not to be confused with what they need)
• taking into account the views of children, young people and families
• enabling children, young people and parents to participate in decision-making

For further information look out for the virtual school lunchtime learning sessions covering applying for EHCPs, the SEND graduated approach and SEND funding.

For more details, refer to Social care: guide to the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice.

Children looked after are some of our most vulnerable children. Therefore, in line with best practice, a reduced timetable should only be implemented in very limited circumstances when all other interventions have been tried and always in partnership with the Head of virtual school, contactable at [email protected].

Children subject to a child protection or child in need plan

Children receiving an Early Help intervention, or open to social care may be placed at greater risk if placed on a reduced timetable. Therefore, any part-time arrangement should only be implemented in the most exceptional circumstances when all other interventions have been tried. Any reduced timetable should only be implemented following a multi-agency review meeting e.g. a TAF or CIN meeting. Please contact the virtual school for further advice.

The virtual school offers:

• resources on attendance, exclusions, and access arrangements
• training on emotional literacy support assistants (elsa) and therapeutic interventions
• collaborative approaches to improving outcomes for children with social workers

For support, contact your virtual school representative.