Looked After Children (LAC) Policy statement ABC Nursery School is committed to providing quality provision based on equality of opportunity for all children and their families. All staff are committed to doing all they can to enable ‘looked after children’ in their care to achieve and reach their full potential Definition of ‘Looked after Children’ (LAC) Children and young people become ‘looked after’ if they have either been taken into care by the Local Authority, or have been accommodated by the Local Authority (a voluntary care arrangement) Most LAC will be living in foster homes, but a smaller number may be in a children’s home, living with a relative or even placed back home with their natural parent(s) We recognise that children who are being looked after have often experienced traumatic situations, physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect. However, we also recognise that not all looked after children have experienced abuse and that there are a range of reasons for children to be taken into the care of the Local Authority. Whatever the reason, a child’s separation from their home and family signifies a disruption in their lives that has impact on their emotional well being In our Nursery we place emphasis on promoting children’s right to be strong, resilient and listened to. Our policy and practice guidelines for looked after children are based on these two important concepts attachment and resilience. The basis of this is to promote secure attachments in children’s lives as the basis for resilience. These aspects of well being underpin the child’s responsiveness to learning and are the basis for developing positive dispositions for learning. For young children to get the most out of educational opportunities they need to be settled with their carer to be able to cope with further separation, a new environment and new expectations made upon them Principles We offer places for funded two, three and four year olds who are in care to ensure they receive their entitlement to early education. We expect that a child will have been with a foster carer for a minimum of one month and has formed a secure attachment to the carer Where a child who normally attends our setting is taken into care and is cared for by a local foster carer, we will continue to offer the placement for the child Procedures The designated person for looked after children is The Manager Every child is allocated a Key Person before they start and this is no different for a looked after child. The Manager ensures that the Key Person has the information, support and training necessary to meet the looked after child’s needs The designated person and the Key Person liaise with agencies, professionals and practitioners involved with the child and his/ her family and ensures appropriate information is gained and shared The Nursery recognises that the role of the Local Authority Social Care Department as the child’s corporate parent and the key agency in determining what takes place with the child. Nothing changes with regard to the birth parent’s or foster carer’s role in relation to the Nursery without prior discussion and agreement with the child’s Social Worker At the start of the placement, there is a professionals meeting that will determine the objectives of the placement and draw up a care plan that incorporates the child’s learning needs. This plan is reviewed on a regular basis The care plan needs to consider such issues as: • The child’s emotional needs and how they are to be met • How any emotional issues and problems that affect behaviour are to be managed • The child’s sense of self, culture, language/s and identity – how this can be supported • The child’s interests and abilities and possible learning pathway • How any special needs will be supported In addition the Care Plan will also consider: • How information will be shared with the foster carer and Local Authority (as the corporate parent) as well as what information is shared with whom and how it will be recorded and stored • What contact the child has with his/her birth parent(s) and what arrangements will be in place for supervised contact • What written reporting is required • With the Social Worker’s agreement, and as part of the plan, the birth parent(s) should be involved in the Nursery’s activities that include parents, such as outings, fun-days etc. alongside the foster carer • The settling-in process for the child is agreed. It should be the same as for any other child, with the foster carer taking the place of the parent, unless otherwise agreed • In the first two weeks after settling-in, the child’s wellbeing is the focus of observation, their sociability and their ability to manage their feelings with or without support • Further observations about communication, interests and abilities will be noted to form a picture of the whole child in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage • Concerns about the child will be noted and discussed with the foster carer • If the concerns are about the foster carer’s treatment of the child, or if abuse is suspected, these are recorded and reported to the child’s Social Care Worker according to the Nursery’s Safeguarding Children Procedure • Regular contact should be maintained with the Social Worker through planned meetings that will include the foster carer • Transition to school will be handled sensitively and the Manager or the child’s Key Person will liaise with the school, passing on relevant information and documentation with the agreement of the looked after child’s birth parents (where appropriate)