Partnership Working with Schools

1. Partnership Working with Schools TASK – Impact Analysis • What are the Advantages of a More Formal Partnership with Schools? • Are there any disadvantages of a more formal partnership?

2. Do schools (and other agencies) really know what you are about? Clarity about Who You Are and What You Do Mission statements and overviews of service Promote your whole family work Produce a short promotional DVD that shows the scope of your project?

3. Be really clear what YOU can offer. Facilitate and coordinate – let schools take ownership. This saves time and ensures framework of support is embedded in school.

4. The ‘Offer’ – Make it Clear • Staffing capacity / time / knowledge / experience / qualifications • Link to your literature / Link to mission statement • How can you help schools? • How will your work support the school in meeting its targets? • How will your work add value? • Your work could lead to a positive OFSTED inspection

5. OFSTED are looking at performance of pupils / attainment AND what value added has school given to a pupils personal education. Looking at development of the whole child. Sections 4 and 5 of the SEF (well being and achievement) • Evaluating the 5 outcomes for all pupils including vulnerable pupils • You can help the school remove the barriers that prevent the child from achieving their full potential. • Young carers’ service would be willing to contribute to the inspection • Up to 30 young carers in an average secondary school • 27 per cent of those of secondary school age are still experiencing some problems at school (Dearden and Becker, 2004)

6. Personalisation of learning • Key Principle 4 (KPOP) / Performance Indicator 4.6 • Individual plans recognise the child/young person’s specific needs as a young carer • Projects can help schools deliver a personal plan. • The school can call on projects to help deliver personal plan • We can help the school deliver personal plans for young carers which help address barriers to education?

7. Healthy Schools Programme Promotes the link between good health, behaviour and achievement • Identifies vulnerable individuals and groups and establishes appropriate strategies to support them and their families • Drawing on relevant DCSF guidance, schools are able to identify children and young people experiencing or at risk of experiencing behavioural, emotional or social difficulties • Vulnerable children and young people have individual support plans • The school has examples of planned and structured intervention work to address the issues of identified children and young people • The school has plans and protocols in place for working with other agencies to support individuals and their families • Vulnerable children and young people report feeling supported • Children and young people with specific behavioural, emotional or social difficulties have planned and structured interventions matched to their needs

8. Attendance of young carers – Can work with parents at the same time

9. What Do You Want To Offer? • Awareness and Training? • PSHCE Lessons? • PREVENTATIVE SUPPORT? • PRACTICAL SUPPORT? • Group Work? • Supporting Participation • Training Peer Mentors

10. Establishing Partnership Work • Drawing up a joint working protocol or contract with a school TASK • In threes - put down some bullet points towards a contract / working agreement with a school

11. Joined-Up Work • BRAINSTORM - what joined up work is possible? • Liaise with other agencies working in schools to share experiences / what works – how increase? • Set up a quarterly meeting in school of professionals • Peer Supporters – train in young carers issues • Pupils supporting in assemblies • Invite schools onto your steering group • Run groups in partnership with school staff (e.g. School Lead / ex young carer

12. Extended Schools / Services BRAINSTORM - what joined up work are you doing or is possible? • Link yourself in • Become part of working group • Monies available

13. School Lead for Young Carers and their Families • Perhaps two people – one to oversee and one to do the work • Or a small team • School Lead for Young Carers and their Families (An Exemplar for a Job Description) • Introducing the School Lead Workbook • Aim of both these is to EMBED young carers provision into the school

14. Encourage the school to have:- • A young carers policy * / revision of policies to recognise young carers’ needs * Exemplar School Policy - on Trustnet in Guidance for Schools and Local Authorities • GOVERNORS • Governors Checklist – created by The Children's Society • School Leadership Team Checklist - created by The Children's Society (Draft)

15. Establishing Yourself • Get to know key staff • Use the staffroom • Establish regular time-slots • Set up a notice board / photos of project workers and link staff • Have a pigeon hole / email • Get to know the reception staff! • Write regular reports for the school - e.g. annual progress report ( perhaps more frequent when you start)

16. Pitfalls • Useful to think about some of these in advance TASK On flip chart - Group to discuss possible solutions

17. Packaging and Costing Services • A ‘good one’ to fund • Funding from different streams (educational grants) • Consider travel times • Identifying and supporting pupils in schools can link to other aspects of the project

18. Funding for Work • READ ‘Building and Funding Partnerships with Schools’ • Becoming the schools charity • Carers Darers • In-kind support

19. Resources • www.carers.org/professionals • TrustNet • Schools Resource Pack • Young Carers: Guidance for schools and local authorities • ‘Building and Funding Partnerships with Schools’ * funding streams out of date • ‘Ofsted Inspections and young carers’

20. Resources Cont. The Children’s Society • Supporting pupils who are young carers – booklet (handout) • Governors Checklist – created by The Children's Society • School Leadership Team Checklist - created by The Children's Society (Draft) Include Resources • School Lead for Young Carers and their Families (An Exemplar for a Job Description) • Listening to Young Carers DVD • School Lead Workbook - (Draft)