A report providing an update on the work undertaken by the Education Service at Brighter Futures for Children to children looked after (CLA) and care leavers (CL), and the achievements in relation to previously high numbers of vulnerable young people not participating education, employment and training (NEET).

The Executive Director of Children’s Services – Education, Early Help and Social Care, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report on services that were being provided by Leaving Care, the Virtual School and the Elevate Team within Brighter Futures for Children to children looked after and care leavers and provided an overview of the current picture of children looked after and care leavers aged 16 to 25 years old who had engaged in positive outcomes in education, employment and training (EET).  A copy of the report by Brighter Futures for Children was appended to the report.

The report explained that there had been much focus on providing more robust and targeted support to young people in the local authority’s care to prevent them becoming Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or to support them to stop being NEET.  The aim was to offer a range of training opportunities that combined qualifications with work experience.  Communication and support were being expanded so that young people knew about the options and choices outside of college or school to enable them to achieve qualifications and experiences.  Communication and local opportunities were being promoted to encourage and enable social workers, leaving care advisers, placement providers and foster carers, support staff to promote actively local provision to young people.  Learning and Training providers needed to be accountable in ensuring that good quality provision was delivered to young people, ensuring that they successfully achieved sustained, positive outcomes.

There was also a growing number of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) who were in need of support with their career planning and further help to fast track them onto ESOL programmes.  Work was being carried out with further education providers and other employability programmes to encourage them to support these young people’s future career aspirations and progression.

Young people sometimes moved placements, so it was important that there was a more advanced EET plan to support them moving placements and still need transition support to their new EET placement.  There had also been a positive and continued take-up of care leavers going to university and the future focus was to increase these numbers.  To support this, programmes such as ‘Study Higher’, a partnership of higher education institutions and further education colleges would be offered alongside university mentoring programmes as well as raising awareness and targeting secondary school students and promoting university open days and alternative Post 16 provision.

The report explained that another key focus was identifying the reasons for the drop-out rates from Further Education.  A Post 16 networking group was being started to support these young people which would bring together a network of partners to work together to offer opportunities to young people.  The aim was to have a pan Reading approach to reduce NEET numbers, prevent young people from falling into NEET and promote alternative and vocational pathways to employment or training.

Re-engagement opportunities were promoted to young people who were not ready to access work or formal training due to a history of illness, mental health issues, complex Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) needs and substance misuse and unstable/unsupportive living circumstances.  LAS Mindset had been commissioned to offer mentoring and one to one personal gym training and Starting Point matched mentors who focused on young people’s confidence and self-esteem offering them social and skills building sessions.  Social Workers could also make referrals to the Virtual School Emotional Health and Wellbeing Triage Support Group.

Having a criminal record was a significant barrier and limited access to EET opportunities and Elevate had a careers coach based at the Youth Offending Service (YOS) who worked with YOS officers to engage young people, children looked after and care leavers into EET.  Pregnancy/parental responsibility for most young people meant that they were not available for work by their own choice or circumstances, Leaving Care advisors referred young parents who were career planning or ready to work into the Elevate service for advice and support.

Children looked after and care leaver who had been placed out of the Borough did not have consistent support as many other local authorities had very limited NEET services which often excluded care leavers.  Elevate researched the local provision for young people who needed more ‘hands on support’ and aimed to continue to offer a virtual information and guidance session to each young person.  Work had also started with Resume Foundation whose job coaches could support young people virtually into EET. 

Clare Martin, Post 16 Team Manager, Elevate, attended the meeting and gave a presentation on the participation of Children Looked After and Care Leavers into Education, Employment and Training.  The presentation explained that EET numbers were increasing but, as at 30 June 2021 Care Leaver data had shown that there was 100% engagement in EET and 0% NEET or not known.  Data for children looked after had shown that 82.9% were engaged in EET, 17.1% were registered as NEET (six young people), and 0% were not known.  Performance for EET was higher both nationally and in the south east but for EET was lower both nationally and in the south east.  With regard to apprenticeships, Clare explained that they were growing and that one of the areas that was being investigated was supported apprenticeships and not starting them at level 2 but at a lower level.

Resolved –    That having considered what more the Council might do to provide opportunities for the young people of Reading in relation to training and work, the report be noted.