Support services for children in care

Virtual School - Education support for children in care

Luton’s Virtual School for LAC actively promotes the educational achievements for LAC and provides an advisory and supportive service to colleagues and stakeholders.

The Virtual School works closely with schools in and out of borough, along with other key stakeholders (eg social workers, foster carers, etc) to ensure that LAC have every opportunity to achieve.

The Virtual School assists with the coordination of school admission applications, provides advice and guidance on education, monitors and evaluates the attainment and progress of LAC and creates a culture of high aspirations.

The Virtual School is happy to be consulted on any issue regarding LAC and their education.

Contact

Telephone: 01582 548137
Email: [email protected]

The Young People’s Panel (Children in Care Council)

The Young People’s Panel is the name for our local Children in Care Council. It meets approximately every two months.

Young people interested in joining receive a short induction meeting with the Children’s Participation Manager which helps them understand what the panel is, what it does, and what the expectations of being a member are.

Young people from other local authorities who a placed in Luton are welcome to join the panel.

Contact

Luton Family Information Service

The Luton Family Information Service can help families locate all types of childcare, including the 2, 3 and 4 year old funded nursery places and before/after school care.

We put together a list of activities, play schemes and full day care options available for each school holiday that is also available via email subscription– see School holiday activities

We can also provide information on a variety of local services that are useful to families, children and young people in relation to parenting, money, education and recreation.

Luton Directory online: Luton Directory
Telephone: 01582 548888
Email: [email protected]

Children’s Centres in Luton

There are seven Children’s Centres in Luton, supported by 16 delivery sites offering a range of support for children under 5 and their families.

Areas of focus include:

• child development and school readiness
• parenting support
• family learning
• family health and wellbeing

To locate the nearest centre, along with their current activity brochure and the Luton Children’s Centre prospectus, go to Children’s Centres (Luton Directory).

Special Educational Needs

For information about support and advisory services for children with Special Educational Needs, including Educational Psychology, early years, advisory teachers and SEN transport, contact the service manager:

Dr Joanne Summers – Head of Inclusion & Principal Educational Psychologist
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01582 548153

Where a child has:

• a statement of Special Educational Needs or
• an Education, Health and Care Plan
• or you think an assessment should be made

our Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (SENAT) will be able to provide advice and guidance about the resources and services available in Luton.

Special educational needs and disabilities

Contact

Lisa Ellis – Interim Special Educational Needs Assessment Team Manager
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01582 548114

Integrated and targeted youth support services

We have a Personal Adviser based in the Virtual School team whose role is to support children in care, ensuring that they are able to access suitable and appropriate education, employment or training. This includes providing advice and guidance on routes into their preferred choice of career or training, support in accessing placements and support in maintaining them.

For further information please contact:

Graham Tarling
Telephone: 01582 547844

Youth Workers, through the Targeted Youth Service, are available to provide support to children in care and other vulnerable young people, as part of multi-agency plans for support.

For further information please contact:

Linda Farmer
Telephone: 01582 548939

Youth Justice – Youth Offending Service

If a child is in care is subject to a statutory court order, contact will need to be made with the Operational Managers at Luton Youth Offending Service to discuss caretaking arrangements.

Telephone: 01582 547900

Health Services including CAMHS

All children living in Luton, regardless of placing authority, will be entitled to register with a Luton GP and, once registered, access free primary healthcare, including referrals to hospital and community services.

All children living in Luton will be able to register with local dental and optician services.

Luton’s universal services are accessible to children living in Luton, registered with a Luton GP or attending a Luton school - this includes health visitors and school nurses and includes access to UK immunisation programmes.

For further information regarding registration with universal services please go to the NHS Choices web site.

For more information about:

• health visitors and school nurses - call 03334 050087
• epilepsy specialist nurses - call 03334 050082
• special needs nursing - call 03334 050085
• community paediatricians - call 01582 700300

Secondary services, including Speech and Language Therapy, Podiatry and CAMHs are delivered through SEPT.

CAMHS services are covered by the Responsible Commissioner Guidance and, while referrals will be accepted, they will be chargeable to the original placing authority’s CCG.

For more information, visit Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Luton LAC Health Team is currently unable to offer a service for either initial or review health assessments to other local authorities due to lack of capacity. (When this is resolved, we may offer a service again, completing initial and review health assessments. This is considered a secondary service and would be chargeable under Responsible Commissioner Guidance to the placing authority’s CCG, as per nationally agreed charging for LAC health assessments.)

For further information: Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Telephone: 01582 707 489 Email: [email protected]

Sexual health services

Sexual health services are accessible to anyone, with dedicated services for under-25s.

For further information please contact:

Brook Sexual Health Service
Telephone: 01582 748580