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Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
2
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
The Personal Development Centre, Blyth, Northumberland Focus of case study A case study to demonstrate the advantage of multi-agency intervention to improve individual pupil attendance from the Personal Development Centre (PDC) in Blyth, Northumberland.
Local authority (LA)/school profile The PDC is a purpose-built classroom located in a building (formerly a school) in the centre of Blyth. It is co-located with the Blyth Education Support Team (BEST), which is a multi–agency team of professionals delivering a child–centred approach to a vast spectrum of social, emotional, criminal, psychological and health needs to ultimately reduce ‘at risk’ pupils from exclusion. The PDC educates pupils for two days per week over a half–term (six weeks) or full–term (12 weeks) period of intervention. Pupils are referred to the PDC by headteachers from nine first schools and four middle schools in the town of Blyth. Referred pupils generally have social and emotional behavioural issues. The PDC is a nurture–based classroom. It houses eight PCs and an interactive whiteboard, and has several teaching desks. In addition there is a fitted kitchen, dining table and cooking facilities which are used to enrich the alternative Every Child Matters curriculum. The PDC has its own minibus transport which is used to educate pupils off–site. This helps motivate and develop career aspirations as well as broadening knowledge of the local environment. On the three remaining days, pupils work with a member of staff from the PDC in their host school in developing classroom–coping strategies that have been taught and practised in the PDC.
Key factors that motivated the intervention Child C was referred to the PDC by her headteacher. There were many issues that seemed to be emerging, although the initial referral was to support Child C as she had been the victim of bullying in school and in the neighbourhood. Other issues that emerged were:
• • • • • • •
bedwetting and foul smell persistent head lice lateness and non–attendance at school truanting lessons within the school day unhappy and emotional stealing other pupils’ sandwiches from the cloakroom lying
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
© Crown copyright 2009
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
• • • • • • •
3
stealing from pupils vision (squint) a bright girl, but because of attendance issues falling behind academically at school mother with SEN father with criminal record Social Services were aware of family in need Child C was carer for ineffective parents and younger twin siblings.
Brief description of the intervention Bedwetting and foul smell PDC staff visited the family home and taught the mother about the importance of washing linen on a daily basis. Bedwetting was addressed by the BEST school nurse who arranged for the parents to join an enuresis clinic.
Poor presentation, persistent head lice Child C felt victimised and bullied for her dirty and smelly clothing. PDC manager treated Child C’s hair for head lice and arranged to treat, cut and style the hair of all other members of the family including the twins.
Lateness and non–attendance at school Child C was truanting lessons within the school day. The PDC liaised with the BEST education welfare officer who worked with her mother to produce a plan that involved taking the twins to a breakfast club earlier so that she could take Child C to school on time. During the intervention staff collected Child C from home to bring her to the PDC.
Unhappy and emotional Child C was often tearful in the early stages of the intervention. She felt that she had no friends because she had ‘nits’ and dandruff. She was stealing other pupils’ sandwiches from the cloakroom and was involved in petty theft at home as well as stealing pens and pencils from pupils. The PDC were able to outline to the BEST police officer some of their concerns regarding the reports received from school and the family about theft. The police officer worked closely with Child C in a sequence of one–one sessions. He was able to instil in her the importance of honesty, and the consequences of theft. It emerged that sandwiches had been stolen because Child C had no lunch and that pens and pencils had been stolen as a result of poor organisational skills. The issue was addressed by the PDC.
© Crown copyright 2009
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
4
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
Lying The police officer addressed issues of truth and honesty in his teaching sessions. Lessons would often take place over a shared breakfast or at lunchtimes. Child C (as well as others) had become used to being very defensive. Often her first response was to say ‘It wasn’t me’ regardless of the truth.
Vision (squint) PDC staff observed a slight squint, and requested advice from the BEST school nurse.
A bright girl, but falling behind academically at school The PDC uses a triangulation book (home–school diary). It was evident that attendance was a factor. Some days Child C was avoiding school to help her mother look after younger siblings.
Mother with SEN, father with criminal record It became apparent that Child C’s parents had very weak literacy, numeracy and social skills. The PDC worked closely with the parent support partner to identify a package of support to engage the family.
Social Services intervention For several years Child C had been the ‘organiser’ and ‘carer’ in the family. After the PDC raised awareness, the Social Services placed all the children in the family on the ‘At Risk’ register.
Outcomes of support Child C is attending school every day and her mother has applied to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to be checked so that she can work as a volunteer helper with children.
Future plans Pupil support in the short term The parent support partner has secured additional volunteer training for Child C’s mother. The intention is to have a repeat intervention with Child C next term to monitor and evaluate her progression in terms of raised self–esteem.
Long–term future of PDC Northumberland County Council has recently agreed to fund the PDC for a year until August 2009. The future of the PDC beyond that date is uncertain. Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance, The Personal Development Centre, Blyth, Northumberland. Used with kind permission.
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
© Crown copyright 2009
Disclaimer The Department for Children, Schools and Families wishes to make it clear that the Department and its agents accept no responsibility for the actual content of any materials suggested as information sources in this publication, whether these are in the form of printed publications or on a website. In these materials, icons, logos, software products and websites are used for contextual and practical reasons. Their use should not be interpreted as an endorsement of particular companies or their products. The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of going to print. Please check all website references carefully to see if they have changed and substitute other references where appropriate.
Audience: Local authority attendance leads, behaviour and attendance consultants, school attendance leads Date of issue: 03-2009 Ref: 00180-2009PDF-EN-06 Copies of this publication may be available from: www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications You can download this publication and obtain further information at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2009 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party. For any other use please contact [email protected] www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm
2
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
The Personal Development Centre, Blyth, Northumberland Focus of case study A case study to demonstrate the advantage of multi-agency intervention to improve individual pupil attendance from the Personal Development Centre (PDC) in Blyth, Northumberland.
Local authority (LA)/school profile The PDC is a purpose-built classroom located in a building (formerly a school) in the centre of Blyth. It is co-located with the Blyth Education Support Team (BEST), which is a multi–agency team of professionals delivering a child–centred approach to a vast spectrum of social, emotional, criminal, psychological and health needs to ultimately reduce ‘at risk’ pupils from exclusion. The PDC educates pupils for two days per week over a half–term (six weeks) or full–term (12 weeks) period of intervention. Pupils are referred to the PDC by headteachers from nine first schools and four middle schools in the town of Blyth. Referred pupils generally have social and emotional behavioural issues. The PDC is a nurture–based classroom. It houses eight PCs and an interactive whiteboard, and has several teaching desks. In addition there is a fitted kitchen, dining table and cooking facilities which are used to enrich the alternative Every Child Matters curriculum. The PDC has its own minibus transport which is used to educate pupils off–site. This helps motivate and develop career aspirations as well as broadening knowledge of the local environment. On the three remaining days, pupils work with a member of staff from the PDC in their host school in developing classroom–coping strategies that have been taught and practised in the PDC.
Key factors that motivated the intervention Child C was referred to the PDC by her headteacher. There were many issues that seemed to be emerging, although the initial referral was to support Child C as she had been the victim of bullying in school and in the neighbourhood. Other issues that emerged were:
• • • • • • •
bedwetting and foul smell persistent head lice lateness and non–attendance at school truanting lessons within the school day unhappy and emotional stealing other pupils’ sandwiches from the cloakroom lying
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
© Crown copyright 2009
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
• • • • • • •
3
stealing from pupils vision (squint) a bright girl, but because of attendance issues falling behind academically at school mother with SEN father with criminal record Social Services were aware of family in need Child C was carer for ineffective parents and younger twin siblings.
Brief description of the intervention Bedwetting and foul smell PDC staff visited the family home and taught the mother about the importance of washing linen on a daily basis. Bedwetting was addressed by the BEST school nurse who arranged for the parents to join an enuresis clinic.
Poor presentation, persistent head lice Child C felt victimised and bullied for her dirty and smelly clothing. PDC manager treated Child C’s hair for head lice and arranged to treat, cut and style the hair of all other members of the family including the twins.
Lateness and non–attendance at school Child C was truanting lessons within the school day. The PDC liaised with the BEST education welfare officer who worked with her mother to produce a plan that involved taking the twins to a breakfast club earlier so that she could take Child C to school on time. During the intervention staff collected Child C from home to bring her to the PDC.
Unhappy and emotional Child C was often tearful in the early stages of the intervention. She felt that she had no friends because she had ‘nits’ and dandruff. She was stealing other pupils’ sandwiches from the cloakroom and was involved in petty theft at home as well as stealing pens and pencils from pupils. The PDC were able to outline to the BEST police officer some of their concerns regarding the reports received from school and the family about theft. The police officer worked closely with Child C in a sequence of one–one sessions. He was able to instil in her the importance of honesty, and the consequences of theft. It emerged that sandwiches had been stolen because Child C had no lunch and that pens and pencils had been stolen as a result of poor organisational skills. The issue was addressed by the PDC.
© Crown copyright 2009
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
4
The National Strategies Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance
Lying The police officer addressed issues of truth and honesty in his teaching sessions. Lessons would often take place over a shared breakfast or at lunchtimes. Child C (as well as others) had become used to being very defensive. Often her first response was to say ‘It wasn’t me’ regardless of the truth.
Vision (squint) PDC staff observed a slight squint, and requested advice from the BEST school nurse.
A bright girl, but falling behind academically at school The PDC uses a triangulation book (home–school diary). It was evident that attendance was a factor. Some days Child C was avoiding school to help her mother look after younger siblings.
Mother with SEN, father with criminal record It became apparent that Child C’s parents had very weak literacy, numeracy and social skills. The PDC worked closely with the parent support partner to identify a package of support to engage the family.
Social Services intervention For several years Child C had been the ‘organiser’ and ‘carer’ in the family. After the PDC raised awareness, the Social Services placed all the children in the family on the ‘At Risk’ register.
Outcomes of support Child C is attending school every day and her mother has applied to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to be checked so that she can work as a volunteer helper with children.
Future plans Pupil support in the short term The parent support partner has secured additional volunteer training for Child C’s mother. The intention is to have a repeat intervention with Child C next term to monitor and evaluate her progression in terms of raised self–esteem.
Long–term future of PDC Northumberland County Council has recently agreed to fund the PDC for a year until August 2009. The future of the PDC beyond that date is uncertain. Case study: Multi-agency working and attendance, The Personal Development Centre, Blyth, Northumberland. Used with kind permission.
00180-2009PDF-EN-06
© Crown copyright 2009
Disclaimer The Department for Children, Schools and Families wishes to make it clear that the Department and its agents accept no responsibility for the actual content of any materials suggested as information sources in this publication, whether these are in the form of printed publications or on a website. In these materials, icons, logos, software products and websites are used for contextual and practical reasons. Their use should not be interpreted as an endorsement of particular companies or their products. The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of going to print. Please check all website references carefully to see if they have changed and substitute other references where appropriate.
Audience: Local authority attendance leads, behaviour and attendance consultants, school attendance leads Date of issue: 03-2009 Ref: 00180-2009PDF-EN-06 Copies of this publication may be available from: www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications You can download this publication and obtain further information at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2009 Published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial research, education or training purposes on the condition that the source is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party. For any other use please contact [email protected] www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm
