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4.0 DESIGNATED SENIOR MANAGER FOR LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
4.1 Scotland's Colleges
Context
Scotland's Colleges have a strong tradition and proven track record of supporting learners to learn effectively. Recent policies and legislative duties have provided colleges with the opportunity to build on good practice. They have achieved this by refining and developing strategies, systems and operational practices to support learners, particularly at times of transition and especially for those who have additional requirements for learning.
Since the implementation of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, Scotland's Colleges have made significant progress in safeguarding the children, young people and vulnerable groups to whom they have an increased duty of care.
In order to meet the duties of the above Act, each of Scotland's forty-three colleges have:
- designated safeguarding responsibilities to a member of the senior management team;
- produced policies, operational procedures and codes of conduct and practice;
- developed inter-professional working mechanisms, for example partnership working with school child protection coordinators; joint training with fellow professionals in social work and the police force;
- developed effective confidentiality, information sharing and disclosure procedures;
- developed systems for the safe recruitment for the selection of staff and volunteers;
- devolved responsibility for operational procedures to appropriate members of the college community, dependent on the size and diversity of the student body;
- taken steps to ensure safe use of the Internet, including the prevention of cyber-bullying; and
- provided robust programmes of initial and continuing professional development and training for all members of staff.
Core Tasks
Learning With Care recommended that a senior member of staff in each school should maintain an overview of, and responsibility for, looked after children's progress and education. The remit of a similar senior member of staff within a college of further and higher education would include responsibility for strategy, systems development and the devolvement and management of operational activities.
The policies, procedures and operational infrastructures which have already been implemented to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable groups will be harnessed in order to ensure that looked after children and young people thrive and learn in Scotland's Colleges.
The following sets out the core tasks which are considered necessary in relation to the role of designated senior manager for looked after children and young people in a college context:
- The designated senior manager holds a coordinating brief in relation to all the looked after children and young people and care leavers in their establishment.
- The designated senior manager must take responsibility for developing systems and procedures for the sharing of information with stakeholders, particularly at times of transition from school, or other educational provider, to college.
- The designated senior manager must ensure that consideration of the views of looked after children and young people and care leavers are included in any decision making process in relation to their educational and pastoral needs while at college.
- The designated senior manager must take responsibility for the development of a confidentiality policy and the handling of sensitive information on a need-to-know basis.
- The designated senior manager will ensure that the college works in partnership with colleagues with similar remits in associated schools and residential establishments.
- The designated senior manager will ensure that the relevant college staff have opportunities for appropriate continuing professional development and training in relation to looked after children and young people and care leavers.
- The designated senior manager will be the recipient of all circulars, legislation and information on looked after children and young people and care leavers and will take responsibility for identifying and communicating the implications of these for the establishment.
- The designated senior manager must ensure that structures are in place to identify, meet, monitor and review the educational needs of looked after children and young people and care leavers, pre and during transition, on course and pre-exit.
- The designated senior manager will ensure that appropriate tracking procedures are implemented and sustained so that the individual potential of looked after children and young people and care leavers is realised.
4.2 The Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark
Context
Action 13 from the We Can and Must Do Better report stated: "We (the Scottish Government) will work with colleges and universities to raise awareness and responsiveness to the issues faced by care leavers who enter further or higher education". Furthermore the report also stated that: "We (the Scottish Government) will be supportive of initiatives such as the Frank Buttle Trust's Quality Mark for universities which demonstrate support to care leavers".
The decision to apply for the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark lies with the individual higher education providers. However, the standards required to be awarded the quality mark provide a useful framework which outlines the support higher education providers offer looked after young people and care leavers. Ideally all providers of higher education should strive to achieve this standard of support.
Commitment to care leavers (extracted from the Quality Mark Leaflet)
The Frank Buttle Trust has developed a statement of commitment to care leavers in higher education. The statement provides a charter through which further education providers can demonstrate their commitment to supporting care leavers.
The commitment recognises the challenges faced by care leavers on entering higher education and seeks to:
- Facilitate an increase in the numbers of care leavers entering higher education.
- To raise awareness of the needs of care leavers.
- To enable care leavers to make the most of their time in higher education and to complete their course of study.
- Help high education providers to identify how best to support care leavers.
Adoption of this commitment requires higher education providers to be more flexible in their support systems and to form active working relationships with local authorities to ensure that an appropriate plan is in place to support looked after young people and care leavers.
The commitment expects higher education providers to:
- Raise aspirations and achievement.
- Ensure that admissions procedures for care leavers are appropriate.
- Provide entry and on-going support.
- Monitor implantation of the commitment.
Recognition
To receive recognition, higher education providers need to apply to the Frank Buttle Trust for registration, demonstrating how their commitment to care leavers is embedded in their strategic policy framework, and how they will implement and monitor the scheme.
The Frank Buttle Trust will issue a Quality Mark to qualifying higher education providers, and review their plans for implementing and operating the scheme.
The Frank Buttle Trust website -www.buttletrust.org/
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