Children with a social worker

From September 2021, Virtual School Heads nationally are being asked to become strategic leaders for the cohort of children who have been assessed as being in need under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 and currently have a social worker and those who have previously had a social worker.

It covers all children who were assessed as needing a social worker at any time due to safeguarding and/or welfare reasons, which includes all those subject to a Child in Need plan or a Child Protection plan. This includes children aged from 0 up to 18 in all education settings.

This is a strategic role in which the Virtual School use their knowledge and expertise to promote the educational outcomes of children known (or previously known) to social care. We champion the educational attendance, attainment and progress of children in this group. 

This means that they will help to:

  • make visible the disadvantages that children with a social worker can experience, enhancing partnerships between education settings and local authorities to help all agencies hold high aspirations for these children.
  • promote practice that supports children’s engagement in education, recognising that attending an education setting can be an important factor in helping to keep children safe from harm.
  • level up children’s outcomes and narrow the attainment gap so every child can reach their potential. 

How Nottinghamshire will be working with education settings

  • We have a dedicated support line and email address which schools and social workers can use to contact our team.  We can offer advice, guidance and consultation around children known (or previously known) to social care.
  • Virtual School training offer focused on supporting vulnerable groups in school extended to Designated Safeguarding Leads: 
  • Using national and local data to monitor attendance, suspensions and exclusions for vulnerable groups and make consultation available for schools, education settings and MATs to explore approaches and strategies to increase attendance and reduce exclusions.
  • We have commissioned a range of projects alongside schools aimed to improve educational outcomes and experiences for children known (or previously known) to social care. Virtual School Designated Teacher network meetings have been extended to Designated Safeguarding Leads to facilitate opportunities for schools to support each other and share good practice around looked-after children, previously looked-after children and children with a social worker. 

Resources and signposting

  • Regularly attending school, education or college is vital for children’s educational progress, for their wellbeing, and for their wider development. Children and young people become more vulnerable when they are not in education every day. Children of statutory school age should be in education 25 hours a week. Read our Guidance for children on reduced timetable [PDF].
  • Behaviour communicates an unmet need and behaviour is how children/young people communicate their emotions. Relationship based and restorative approaches are most effective for supporting children’s emotional regulation. See the Understanding Behaviour in Schools Toolkit.
  • Children with a social worker are more likely to experience social, emotional and mental health issues than their peers. Many schools have a senior mental health lead for making links with mental health services. See Local resources to support mental health.
  • Some children with a social worker may have a Special Education Need or Disability (SEND). Education settings are under a duty to use their best endeavours to meet the educational needs of children with SEND. See Nottinghamshire SEND local offer and SEND policy [PDF]
  • Promoting the Education of Children with a Social Worker [PDF]