THROUGHCARE AND AFTERCARE OF LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN IN SCOTLAND
ANNEX E Model Partnership Agreement between Careers Scotland and Social Work Services
1.1 Context
Every young person in Scotland matters. Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring social justice for all. Their vision is of a Scotland in which every young person has the opportunities, skills and support to make a successful transition to working life and active citizenship.
Research indicates care leavers are particularly vulnerable when making the transition from school to post-school provision. Many leave school with no formal qualifications and find it difficult to move successfully into further/higher education, training or employment.
Careers Scotland (area) and Social Work Services (area) are committed to work together in partnership to help improve the educational attainment and outcomes (further/higher education, training and employment) of care leavers.
This Service Level Agreement reflects the aim of both organisations to strengthen existing joint services offered to care leavers in (area).
The Service Level Agreement will be incorporated into the area Services Plans for Children and Young People, in keeping with the aim of promoting a unified and coherent approach to delivery of services.
Local authority duties
Under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a service which prepares young people who are looked after and accommodated for the transition to independent or semi-independent living and support them when they have taken this step and continue to support them through this process.
Priority (in terms of legislation and vulnerability) is given to:
- Young people who are or have been Looked After and Accommodated by a local authority under the age of 21 years.
- Young people who are or have been Looked After by the local authority under the age of 19 years.
This Partnership Agreement refers to young people who are or have been Looked After and Accommodated by a local authority under the age of 21 years.
The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 has been amended by Section 73 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 for young people who have been looked after and accommodated to introduce regulatory provision of throughcare and aftercare services to ensure consistency of provision.
The new powers to strengthen throughcare and aftercare provision reinforces local authority obligation in respect of care leavers affected by the DWP resources transfer.
The local authority will be required to carry out a needs assessment of each care leaver and incurs an obligation to meet the young person's identified need under the new DWP regulations and guidelines. The needs assessment will cover many areas including health, housing, education, training and employment which will necessitate collaboration between statutory and voluntary organisations.
Careers Scotland (area) is committed to working in partnership with Social Services (department/area) to help the local authority meet its obligation to provide a comprehensive and quality service that will meet the individual's care leavers needs, in relation to career advice and guidance.
1.1.1 Careers guidance provision
The Employment and Training Act 1973, as amended by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993, places a duty on the Scottish Executive to secure the provision of a careers guidance and placing service to young people in schools and colleges.
Careers Scotland (area) will deliver these services on behalf of Scottish Executive in the (area) as of 1 April 2002.
Careers Scotland (area) has embraced the recommendations of the Beattie Committee to offer the support required by young people who may experience particular difficulty when making the transition from school to post-school options. This can include young people who have been looked after and accommodated in their life by Social Services.
Social Work (department) agree to the following:
Social Work Services will provide Careers Scotland with sufficient information for Careers Scotland to be able to track and work with those young people, in line with performance measurement requirements.
Provide details of each residential placement in the (area).
Have a named contact (link person within Social Work who has a management role in terms of each young person. This could be social worker, key worker or leaving care worker) in each residential placement who will give details of care leavers at age 15 (before the statutory care plan at 15 1/2) to a named Careers Adviser. The information should include the young person's name, address, date of birth, current or last school, actual school leaving date, National Insurance Number, social worker, area team, and key worker (if appropriate) and legislation young person is covered by. The young person will be asked to complete a mandate to exchange information (this should be completed at the point of referral). Any information transfer will be subject to the consent of the young person concerned, proforma to be agreed locally. Information should include a background report containing any relevant information in regard to placing the young person into employment, further/higher education or training and the young person's status in regard to the DWP transfer.
The social worker will apply for a National Insurance Number for those young people who have not been allocated, or not notified of, their number, i.e. usually those young people who have been looked after and accommodated.
Social worker will invite the careers adviser to participate in the appropriate child care reviews at 15 1/2 where post-school options are being discussed.
Social worker will provide reports of care plan meeting as appropriate, in terms of education, employment and training.
Social worker may request (with supporting information) an early careers interview where circumstances deem it necessary or advisable. This would always be the case where a young person was not attending school. Careers Scotland (area) will, where possible, accommodate such requests. The Careers Action Plan to become part of the Child Care Plan.
When working on an outreach basis within Social Work Service premises a room where interviews can be conducted in private, should be provided and access to a telephone.
Encourage care leavers to keep in touch with the Careers Adviser/Careers Office when they leave school. This is particularly important for young people affected by the DWP transfer of resources.
Social Work Services will provide whatever financial information is necessary for the Careers Scotland Careers Adviser to nominated liaison person to discuss the financial implications of the employment, education or training options they are considering.
Careers Scotland (area) will:
Provide named Careers Adviser for each residential placement.
Offer each care leaver a careers guidance interview (either at school or agreed location) at 15 1/2.
Offer each care leaver expert, impartial and realistic careers advice operated in the spirit and practice of equal opportunities. Particular regard will be paid to the guidance requirements of young people identified as having special needs.
Provide the young person with a written Career Plan of Action or a Transitional Support Document, which will outline the next steps for the young person and what role individuals or organisations will be required to play.
Provide the social worker with a copy of the Career Plan of Action or Transitional Support Document and any relevant supporting information.
Provide relevant input to any planning meeting or child care review either by reports or attending the care plan meeting at aged 15 1/2.
Encourage the young person to keep in touch at the point of leaving school or their statutory leaving date and to continue to have that contact by regular appointments.
In Careers Scotland (Areas) where there is additional funding for Key Worker Support for vulnerable groups of young people, the looked after and accommodated young person may be offered Key Worker support if this is deemed desirable or necessary by the careers adviser and social worker.
Careers Scotland Careers Adviser will provide (where known) Social Work Services with whatever relevant financial information is necessary to calculate the amount a young person should be paid under the DWP transfer regulations.
Careers Scotland will provide the local authority and Scottish Executive with statistical information on further education, employment and training outcomes for care leavers affected by the new legislation.
1.1.2 Joint Agreement
To transfer appropriate information between Careers Scotland (area) and Social Work Services (dept/area) with the consent of the young person concerned.
From the point of referral on the careers adviser and social worker should inform the other of action being taken to support the young person's transition.
To agree aftercare support for care leavers, both those who are unemployed and those starting further/higher education, training or employment to help the young person sustain their place.
Integrate these new arrangements and any established links between Careers Scotland (area) and Area Teams, Residential (including school) Staff, Young People Support Staff, School Joint Assessment Teams, Future Needs Assessments and Foster Care.
Careers Scotland (area) will provide Scottish Executive with the statistical returns in regard to education employment and training for those young people affected by the DWP transfer. Social Work Services will identify and inform Careers Scotland of those young people who are the subject of the return, ie. those young people affected by the DWP transfer.
Career Scotland (area) and Social Work Services will inform Social Work Services in other local authorities and other Careers Scotland Areas when a young person is about to move into a new geographical area. Relevant information should follow the young person to aid their transition.
Social Work Services and Careers Scotland (area) will assist each other where possible in meeting the targets set in relation to employment, further/higher education and training by Scottish Executive for those young people covered by the DWP transfer.
Regular joint meetings to take place between Lead Officer or implementation officer for Social Work Leaving Care Services and local Inclusiveness Manager for Careers Scotland.
1.1.3 Monitoring Arrangements
1.1.3.1 Social Work and Career Scotland to agree targets for outcomes for care leavers
To reduce the numbers of young people for whom being NEET (not in education, employment or training) is a negative experience by 25%.
An increase in number of young people with additional support needs will be continuing in post-compulory education or full/part-time training.
Increase in number of disadvantaged disengaged adults (19+), actively engaged in learning and training.
80% of young people of care leavers to have had Careers Guidance input and Career Action plan.
Careers Scotland will provide, in conjunction with, Social Work Services statistical information on the employment, education and training outcomes of young people who fall within the DWP transfer.
Resolution of Disputes
Needs some work
Agreed priority areas for development:
- On-going development of joint procedures and practices to support clients.
- Develop a joint approach to career action planning for young people.
- Monitor these new working arrangements by means of an annual report including statistical information compiled by Careers Scotland (area).
- Promote partnership working including seeking joint funding for projects and enhanced services to client group.
- Develop joint staff development and training opportunities.
1.1.3.2 This Service Level Agreement has been signed by
Careers Scotland
Social Work Services