Children living in kinship care arrangements are doing so because they are no longer able to live with their birth parent/s. These exceptional circumstances can often have a lasting impact on the child, particularly in school. The emotional impact of their experiences is likely to have become significant barriers to their progress. It is important for schools and teachers to recognise that traumatic experiences in early childhood do not change overnight and that they play a pivotal role in supporting the academic, social and emotional needs of children living in kinship arrangements.
Education Plans for Kinship Care are an adaptation of Kent’s widely used Education Plan for Previously Looked After Children (EPPLAC).
The plan plays an important role within the EPKC meeting, enabling the young person’s voice to be central to the solution focussed structure of the meeting.
The purposes of these meetings are to:
- Encourage positive collaboration and communication between home and education provision
- Raise awareness of the needs and issues faced by children and their parents
- Review the support, interventions and progress of the child
- Identify unmet needs of the child
Guidance Education Plan for Children living in Kinship Care
Education Plan for Kinship Care
Review Education Plan for Kinship Care
Transition Arrangements for Kinship Care
Key Education Indicator Summary Form EYFS
Key Education Indicator Summary Form KS1
Key Education Indicator Summary Form KS2
Key Education Indicator Summary Form KS3&4
How can I ask for an EPKC meeting with my child’s school/early year provision?
The EPKC meeting can be initiated by either school/early year provision or carers. The EPKC forms explain how to structure the meeting. After the first meeting, carers and school/early year provision set a review date to see how the plans made at the EPKC meeting are going.
It would be advisable to arrange the first EPKC meeting after the last statutory meeting with the social worker (e.g. Child in Need or Child Protection Meeting).
Who organises and chairs the EPKC meeting?
Carers and the education setting decide together who will organise and chair the meeting along with who else to invite.
Does my child have to have an EPKC? Their school/early year provision don’t know that they are living under a Kinship arrangement.
EPKC meetings are a useful way to information share, problem solve and set targets for the future. If this is being achieved through other meetings, or you are happy with the support that your child is getting, then there is no need for further meetings. Alternatively, there may be other meetings already arranged that could be used as the EPKC meeting. In this case, it would be best practice to ensure that the ‘kinship element’ of their needs are recorded, either as part of the other meeting, or by completing the EPKC form so that outcomes can then be reviewed in the future.
Carers have emphasised that confidentiality is vital. The EPKC will only be used:
- If carers choose to identify their children as living in kinship care.
- And if carers wish an EPKC to be implemented.
I’m worried about having an EPKC because information may be shared unnecessarily – What can I do?
Please discuss your concerns with the education setting. Confidentiality regarding where records are kept will be discussed as part of the EPKC meeting.
Does the school/early years provision have to arrange an EPKC meeting if I ask them to?
It is not statutory; however current evaluations based on meetings for previously looked after children indicate that it is good practice and that schools/early years provisions value them.
My child already has a Provision Plan, Individual Education Plan, Education Health and Care Plan or a Pastoral Support Programme. Do we still have to have an EPKC?
This is for you and the school/early years provision to decide in discussion. Carers and schools/early years provisions have found that EPKC’s provide different information which is valuable in understanding the pupil’s strengths and needs. There is no reason why the EPKC meeting cannot coincide with the Support Review meetings as information will be relevant for both. By completing the EPKC forms, schools and carers have additional flexibility to review outcomes outside of the timescales of the other meetings.
Do Virtual School Kent need to be present at the EPKC Meeting?
No. VSK are an advisory service for children living in formal kinship arrangements. Often carers and schools do not require additional support during the meeting and prefer a phone consultation prior and post the meeting to discuss issues and outcomes.
If you would like to discuss your child’s schooling and issues you may be facing, please complete the initial contact form and one of the team will contact you.