Thameside In-depth Answers

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Independent Review of Home Education

Rationale

Vulnerable children who are being home educated may pose an increased concern in terms of their safety, wellbeing and education. The independent review is seeking specific evidence on:

1. the prevalence of `vulnerable' children in your current EHE caseload;

2. the type of vulnerability you have encountered in the past and / or are experiencing currently.

Your views as to what measures could be taken to improve the safety, wellbeing and education of these children are also sought.

In relation to (i) above:

1. What proportion of your current EHE caseload is known to Social Care in the following capacities? Please include open and closed cases.

Type	Number	% of caseload
Section 17 enquiry	0
Section 47 enquiry	0
Section 37 (care orders)	0
Children who are or have been subject to child protection plan (or previously on the child protection register)	Don't know
Other (please specify)
Total number of children

2. What proportion of your current caseload do you estimate have safeguarding implications?

	Number	% of caseload
Total number of children	39
Parent with mental health issues	2	5
Child with mental health issues	2	5
Parent with substance misuse issues	Don't know
Domestic violence	Don't know
Child abuse or neglect (current or previous)	Don't know
Other family circumstances	Don't know
Concerns but cannot determine due to inability to see the child	2	5
Other (please describe) Permanent address in the borough but suspected to be living else where Child suspected to be sole carer	1 1	2.6 2.6
Concerns about parental ability / capacity to undertake home education (not covered above). Please specify reason:	3	7.6
Parents known to be working full time or with significant literacy issues

3. Request for case studies

In relation to (ii) above, please provide two or three anonymised case studies (more if you wish) describing cases where you have specific safeguarding concerns. Within your description please provide information detailing your specific concerns including any issues around obtaining relevant information about the child from the parent or child (including difficulties in gaining access to the child). Your views as to what measures could be taken to improve the safety, wellbeing and education of these children are also invited.

Pupil A taken out school at the end Year 9 following intensive work by Education Welfare Officer to try and improve attendance. Letters trying to arrange home visits to assess the quality of home education provision have not been received, Mum says Dad is responsible for home education even though pupil lives with Mum. We find out Dad is sectioned under the Mental Health Act and will spend a long period of time in hospital when we try and arrange a home visit. Mum says Dad remains responsible for pupil's education. Eventually manage to contact Dad but he says he is not well enough to discuss pupil's education. This has gone on for several months now. We remain concerned for the pupil's education as there does not seem to be any provision but we cannot force parents to show us what the pupil is doing.

Pupils B and C are traveller children who have recently moved to the area. Prior to moving to the area they were on the verge of prosecution for non-attendance. Education adviser visit was welcomed but there was no evidence of education taking place. Mum had extremely limited literacy and numeracy skills and admits she is not capable of home educating but she will not sanction her children going to school. The adviser is trying to work with Mum to get something in place for the pupils but this is likely to result in attendance order being issued. However, both pupils will have had a significant amount of time out of school in the interim.

Additional information

4. In your estimation, what proportion of your current caseload is not receiving any education?

7 out of 39 = 18%

5. In your estimation, what proportion are home educating to avoid prosecution for attendance issues?

5 out of 39 = 12.8%

6. What proportion of EHE youngsters became NEET (please use the latest data you have available and note the timeframe in your response).

Do not include children who are disabled where there is no concern about parenting or quality of EHE.

Do not include cases that did not lead to further action.