Chamber
Plenary, 26 Feb 2003
26 Feb 2003 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Looked-after Children (Education)
The information should be available. Several local authorities provided updated information at the last minute, which will be available from SPICe as the day goes on. The information is a result of self-reporting by local authorities and is not in a Parliament publication. I have pulled the responses together and they have been placed in SPICe for information. Later, I will talk about what we will do with that information.
Western Isles Council's education and social work departments jointly started a new project to provide full-time education for children who do not attend mainstream schools. Several local authorities, including Argyll and Bute Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council, have said that they are improving data links between the management information systems of social work departments and of education departments. That should ensure that schools are aware of all looked-after children and that the progress of their educational attainment can be followed.
I confirm for Mr Monteith that the Executive will follow up on the returns with local authorities. I want to be able to pick up on the good practice that is out there and share it with others. I will also follow up on those local authorities about which we have concerns. The authorities will be asked to prepare an action plan to progress the issues that require to be addressed.
Last year, I identified a number of other actions that the Executive would take as a result of the "Learning with Care" report. Three seminars, which were held in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, were attended by more than 200 practitioners and education and social work managers. As a result of the seminars, we have collated material and will produce a range of materials to assist us in developing the agenda. We will consider training materials, a looked-after children education report, and booklets for teachers, social workers and carers. The intention is for those materials to be produced by May of this year.
It is also important to note that the social work services inspectorate has checked on progress in each authority. Inspection teams have found that progress has been achieved on joint policies, audits and training, as well as on children's services plans, particularly on how authorities set targets for educational attainment.
This year, for the first time, we have collected information nationally on the educational attainment of looked-after young people. The information shows that six out of 10 of the 16 and 17-year-olds who leave care do not achieve any qualifications. By contrast, only 5 per cent of all other 16 and 17-years-olds failed to achieve qualifications. The social justice milestone that we have set is that, eventually, all looked-after children should achieve at least standard grade English and maths. At the moment, some 30 per cent achieve that goal.
The social justice milestone is an important continuing test of progress. As we collect better information on educational achievement in the years ahead, I believe that we will be better able to measure improvements, including those that result from the initiatives we have taken following the "Learning with Care" report; from the £10 million that the Executive invested in educational attainment last year and, indeed, the further money that was allocated in the spending review; and from the inspection of schools and local authorities by the social work services inspectorate and Her Majesty's inspectors of schools. However, we must be clear that we are talking not only about inspections, bureaucracies or money but about young people's lives. We must look ahead from the "Learning with Care" report to the practical actions that will continue to improve educational attainment.
Western Isles Council's education and social work departments jointly started a new project to provide full-time education for children who do not attend mainstream schools. Several local authorities, including Argyll and Bute Council, North Lanarkshire Council and Renfrewshire Council, have said that they are improving data links between the management information systems of social work departments and of education departments. That should ensure that schools are aware of all looked-after children and that the progress of their educational attainment can be followed.
I confirm for Mr Monteith that the Executive will follow up on the returns with local authorities. I want to be able to pick up on the good practice that is out there and share it with others. I will also follow up on those local authorities about which we have concerns. The authorities will be asked to prepare an action plan to progress the issues that require to be addressed.
Last year, I identified a number of other actions that the Executive would take as a result of the "Learning with Care" report. Three seminars, which were held in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, were attended by more than 200 practitioners and education and social work managers. As a result of the seminars, we have collated material and will produce a range of materials to assist us in developing the agenda. We will consider training materials, a looked-after children education report, and booklets for teachers, social workers and carers. The intention is for those materials to be produced by May of this year.
It is also important to note that the social work services inspectorate has checked on progress in each authority. Inspection teams have found that progress has been achieved on joint policies, audits and training, as well as on children's services plans, particularly on how authorities set targets for educational attainment.
This year, for the first time, we have collected information nationally on the educational attainment of looked-after young people. The information shows that six out of 10 of the 16 and 17-year-olds who leave care do not achieve any qualifications. By contrast, only 5 per cent of all other 16 and 17-years-olds failed to achieve qualifications. The social justice milestone that we have set is that, eventually, all looked-after children should achieve at least standard grade English and maths. At the moment, some 30 per cent achieve that goal.
The social justice milestone is an important continuing test of progress. As we collect better information on educational achievement in the years ahead, I believe that we will be better able to measure improvements, including those that result from the initiatives we have taken following the "Learning with Care" report; from the £10 million that the Executive invested in educational attainment last year and, indeed, the further money that was allocated in the spending review; and from the inspection of schools and local authorities by the social work services inspectorate and Her Majesty's inspectors of schools. However, we must be clear that we are talking not only about inspections, bureaucracies or money but about young people's lives. We must look ahead from the "Learning with Care" report to the practical actions that will continue to improve educational attainment.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
The next item of business is the debate on motion S1M-3943, in the name of Cathy Jamieson, on the educational attainment of looked-after children.
The Minister for Education and Young People (Cathy Jamieson):
Lab
In January last year, I made a statement to the Parliament on the education of our looked-after children in Scotland. I am pleased to have the opportunity to...
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I am interested to hear the news that the minister conveys to the chamber. She said that she would leave copies of the information that has been gathered fro...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
The information should be available. Several local authorities provided updated information at the last minute, which will be available from SPICe as the day...
Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab):
Lab
Does the minister agree that Ballikinrain School in my constituency is not only a model school but one in which an integrated approach to outreach work helps...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
I visited Ballikinrain School and was impressed by how the school adapts its work to the continuing agenda for change. The school is particularly interested ...
Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con):
Con
On what we can do to help children, I am interested in the progress and the achievements that are being made in certain areas, but does the minister agree th...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
I agree with Lyndsay McIntosh on that point. I will talk about that important area in a couple of minutes.It is important to recognise that, as a result of p...
Mrs McIntosh:
Con
I am familiar with the concept.
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
We should also recognise that young people in the care system might need extra support. Study support groups in schools, for example, are a welcome resource ...
Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
As the minister reminded the chamber, it was more than a year ago that she made a statement to Parliament announcing plans and setting out the minimal requir...
Mr Monteith:
Con
Will the member tell me how those statistics compare with the previous statistics?
Irene McGugan:
SNP
To the best of my knowledge, they have not improved.Most 16 and 17-year-old care leavers have experience of truancy and exclusion. Less than 1 per cent of th...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
I remind the chamber of the comments I made in my statement: this is the first time that we have collected such statistics.
Irene McGugan:
SNP
But one year later, are they satisfactory? We must focus on the problem. We heard almost the same thing a year ago—we discussed the same issues and the same ...
Dr Jackson:
Lab
Will the member give way?
Irene McGugan:
SNP
I would like to move on a little bit.The minister made it fairly clear in her contribution that she places at least some responsibility for the situation on ...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
Surely even Irene McGugan accepts that the £10 million was an additional resource for looked-after children.
Irene McGugan:
SNP
The £10 million was specifically about providing materials and resources to help with homework; it was not specifically about helping children to receive ful...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
Does the member accept that, as I outlined in my speech, the issue is not simply for social work departments? Looked-after children are the responsibility of...
Irene McGugan:
SNP
Absolutely. I have no difficulty with that. However, it remains the case that social workers are generally the lead workers in any group of workers who suppo...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
Does the member accept that foster carers were among the people who received additional support through the looked-after children money? Does she also accept...
Irene McGugan:
SNP
I am pleased to know that the minister will continue to meet foster carers, but I know some foster carers who were insulted to receive, as their share of the...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
Will the member give way?
Irene McGugan:
SNP
I am in my final seconds. We recognise that if social workers and teachers work together, they will deliver a better outcome for children. There is an implic...
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
As sure as eggs are eggs, the minister will recall that members on the Conservative benches have supported the Executive's efforts where we have thought them...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
There is a danger that consensus might break out between Brian Monteith and me, which is unusual. Does he accept that, despite the fact that we want to work ...
Mr Monteith:
Con
The minister can safely predict that, if strong action is required to be taken with local authorities, she will have the backing of the Conservatives, and my...
Cathy Jamieson:
Lab
I am happy to reassure Mr Monteith on that issue. The draft proposals on additional support for learning will ensure that a greater number of young people ar...
Mr Monteith:
Con
That response is interesting. There is a worthwhile debate to be had on that topic, but I hope that it will not be rushed and that we will have adequate time...