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Learning with Care:
The education of children looked after away from home by Local Authorities

Chapter 8: Carers’ support for learning

8. Background

8.1 Twenty-nine of the sample children were placed with approved foster carers, 6 were living with a relative or friend, and 15 were placed in residential units.

Evaluation and recommendations

Foster and relative/friend placements

8.2 Without exception, foster carers tried to provide a positive environment for learning. However, the majority had no personal experience of further or higher education and they were often unsure how to help children with their studies. Some had bought educational books or visited the child's school for advice. Occasionally children felt over-pressurised and attempts to help them could end in tears. Older sons and daughters of foster carers, or older siblings, were often helpful in providing educational support and some also provided good role models for foster children. For example, a daughter in one foster family was a university student. She had developed a close relationship with the fostered young person who now also wanted to pursue a university education.

8.3 Conditions in foster homes varied quite considerably. Some children had their own rooms and could find quiet space for study, others might share a room with up to 3 other children which made it crowded and noisy. One child was seen doing her homework on a rather dark lower bunk. In some foster homes, with considerable numbers of children in placement, homework was done more formally around the kitchen table with one of the carers advising and supervising, and the children helping each other. This arrangement worked well. Some foster homes had good resources for learning while others were limited. A number had computers, sometimes provided by the social work services. Some, but not all, children were encouraged to use libraries and most were encouraged to read for pleasure. Wider educational activities, such as attendance at clubs and joining in local cultural events were a feature in many foster homes.

8.4 Relative carers were less likely than foster carers to have educational materials in their homes. They were often on pensions or benefits and their lack of resources was exacerbated, in some authorities, by the policy of paying relative carers lower allowances than foster carers. Relative carers generally provided very stable and secure long-term placements. They encouraged children with their education but sometimes lacked confidence in helping them because of their own educational background or because of the time which had elapsed since they had left school. Sometimes younger relatives such as aunts, uncles and cousins were closely involved with the child and they were often a good source of educational support. The support that foster and relative carers need to provide an educationally rich environment should be assessed as part of the carer approval process.

8.5 Given the educational needs of the children in the sample, it is unlikely that the educational commitment of carers will, on its own, be sufficient to help them overcome their difficulties. Carers should be given advice about education. This advice might, for example, be about literacy schemes either for the child or for the carers themselves, or choices of books or computer programs. They should also be provided with educational resources, when necessary. Training should be made available and educational issues should be discussed at carer support groups. Where home-school link workers are in place their remit should be extended to include foster and relative carers. Educational advice, training and support should be more readily available to foster and relative/friend carers (see main recommendation 5).

Residential placements

8.6 Children in residential care were, on the whole, those with more educational difficulties and lower educational achievements. It was beyond the scope of the inspection to evaluate whether they were placed in residential care because of their educational difficulties, or whether their difficulties were caused or exacerbated by their placement in residential care. It is likely that a mixture of these 2 processes was at work. The educational support provided in residential units was more variable than in foster homes. There were considerable differences both between authorities and, in one case, within an authority. In some units the support was very good with considerable emphasis placed on valuing education and study support, and staff being pro-active in ensuring the children’s right to a good education. In some units all children had their own room. In one unit, a separate room had been equipped as a study with computers, desk and small library and it was well used. In others, where study space was less generous, efforts were made to create quiet space by allowing and supervising children to do homework in a dining room or staff office.

8.7 One authority, which had a high percentage of its looked after children in residential, as opposed to foster care, had made considerable and fruitful efforts to make their residential units educationally rich environments. Statistics concerning educational outcomes were collected from residential units and education was a regular topic at unit managers’ meetings. All the children had access to computers, and special programs were purchased for children with learning difficulties. Children were encouraged to be library members and there was a wide range of books, including reference books, available. One of the units had established a link with students taking initial teacher education courses at their local university and had annual visits from students. Another unit had the majority of its school leavers entering higher or further education in the current year. While this unit had the advantage of stable staffing and long term residents it was rightly proud of its achievements and could serve as a model for others.

8.8 By contrast, some units in other authorities were providing educationally poor environments. In some which had shared bedrooms, there was insufficient quiet space for children to do their homework. In one unit, young people were doing homework on their knees on their beds. This unit reported that its young people had "appalling Standard Grade results". Some units had a rather passive attitude to homework and did not make arrangements to get information about homework from schools. Some of the children interviewed did not feel that they had sufficient support with their homework. In some units there was no computer available and in one unit, staff complained they had no money for basic educational resources such as books, pencils and rubbers. In some of the units the majority of residents were not attending school, either through exclusion or refusal to attend. An educationally negative ethos existed whereby existing residents influenced new residents to reject education. Some staff made efforts to keep the young people involved in educational activities, for example by arranging museum and library visits and encouraging poetry writing. Some also tried to get work from schools for excluded pupils, but did not always meet with success. Some staff spoke of a sense of demoralisation. They felt unsupported by their management, by the education department and by the young people’s schools. They had run out of strategies to try to ensure that the youngsters in their care received a worthwhile education.

8.9 In one authority, a residential unit was closed down during the period of the inspection. The closure proved a disruptive and damaging experience for one young person who was about to sit Standard Grade examinations. Whilst the timing of any particular closure may be unavoidable, educational needs must be taken into consideration when timing unit closures. Children looked after in residential units should receive the same level of educational support which caring, well-resourced parents would provide. Local authorities should undertake an audit of their residential units to assess how far they are educationally rich environments and, where shortcomings are found take appropriate action.

Main recommendation 7

As part of their quality assurance procedures local authorities should undertake an audit of their residential units to assess how far they are educationally rich environments and, where shortcomings are found, make plans to take appropriate action. (8.9)

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