Draft Mapping Questionnaire for Local Authorities

Independent Review of Home Education in England

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire about processes for supporting and monitoring home education. You may find it helpful to read through the questionnaire before attempting to complete it. Click on the box to select your option and it will put a cross in. The text boxes are expandable, you need to start typing in the grey boxes. Completion of the questionnaire is entirely voluntary. Responses will be completely confidential and used only for the purposes of the independent review.

The Government is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe are as robust as possible. As part of this continuing commitment, an independent review of home education will assess whether the right systems are in place for ensuring that home educated children have access to the five Every Child Matters outcomes. This includes whether Government should do more to support local authorities in discharging their duties in relation to home educated children. The full terms of reference for the review are available on- line at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ete/homeeducation

As organisations responsible for ensuring the safety, wellbeing and education of children and young people in your localities, we very much value your input into this review.

Please note, the Director of Children’s Services and Lead Member for Children and Young People are asked to sign off the response to this questionnaire before submitting it.

Please return your completed questionnaire by Friday 6 February to [email protected]

Or by post to:

Elizabeth Green Home Education Review DCSF Level 2 Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith Street London SW1P 3BT

Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions.

If you have any queries about this form, please phone Elizabeth Green on 020 79256898.

1 Section One – About your local authority

Name of LA North Yorkshire Tel. No of main contact 01609 532320 E-mail of main contact [email protected] Would you be willing to take part in the next phase of the Yes research in March (including in-depth interviews with key personnel in your organisation)?

1. Who is involved in supporting and monitoring home educated children within the local authority and other agencies?

Team with main responsibility - List all teams / professionals involved Support Monitoring Education Social Work Service – Quality and Improvement Service – (CME Coordinator; ESWs; Senior General Adviser Inclusion EHE ESWs; Operations Manager; Attendance Manger; Principal ESW) Quality and Improvement Service – (Office Manager; General Adviser Inclusion for EHE; Principal Adviser Inclusion) Special Educational Needs Officers Education Psychology Service Childrens Social Care Integrated Service Manager

Describe how you ensure collaboration and communication between these teams / individuals A set of internal procedures has been devised that ensures a high level of communication between teams and individuals and clarity on key responsibilities (Guidance for Staff). These processes were developed jointly by relevant services and are underpinned by LA policy on EHE. In addition “casework” meetings are held each half term and strategy meetings four times a year.

Section Two – Data and Tracking

2. How many children are currently home educated in your local

2 authority?

Phase Registered with LA Non-registered children Primary age This figure changes constantly but as of Jan 09 stands at 63 Secondary age This figure changes constantly but as of Jan 09 stands at 90 Total This figure changes Not known constantly but as of Jan 09 stands at 153

3. Are these figures accurate or based on estimates?

Accurate

Where do you get this data from? Q&I EHE Database and Central Pupil Register

How do you know this data is accurate? Notification of a deregistration from school is received by the CME / EHE coordinator. The CPR is amended by her and she requests that an ESW is allocated to the family to make the initial visit. Following the initial visit the ESW will refer the case to the Q&I Adviser to undertake a visit. The Q&I database is amended to reflect the start of EHE. Databases are compared and cleaned every 6 weeks to ensure that information is accurate on both systems. There is close collaboration and communication between all administrators and key staff. The system is in constant flux – as children start EHE, go back to school, move out of county etc….

Estimate

3 What data have you used to arrive at this figure?(List all sources

4. How confident are you in the accuracy of this data ?

Very confident Fairly confident

Don’t know Not very confident

Not at all confident

5. How often does the local authority get updated data?

List frequency for each source separately Information is provided to CME/EHE coordinator on a frequent (daily) basis by schools. Some families refer themselves (infrequent).

4 6. Thinking about your home educated population, what proportions have the following characteristics? Please say whether these figures are based on estimates or accurate data.

Characteristic Proportion Choose option Statement for SEN 13 % Estimate Non-statemented SEN 87% Estimate Gypsy, Roma, Traveller heritage 4% Estimate Other BME Group (please state below) 0% Estimate  Estimate  Estimate  Estimate

5 7. Do you believe the local authority knows about all the home educated children in your area?

Yes, we are confident we know about all home educated children in the area

We think we know about the vast majority of home educated children in the area

We probably do not know about a fair number of home educated children in the area

We probably do not know about a significant proportion of home educated children in the area

8. Do you think that you will be better able to track children in your area in the near future? E.g. planned changes to your own systems, ContactPoint, other system improvements?

Why do you think that? It is envisaged that ContactPoint will reveal a number of children who are identified as having no education provider, but it will also provide details on how to contact these families. The issues then may become a refusal to engage by families, and capacity for the LA.

Why do you think that?

Don’t know

6 Section Three – Supporting Home Educating Families

9. How does the local authority ensure families know about their rights and responsibilities in relation to home education?

List all approaches used EHE information pack distributed to all families Policy available on the NYCC Website

10. What support does your local authority provide to home educating families?

List all forms of support offered All families invited to • Parent/LA Liaison Meetings twice a year • Drop-In Days.

All families receive • Newsletter each term • EHE pack regardless of their agreement to a home visit. • Policy and Annual Report on NYCC website including links to EO and HEAS

All families have access to • School Library Service and Bookstart • Adult Learning Opportunities • Extended Services • Identity card • Information regarding exam venue at Roscoe Street • Information, Advice and Guidance for KS3&4 young people through liaison with Connexions • Support post 16 – through provision of a reference in order to access FE

All families will have access to • VLE Fronter • Work Related Learning project – young people must be between 11 – 16 years

11. How does the local authority let families know about the services

7 provided to support them in home educating their children?

List all approaches used Newsletter Mailout Drop-In Day Parents' meetings Planned use of VLE NYCC website has links to appropriate sources

Section Four – Assessment and Monitoring

12. Following the initial assessment visit, are further monitoring visits made to a home educated child?

Yes No Don’t know

12a. If yes, how often, on average, are these carried out?

More than twice a year How often?

Twice a year Once a year

Less than once a year

8 Additional comments

Families are offered further support from the Adviser if they should ask for it Sometimes additional support is suggested by the Adviser in order to support the parents provision (It is often better for parents to realise that they are not managing to provide a suitable education having been given the chance to try. The realisation that attendance at school may provide a better outcome for the child is then less fraught and confrontation can be avoided.)

Sometimes many additional visits are carried out if a child has a statement of SEN.

Some families are extremely confident in their educational provision at home and are content to complete a questionnaire outlining their continued provision or provide their own update.

Some families refuse to allow additional visits once it has been established “that there is no reason to believe that no education is being provided”.

13. On average, how often is the child seen when a visit is made?

Always, at each visit Usually, but not always

Sometimes Never

Depends on the child / circumstances Please describe

Most families are happy to involve the child in discussion about EHE. Some families refuse to engage – other than by provision of written evidence – and in these circumstances the child may not be seen by the EHE Adviser. A risk based assessment is usually made at a casework meeting regarding this type of situation and the Senior ESW will speak with other agencies where there may be safeguarding concerns about the child. Information sharing under these circumstances can only be undertaken where there is a statutory right to do so.

14. If the child is seen, where is s/he usually seen?

9 In the home At the home, but do not go inside

Another venue Please specifiy

Depends on the child / circumstances Please describe

Children are often part of the discussions

15. If you are not permitted access to a child, is any further action taken?

Yes No Don’t know

15a. If yes, what further steps are taken?

The Law does not require that parents present the child to the LA Advisor.LA Advisers who are cognisant of the law understand that there is no right to insist that the child is present and occasionally the child may be away from the home / out when the HE meeting takes place. A risk based assessment is usually made at a casework meeting regarding this type of situation and the Senior ESW will speak with other agencies where there may be safeguarding concerns about the child. Please describe

10 16. How is the ‘suitability’ of the education provided to the child assessed?

Please describe • Through discussion with the parents and child. • Through completion of a questionnaire or written explanation • Through provision of work samples, diaries, photographs, web based materials etc There is no requirement for parents to provide evidence of completed work etc. but most parents will happily provide this to support discussions – indeed many are proud of their children’s achievements and some ask for reassurance that they are on the right track.

17. Is the local authority clear about what the definition of a ‘suitable education’ is?

Why is that? The definition in law calls for the education to be suitable to age, ability and aptitude and any special educational needs. This allows for a diversity of approach and parents may decide the approach that is most appropriate to their child’s/family situation. No two approaches are the same and provision can range from “autonomous” to very structured and everything in between.

Why is that?

18. Does the local authority have systems in place to track the educational progress of home educated children?

Yes No Don’t know

11 If yes, please describe the system • The consistency of one adviser covering all EHE provision does facilitate the monitoring of progress by EHE children over the years. • Parents are often asked if their children have, in their opinion, made progress over the last year – and this would be recorded in the written report that each family receives.

12 19. Of the home educated children in your area of whom you have knowledge, what proportion in your estimation are receiving a suitable, full time (20hrs a week) education?

Please describe most of them - 97%

20. Does the local authority take any further steps if a home educated child’s education was found to be unsuitable or not full time?

Yes No Don’t know

20a. If yes, what steps are then taken?

Please describe If education at home is deemed to be unsuitable then steps are taken to ensure that the child returns to school. The issuing of a SAO is seen as a last resort and all attempts are made to work constructively with the family before this avenue is explored.

21. Does the local authority face any challenges in assessing whether home educated children receive a suitable education?

Yes No Don’t know

If yes, please describe challenges and what you think could be done to overcome these Some families can prevaricate or even refuse to engage with the LA. The guidance is written in such a way as to support this.

22. Thinking about your local area, in the last five years1, how many cases have you come across that use the premise of home education as a ‘cover’ for child abuse, forced marriage or other aspects of child neglect?

1 Since January 2003

13 Please specify number2 0

Additional comments Please include the number of Serious Case Reviews you know about that have a home education element

23. Do you think the current system for safeguarding children who are educated at home is adequate?

Yes Why do you think that?

No Why do you think that?

If we have not seen or spoken to the child nor been able to get a ‘full picture’ of the home circumstances/parenting from either the family or other agencies, then we would not normally be able to identify or evidence any safeguarding child protection concerns. We cannot speak with other agencies/share information without the consent of parents, unless we have clear evidence that a child may be suffering significant harm and can therefore make a referral to Children’s Social Care for consideration of Section 47 enquiries

Don’t know

24. Do you think that home educated children in your local authority are able to achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes?

Yes Please say why for each of the five outcomes.

Be healthy

2 NB – this data will not be aggregated or used in any other way. This data will provide an overall sense of the scale of this issue.

14 Stay safe

Enjoy and achieve

Make a positive contribution

Achieve economic well-being

No Please say why for each of the five outcomes.

Be healthy The LA only has a duty to act if it believes that no education is being provided and the LA is only entitled to make “informal enquiries” of parents, therefore it is not always possible to make a judgement as to whether or not a child is receiving the 5 outcomes. The matter is further compounded by legislation which does not require that the child be seen or his/her views taken into account. The parents wishes are paramount – not the child’s.

Stay safe

Enjoy and achieve

Make a positive contribution

Achieve economic well-being

25. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for supporting home educated families?

Yes What should they be?

15 The LAs responsibilities are actually very limited in the legislation that governs EHE and it does not sit well with LA responsibilities in terms of safeguarding. Many colleagues feel that LAs are currently unable to fully discharge their responsibilities as EHE families are not required to provide certain information and not all EHE families are known to the LA. Lack of financial support and/or access to resources can be an issue for some families.

Don’t know

26. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system for monitoring home educating families and ensuring that home educated children are able to achieve the five outcomes?

Yes What should they be? please see Questions 54 & 55

Don’t know

16 Thank you for taking time to respond to these questions.

Please return your completed questionnaire, by Friday 6 February to [email protected] or by post to the address on page one. If you are returning the questionnaire electronically, please add the name of the DCS and Lead Member in the signature box.

Declaration

I agree that the information supplied in this questionnaire is a true reflection of practice in this local authority.

Signed Date Director of Children’s Services

Signed Date Lead Member for Children

The information you have provided may be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This does not necessarily mean that your response can be made available to the public as there are exemptions relating to information provided in confidence and information to which the Data Protection Act 1998 applies. You may request confidentiality by ticking the box provided, but you should note that this may not exclude the public right of access.

Please tick if you want to keep your response confidential