Supporting young people leaving care in Scotland: regulations and guidance

Regulations and Guidance on Services for Young People Ceasing to be Looked After by Local Authorities

ANNEX B: Partnership Agreement with Careers Scotland

This Partnership Agreement is between Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service.

1.0 It refers to young people under the age of 21 who are, or have been looked after by the local authority.

Every young person in Scotland matters. Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring social justice for all. Their vision is of a Scotland in which every young person has the opportunities, skills and support to make a successful transition to working life and active citizenship.

Research indicates care leavers are particularly vulnerable when making the transition from school to post school provision. Many leave school with no formal qualifications and find it difficult to move successfully into further/higher education, training or employment.

Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service are committed to work together in partnership to help improve the educational attainment and outcomes (further/higher education, training and employment) of care leavers.

This Partnership Agreement reflects the aim of both organisations to strengthen existing joint services offered to care leavers in ( ).

The Partnership Agreement will be incorporated into the area Services Plans for Children and Young People, in keeping with the aim of promoting a unified and coherent approach to delivery of services.

2.0 Aims:

2.1 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service, along with other relevant services of the Council, will work together in an integrated manner to achieve a seamless transition for care leavers into adulthood. Each agency aims to make this transition a positive experience for these young people.

2.2 This Partnership Agreement reflects the desire of each agency to strengthen existing services and joint working arrangements.

2.3 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service are committed to working together to improve outcomes for young people who have been looked after. This agreement relates to supporting care leavers to progress successfully into appropriate education, training and employment opportunities.

3.0 Duties and Responsibilities:

3.1 Local Authority Duties:

In terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a service which prepares young people who have been looked after for the transition to independent living and to support them through that process and beyond.

Priority (in terms of legislation and vulnerability) is given to:

• Young people who are or have been Looked After and Accommodated by a local authority under the age of 21 years
• Young people who are or have been Looked After by the local authority under the age of 19 years.

The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, Section 73, amends the Children (Scotland) Act and introduces regulatory provision of throughcare and aftercare. Local authorities will be required to carry out a needs assessment of all care leavers, and must meet the young person's identified needs under specific Regulations and Guidance. In addition, local authorities will have new financial responsibilities for Care Leavers under Section 6 of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.

3.2 Careers Scotland Duties:

Careers Scotland will work in partnership with ( ) Council Social Work Service, and other relevant Services of the Council, to assist them in meeting the above responsibilities by providing a quality service that meets individual need in relation to career advice, guidance and support.

The Education and Training Act 1973, as amended by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993, places a duty on the Scottish Executive to secure the provision of a careers guidance and placing service to young people in schools and colleges.

Careers Scotland has embraced the recommendations of the Beattie Committee to offer the support to young people, including those who have been looked after and accommodated, who may have particular difficulty making the transition from school. This support can be provided by an appropriate member of Careers Scotland staff.

4.0 ( ) Council Social Work Service agree to the following:

4.1 ( ) Council Social Work Service will provide Careers Scotland with:

• Relevant details of all young people who are looked after at least 3 months prior to their statutory school leaving date. This information will include placement details, assigned social worker/Pathway Co-ordinator, DOB, school, NI number (if known) and legislative status and any other information pertinent to the placing of the young person in education, employment or training.
• A copy of relevant sections of the young person's Pathway Assessment, where appropriate and with the young person's permission.

4.2 ( ) Council Social Work Service will apply for a NI number for those young people who have not yet been allocated or advised of their number.

4.3 ( ) Council Social Work Service will invite the appropriate person from the Careers Scotland Team to participate in child care reviews, where post school options are being discussed.

4.4 ( ) Council Social Work Service will ensure that all relevant careers guidance information is incorporated into a young person's care plan and Pathway plan.

4.5 ( ) Council Social Work Service will provide, on request, with the young person's agreement, appropriate financial information to Careers Scotland to enable them to discuss with the young person the financial implications of any educational, employment or training options they are considering.

5.0 Careers Scotland agree to the following:

5.1 Careers Scotland will provide a named Adviser for each young person who is looked after. If the young person is attending school, this will be the school based Adviser or Key Worker. If the young person has left school, this will be an Adviser working in the local Careers Scotland Centre, with additional support offered by a Key Worker, as appropriate and available.

5.2 Careers Scotland will offer each care leaver expert, impartial and realistic career planning support operated in the spirit and practice of equal opportunities. Particular regard will be paid to the career planning support required by young people identified as having additional support needs.

5.3 The Careers Scotland named Adviser will provide the young person and their Social Worker/ Pathway Co-ordinator with a copy of the person's Career Plan of Action or "Learning and Work" section of Pathway Plan and any relevant supporting information. Any provision of information to a 3rd party will be with the young person's permission

5.4 The relevant Careers Scotland Adviser will attend and contribute to child care reviews, as appropriate.

5.5 The Careers Scotland Adviser will provide ( ) Council Social Work Service with relevant financial information, on request, to allow them to calculate levels of payment where the young person is affected by the relevant regulations.

5.6 The Careers Scotland Adviser will encourage the young person to make use of the range of Careers Scotland products and services on an ongoing basis where appropriate.

6.0 Joint Agreement:

6.1 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service will encourage each young person to sign an agreement allowing appropriate information to be transferred between the organisations.

6.2 All relevant information will be shared, subject to the agreement of the young person.

6.3 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service will work together to agree and provide aftercare support for care leavers.

6.4 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service will seek to train staff on a joint basis as far as possible.

6.5 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service are both required to provide the Scottish Executive with statistical returns in relation to young care leavers. Both organisations agree to share the appropriate information required for these returns of young people affected by the new local authority duties. In particular Social Work Service will advise Careers Scotland of the young people affected by the new duties, and Careers Scotland will provide statistical information on their employment, education and training outcomes.

6.6 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service will inform their counterparts in other authorities/areas where a young person moves, or intends to move to that area. Written information will follow, on request and with the young person's permission.

6.7 Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service will assist each other in meeting targets set by the Scottish Executive for young people affected by the new duties.

7.0 Monitoring and Evaluation:

7.1 ( ) Council Social Work Service and Careers Scotland will agree targets for outcomes for care leavers on an annual basis.

7.2 The work of Careers Scotland and ( ) Council Social Work Service in relation to young care leavers will be monitored through a local Working Group. This Group will consider appropriate methods of evaluating outcomes, and seek ongoing improvements in the longer term.

7.3 Regular joint meetings will take place between the Lead Officer or implementation officer for Social Work Leaving Care Services and the local Inclusion Manager/ Co-ordinator for Careers Scotland, with a view to agreeing priority areas for development and ensuring quality of service, in accordance with each organisation's quality management systems.

7.4 This agreement will be reviewed on a 6 monthly basis.

8.0 Agreement:

Careers Scotland

Name:

Position:

Signature: Date

( ) Council

Name: Position:

Signature: Date