Lee Dunn Principal Teacher Pastoral & School Development

Youth Work and Schools Practitioner SeminarQuality Hotel, Perth 28th January 2008

Image courtesy of Youth-Link

More Choices, More ChancesPreparing for Post-School Transition

To place More Choices, More Chances within the context of Curriculum for Excellence and

discuss the emerging themes leading to success for young people.

To examine the relationships between school and Youth Work in a practical setting -

outlining roles, activities, communication and the factors leading to effective

partnership working.

Workshop Aims

Workshop Outline

Curriculum and Pastoral Welfare Support

Youth Work Support

Supporting Young People in EducationMore Choices, More Chances - Alva Academy

Partnerships and Communication

Transition Planning

Supporting Young People in Education

More Choices, More Chances

“We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance’’

Harrison Ford

Image courtesy of LTS Images courtesy of www.justteaching.co.uk

A Curriculum For Excellence

It is important to ensure that children and young people are acquiring the full range of skills and abilities relevant to

growing, living and working in the contemporary world.

Curriculum for Excellence aims to ensure that they will enjoy greater

choice and opportunity to help realise their individual talents.

Text courtesy of LTS

A Curriculum For Excellence

MCMC Aims (within The School)

Motivate, stimulate and raise attainment

Build confidence, optimism and aspiration

Educate and develop ‘life skills’ through a wider range of curriculum and vocational provision

Increase the number of students who arrive into a positive destination following successful transition

into employment, education or training 

Pupil Support Structure

Identifying The Young People

• SEEMIS Data• Behaviour Support Agenda• Pupil Support Agenda• School Liaison Group Agenda (external agencies)• Underachievement and lack of attainment• Referral from The Police• Currently placed on Staged Intervention • Referral from Careers Advisor• Referral from Forth Valley College Link Officer• Positive Behaviour Policy (sanctions and rewards)• Exclusion Rate• Attendance Rate

 

Identifying The Young People• LAAC (Looked after in Children’s Unit of Foster Care)• LAC (Home Supervision Order)• Social Work• Free School Meals• Referral System (both internal and external)• Additional Support Needs • Young Carer• EAL (English as an Additional Language)• Educational Disaffection• Family Circumstances• Poverty• Substance Misuse and other external governing factors: (Teenage Parents; Offenders; Physical - Mental Health)• School Leavers (Positive Destination Requirement)  

Pupil Centred – Team Approach

Curriculum and Pastoral Welfare Support

Why is the Young Person not engaging / motivated?

What are the barriers?

What supports / interventions are required?

Who can help?

What will it take?

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The First Steps

Working with The Young Person

The First Meeting

Building a Rapport Building Trust

Appropriate Action

A Balancing ActBe Prepared

Transition Arrangements

Positive Interventions

• Support them (monitoring and tracking)

• Make home visits

• Reduce / consolidate timetable

• Refer to the Children’s Reporter

• Place on Staged Intervention / other plan

• Introduce other professional support

• Liaise between curriculum teachers

• Seek advice and support from others

• Do what it takes!

Youth Work Support

Youth Work Support

What are the relationships between School and Youth Work?

To support designated pupils in their academic and social development

To establish, maintain and contribute to workingrelationships within the school, parents / carers

and external agencies

The role of The Youth Worker in School

• Based full time in school

• Individual caseload – key contact

• Primary transition

• Managing a registration support group

• To organise, facilitate and evaluate:

Groupwork programmesHoliday activity programmesExtended work experience (Alvie)After school clubs

• Co-ordinating, chairing and attending review meetings, transition planning meetings and The Children's Panel

• Report writing / information gathering

• Informing staff of the support needs of individual pupils

• Working with staff to improve classroom behaviour(SPinVIP)

• Framework for intervention, Restorative Practice

• Attending the Behaviour Support, School Liaison Group and Pupil Support meetings

Communication

Parents/Carers

School Staff

External Agencies

Partnerships and Communication

Establishing an effective partnership

Who are our Partners?

Psychological Services

Social Work

The Police

Young CarersHealth Services

Woman’s Aide

Legal Services

Support Agencies Voluntary Agencies

Employers

Parents / Carers

Forth Valley College

Local Authority Housing

Partnerships and CommunicationMethodology

• School Liaison Groups

• Review Meetings

• Emergency Child Protection Meetings

• Children’s Panels

• Case Conferences

• Other formal / informal? communication

• Presentations

• Interviews

Partnerships and Communication- Barriers -

• Traditional professional boundaries

• Different values and beliefs

• Language

• Increasing complexity of work

• Need to reduce duplication and inefficiency

• Increased expectation

Partnerships and Communication

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Activity

Partnerships and Communication

Solutions?

Partnerships and Communication

• Avoid acronyms

• Be honest

• Be supportive

• Be understanding

• Be open, clear and share information

• Stay in touch!

Getting It Right For Every Child

Partnerships and Communication

Key Issues:

Changes to The Children’s Hearing System (grounds for referral)

Introduction of an Integrated Assessment Framework (which will be used by ALL agencies)

Introduction of a Young Person’s Plan

Introduction of a Lead Professional

Getting It Right For Every Child

Partnerships and Communication

Transition Planning

Transition Planning

I’m leaving!

What’s next?

Transition Planning

Under the new education act, schools have a duty to make transition arrangements for young

people preparing to leave school

A DUTY TO REQUEST INFORMATION FROM EXTERNAL AGENCIES

INITIAL MEETING 12 MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO LEAVE

AT 6 MONTHS BEFORE THEY CAN LEAVE, THERE IS A DUTY TO IDENTIFY REQUIRED SUPPORTS

Transition Planning

The meeting is to plan the Young Person’s future and NOT to review what has happened in school

This is a Pupil Centred forward thinking process

Transition Planning

Who will attend?

• Key Professionals

• Parents / Carers

• The Young Person

• Other

Transition Planning

Recording the Meeting

Questions?