The ISL Aims

• To promote and support children and young people’s  social, emotional, educational, health needs and leisure opportunities
• To work in partnership to ensure an holistic and collaborative approach to meet individual needs
• To support carers to provide stable, secure placements that promote positive relationships and meet emotional needs
• To raise attainment and promote inclusion

How do ISL Support?

In order to meet the needs and promote opportunities for Looked After and Adopted children support must be holistic.  In terms of Looked After Children a care placement is reliant on a stable educational experience. 

Underpinning this is a necessity to ensure the health needs, emotional well being, and development of positive relationships of Looked After and Adopted Children is addressed.

We aim to improve outcomes for Looked After and Adopted Children and Young People in the 5 x Every Child Matters areas:

Enjoying & Achieving

To support educational opportunities and improve outcomes for Looked After and Adopted Children we:

• Monitor all Looked After Children in their educational placement
• Work directly with the child or young person in the school.
• Support the school and Designated Teacher around the individual needs of the child and collective needs of the establishment.
• Ensure all Looked After Children have a high quality and meaningful Personal Educational Plan (PEP).
• Focus on achievement through individual target setting and raising attainment across all Key Stages.
• Provide long-term mentoring support for Looked After Children in Years 10 & 11 and continue this into Year 12 Further Education.
• Support children, young people and carers through transition times (changing school or Year group).
• Provide support and advice on educational matters to all professionals working with Looked After Children.
• Support Looked After Children to attend school working in close collaboration with Social Care and the Educational Welfare Service.
• Support Looked After Children at Foundation Stage for one year before entering Reception class (each 3-5 year old will have an Early Years PEP).
• Provide Community and Leisure signposting and support for Looked After Children and their carers.
• Coordinate the Personal Education Allowance for Worcestershire Looked After Children.

Being Healthy

To support the health needs of Looked After Children we:

• Work in partnership with colleagues in mainstream health services to raise awareness about the needs of Looked After Children.
• Ensure each Looked After child and young person has an initial Health Assessment and follow-up Review Health Assessments.
• Provide training to professionals across all agencies about the health needs of Looked After Children.
• Support carers by providing advice, home visits, group work and training on the needs of Looked After Children.
• Work closely with Children’s Homes to ensure health promotion and wellbeing is addressed.
• Promote and implement Healthy Care in Worcestershire.

Being Safe

To support the social care placement of Looked After Children we:

• Provide Attachment training and group work to the professional network.
• Provide some direct work to Looked After Children.
• Provide Consultation - providing a psychological consultation service to carers and their network. The impact of early abuse and neglect is discussed alongside the child's current behaviour to promote shared understanding and strategies.
• Provide training to enable carers to understand and support the needs of Looked After Children.
• Support planning and transition of placements.
• Use Protective Behaviours to help Looked After Children to feel safe and understand their feelings.

Positive Contribution

To encourage participation and positive behaviour we:

• Work with children young people and their parents and carers to ensure their views are incorporated into ISL service planning and delivery.
• Work with agencies to reduce absence from school and offending behaviour.
• The Corporate Parenting and Engagement and Participation Worker manages the work of Worcestershire's Children in Care Council "Who Cares We Care" to promote the participation of children in care.

Economic Wellbeing

To support Looked After Children into Further Education and training we:

• Work with agencies to ensure Looked After Children benefit from development of 14 – 19 opportunities e.g. Leaving Care Service, Connexions and Education Providers.
• Work with partners to successful support transition post 16.
• Promote and support education, training and employment opportunities.