The ‘designated manager’ for looked after children: role and support

4. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Description of role 62% 20% 18% Almost two thirds are called designated managers Designated Manager Other Pupil Support Coordinator

5. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Substantive Role 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Depute Head Teacher Head Teacher Other Principal Teacher (Guidance / Pastoral Care / Pupil Support) Principal Teacher (Learning Support) Principal Teacher (Primary school) Head teachers and deputies accounted for almost 90% of responses

6. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Where do Designated Managers get information to help in their role? % Count Local authority memos or briefings 92% 418 School in-service 45% 207 School colleagues 52% 239 Social work colleagues 77% 353 Scottish Government website 30% 138 GTCS 7% 34 Education Scotland website 34% 153 CELCIS website 12% 53 Independent reading 47% 213 Other 11% 50 Total 456

7. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Responsibility for child protection 96% of respondents also have responsibility for child protection within their school

8. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Core Tasks for Designated Managers Example: Schools and Early Years establishments • Communication • Meeting the needs of looked after children and young people • Advocacy ‘Core Tasks’ PDF download

9. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Core tasks for Designated Managers 59% 41% 41% are aware of Scottish Government guidance No Yes

10. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Use of the Core tasks 76% 17% 7% 7% used the guidance regularly Occasionally Once Use regularly

11. celcis.org @CELCISTweets How useful are the Core tasks? 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Not at all Partly useful Somewhat useful Very useful A fifth found the guidance very useful

12. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Format of future guidance

13. celcis.org @CELCISTweets Assessment and policy • 92% indicated looked after children were routinely assessed for additional support needs • 88% indicated looked after children were routinely considered for CSPs • 45% indicated improving experiences for looked after children featured in school improvement plan • 49% indicated their establishment had a policy about exclusion of looked after children • 75% indicated previously looked after children and adopted children were included in support arrangements

14. celcis.org @CELCISTweets How would you describe the role of ‘designated manager’ for looked after children in a school?

15. celcis.org @CELCISTweets What support do you receive for the role? What support would you like?

16. Ian Leishman Inclusion Coordinator

17. Our Journey… • Review of ASfL in South Ayrshire – stark and clear. • CELCIS • The email, Core Tasks and Looked After & Learning • Designated Manager Events • Whole Council involvement

Editor's Notes

Designated manager – senior member of staff responsible for assessment, planning and coordination for all looked after children Called different things in different places (pupil support, looked after coordinator etc) Our interaction with sector Lack of understanding of role Unsure of resources and lack of resources Lack of consistency of implementation across the country Evidence tells us that role is crucial in improving experiences and outcomes for looked after children and their families Not a stand alone role, multi agency function too Purpose of survey was for us to understand more about the strengths of role, opportunities and inconsistencies
Designated manager – senior member of staff responsible for assessment, planning and coordination for all looked after children Called different things in different places (pupil support, looked after coordinator etc) Our interaction with sector Lack of understanding of role Unsure of resources and lack of resources Lack of consistency of implementation across the country Evidence tells us that role is crucial in improving experiences and outcomes for looked after children and their families Not a stand alone role, multi agency function too Purpose of survey was for us to understand more about the strengths of role, opportunities and inconsistencies
Sent survey to all schools and heads of service in Scotland including independent, special and secure schools 487 professionals responded to the survey The vast majority of responses were from local authorities (n=445) 5 from independent special schools, including one secure care provider. Most respondents were from mainstream Primary (64%) or Secondary (22%) schools with a small number (7%) from local authority Special Schools and Early Years (3%) providers. 26 local authorities responded to the survey. However, response rates across local authorities varied widely, from 76% of schools reporting in one local authority, to less than 1% in another. Obviously, this has implications for the representativeness of the sample.
Almost two-thirds of respondents (62%) were the Designated Manager 18% being Pupil Support Co-ordinators 20% of respondents did not identify with either of these titles, preferring to use the title of their substantive role including Head Teacher/Depute Head Teacher, Looked After Children Champion / Co-ordinator , Principal Teacher, and Child Protection Officer / Co-ordinator Implications for children/parents/other agencies etc
Head Teachers (60%) and Depute Head Teachers (29%) accounted for nearly 90% of all responses Majority (63%) or responses from primary – usually HT in primary suggests that the overall responsibility for supporting looked after children in schools lies with senior members of staff. In remaining cases in primary or secondary schools responsibility would appear to lie with a Principal Teacher Other professionals with overall responsibility included Managers (or Heads) of Early Years Centres, or Faculty Heads.
This was an ‘all that apply’ question so may contain more than one source most respondents got information on looked after children from local authority memos or briefing papers (92%) 77% from social work colleagues (77%) More than half of respondents got information from school colleagues just under half (45%) got information from school in-service training. Other sources included Education Scotland, Scottish Government, CELCIS and GTCS websites. almost half of respondents undertook some independent reading on the topic; heartening that people are seeking information
Interested in what other duties DM’s had unsurprisingly, almost all respondents (n=406) also had responsibility for child protection within their school. Of those with child protection responsibilities, just over a third (36%) indicated they shared this responsibility with another colleague, in most instances with a senior member of staff, such as Head Teacher, Depute Head or Principal Teacher. Again unsurprising given majority of schools will have more than one CP coordinator
This is the guidance document that accompanies the role Sets out a list of tasks and duties associated with fulfilling the role Our experience, and those in the role, document can be difficult to use It’s directive rather than facilitative, some duplication and repetition and quite dense It is, however as started
Only 41% of those who responded were aware that the document exists We don’t know though whether this is due to the relatively low number who identified with the title ‘designated manager’
7% used the guidance regularly 76% occasionally Almost a fifth had only used the guidance once Reasons for this aren’t clear so we need to do some more work to understand
Only a fifth found the guidance ‘very useful’ although most respondents found the contents at least partly or somewhat useful This would suggest that the guidance is not as accessible and user friendly as it needs to be for practitioners or could be due to the relatively low usage of the document
strong preference for a poster, which staff could refer to in the workplace as well as a booklet Some interest in a video, perhaps suggesting the need to provide updated guidance in a variety of formats. Respondents also indicated that they would prefer to receive updated guidance directly – either in hard copy format (44%) or as an e-mail attachment (40%).
A high proportion of respondents (92%) indicated that looked after children were routinely considered for additional support for learning assessments; a similar figure was also returned for co-ordinated support plans (88%). Only 323 respondents indicated their school had a handbook. Of those, only 37% (n=121) included information about looked after children. Only 45% of respondents indicated that the needs of looked after children featured in the school improvement plan (n=175). Almost half of schools (49%) had a policy about the exclusion of looked after children (n=188). Perhaps surprisingly, only 31% of schools have a policy about engaging with parents and / or carers of looked after children (n=117). However, three-quarters of schools included previously looked after children and adopted children in the support arrangements for looked after children (n=305).
Review – very poor attainment. Why? Turn over of PSC/DMs, training issue and separate directorates. A discussion on the role of the DM and where we should focus training. DM engagement prior to first event, self evaluation of provision and attainment. Focus within SIPs/DIPs – non negotiable - QIOs Multi-agency days, support, challenge and training. Involving our looked after population and supporters. Champions Board, Looked After Champions – Ward Councillors holding schools to account. Listening to our looked after learners and

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The ‘designated manager’ for looked after children: role and support

Editor's Notes