Quality standard
Quality statement 7: Support to fulfil potential
Quality statement 7: Support to fulfil potential
Rationale
Looked-after children and young people should enjoy the same opportunities as their peers. Like other children and young people, they should receive support to recognise, develop and achieve their full potential.
Stable education that is built on high aspirations and encourages individual achievement is central to improving immediate and long-term outcomes among looked-after children and young people. This includes encouragement and support to progress to further and higher education or training.
Taking part in activities that promote wellbeing and participation in the wider community provides an opportunity to meet and interact with others and can help improve social skills and self-esteem.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Structure
a) Evidence of local arrangements for the designated teacher to engage with the child or young person's social worker and carer in developing and monitoring their education plans.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations.
b) Evidence of supportive pathways into further and higher education and training.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations.
c) Evidence of supportive pathways into creative arts, physical activities and other hobbies and interests that support wellbeing and build self-esteem.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations.
Outcome
a) Feedback from looked-after children and young people that they feel supported to access education, training or employment that is right for them.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.
b) Educational attainment among looked-after children and young people.
Data source: Data collected through the Children looked after data return (SSDA903) and reported in the Department for Education's statistics on children looked after in England including adoption include information on the percentage of children in care reaching level 4 in English at key stage 2, children in care reaching level 4 in maths at key stage 2 and children in care achieving 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C (or equivalent) at key stage 4 (including English and maths) and the percentage of young people who were looked after at age 16 and were in higher education at age 19.
c) Education, employment or training status among looked-after children and young people.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (organisations providing care) ensure systems are in place to encourage looked-after children and young people to develop and fulfil their potential.
Health and social care practitioners and education staff support looked-after children and young people to develop and fulfil their potential, including monitoring educational plans and supportive pathways to education and activities to support and encourage overall wellbeing and self-esteem.
Commissioners (for example, local authorities) ensure they commission services with local arrangements to encourage looked-after children and young people to develop and fulfil their potential.
Carers of looked-after children and young people ensure that they encourage looked-after children and young people to develop and fulfil their potential.
Looked-after children and young people are supported to develop and fulfil their potential by those working with and caring for them.
Source guidance
Looked-after children and young people. NICE guideline NG205 (2021), recommendations 1.2.20, 1.5.36, 1.6.23, 1.6.26 and 1.8.4
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Designated teacher
An appropriately qualified and experienced member of staff who undertakes the responsibilities within the school to promote the educational achievement of looked-after and previously looked-after children on the school's roll. [Department for Education's Designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children]