Supporting Children in Public Care in Schools

Supporting Children in Public Care in Schools is a training package designed for delivery to teachers, social workers, carers and all those supporting young people who are in public care. Based on collaborative multi-agency and multi-professional work with psychologists, teachers and social workers, Supporting Children in Public Care in Schools focuses on the different types of loss that children in care may experience as a result of significant changes in placement, such as the loss of family, friends, routine and the familiar school environment. The training pack includes photocopiable material and instructions for more than a dozen training sessions. These address a range of issues including why young people are in care, how feelings of loss relate to the experience of being in care and how being in care may affect education, attainment and emotional attachment. There is a focus on making any necessary school transitions work effectively in order to provide educational stability in a young person's life. The authors realise that the transition into school is a key event, so it is crucial that it is carefully planned, that there is a positive welcoming ethos and that there is effective communication within the school. The flexible modular structure of this resource means that sessions can be planned around trainee's needs and can be delivered as single topics if required. Each training module includes group activities, templates for OHP transparencies, handouts for trainees and a bibliography. This much-needed training package raises awareness of the experiences of young people in public care and provides essential guidance for staff in schools or other settings on how to assist young people through corporate parenting, smooth transitions into school, designated teachers and personal education plans.