1. Meeting of the Joint Consultative Forum - 26 February 2014 Alex Barr CEWO SELB/WELB and Pamela Woods CEWO BELB

2. The core activity of the education welfare service is to fulfil the board’s statutory duty of ensuring children and young people of compulsory school age benefit from full-time education through attendance at school or otherwise

3. (all tables and charts are extracted from ‘ATTENDANCE AT GRANT-AIDED PRIMARY, POST- PRIMARY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS 2011/12: DETAILED STATISTICS’ - Department of Education February 2013)

4. ELB % of Total Half Days Total Attended Total Not Attended Total Authorised Absence Total Unauthorised Absence BELB 93.26.84.42.4 WELB 92.77.34.23.0 NEELB 93.26.84.32.6 SEELB 92.77.34.82.5 SELB 93.26.84.22.6 Post -Primary Average 93.07.04.42.6

5. The EWS discharges the education and library boards statutory duties as set out in 2 key pieces of legislation

6. The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 Part V Article 45  45.—(1) ”The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise”  (2) The provisions of Schedule 13 shall apply to the enforcement of the provisions of paragraph (1) and a parent who contravenes the provisions of that Schedule shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the penalties provided by paragraph (4) of that Schedule.

7.  (1) Where a parent on whom a School Attendance Order had been served failed to comply with the requirements of the order or, subject to paragraph (3), where a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school failed to attend regularly at that school, the parent shall be guilty of an offence unless he proves that he is causing the child to receive, otherwise at school, efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have.  (2) A person guilty of an offence under sub-paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

8.  Article 55 —(1) ”On the application of any education and library board, the court may make an order putting the child with respect to whom the application is made under the supervision of a designated education and library board”

9. The Education Welfare Service promotes the participation of children and young people in beneficial education through a partnership and inclusive approach.

10. CEWO DCEWO Child Protection DCEWO Child Protection DCEWO Child Protection DCEWO EWS Operations SEWO Team of EWOs SEWO Team of EWOs SEWO Team of EWOs SEWO Team of EWOs Administrative Staff

11.  Since 1 April 2000 single entrance criteria of professional social work qualification  Every school has a named EWO  Work as part of locality based teams  Intervention on an individual, family, group, class or whole school basis

12. 3 KEY STRANDS  Core Statutory work of EWS  Ear- marked funded activities of specialist support  Child Protection work

13.  Non-attendance at school  Medical  Emotional Behavioural Difficulties  Child Protection  Domestic Violence  Special Educational Needs  Child Employment  Looked after Children  School Aged Mothers  Newcomer Families  School Placements  Suspensions and Expulsions  Individual Support  Family Support  School support

14.  Referral at >85%  Initial assessment – UNOCINI Assessment Framework  Plan of action  Review  Close or further intervention  Review  Education Planning Meeting ( EPM)  Review EPM  Decision regarding legal action  Magistrates Court / Family Proceedings Court

15.  School Attendance Orders  Education Supervision order – Family Proceedings Court  Parent Prosecution – Magistrates / Youth Courts

17. Traditionally  Lower levels of attendance  Earlier finishing  Low level of success at public examinations  Little engagement in Third level education

18. EWS  Referrals from schools  Transition work funded by Neighbourhood Renewal via DSD  Refer to TESS TESS  School support  Working with parents  Transitions  Assisting with careers advice  E-learning

19. To ensure young people of school age who are pregnant or have children have equal access to educational opportunities enjoyed by all young people and have the support required to enable them to access education.

20. Getting an education is important to young mothers High proportions of young mothers leave school around the time they give birth Young mothers benefit from additional support, including access to childcare Younger women have a very low take up rate of antenatal services Young women have difficulty in accessing appropriate and accurate information on a range of issues including contraception, antenatal care and health services.

21. The programme provides young women with advice and support that will help them to make informed decisions about how they want to continue their education. The service can also assist young women to find out about:  Assistance with childcare to enable them to continue their education  Antenatal care  Healthcare  Benefits Advice  Personal and social development  Careers advice  Parenting skills and childcare  Peer Support - Group work sessions with other young women in the same situation are held regularly. These events include baby massage, parenting, first aid and fun activities.

22. What does research tell us? Teenage mothers are less likely to:  Finish their education and get a job Teenage mothers are more likely to:  Come from deprived areas  Depend on benefits and live in poverty Their children are more likely to:  Experience poor health and poverty  Become the teenage parents of the next generation  Teenage parenthood can be the cause and consequence of cycles of disadvantage

23. The following are some quotes from people who have been in this situation: “It’s hard enough coping with finding out you are pregnant, rather than worrying about how other people will react towards you”

24. “You can really loose your confidence after having a child and it’s hard enough to go back to school – it takes time to get back on your feet”

25.  The SAM Programme works with young pregnant women and young parents in mainstream education aged 11 – 19 years old  The Programme worked with 47 young women last year School14 Further Education Higher Level 12 7 Higher Education (University) 4 Year Out2 Employment Training 1313 Other ( incl. F/T parent)3 Not Known1

26.  Invisible Children and Young People  Heavy caring responsibilities  Wellbeing  Impact on attendance  Impact on attainment

27.  Assessment  Support  Advice to Schools  Referral

28. Joint work with Barnardo’s Young Carers Scheme  Capacity Building for Teachers  Raise awareness of Young Carers  Increase knowledge of supports for Young Carers

29.  “Care Matters in Northern Ireland – a Bridge to a Better Future”  A specific multi agency team set up to support educational opportunities for children who are looked after  Delivers services across the BHSCT/ SEHSCT  EWO’s from BELB/SEELB, social worker from BHSCT, LAC Tutors and LAC youth worker  10 Residential units ( 6 BHSCT,4 SEHCT, 3 ISU’s)

30.  Ministerial Task Force  Education support enhanced  Dedicated service in BELB  One stop shop  Provision of literature re education  Support with school placement  Signposting to other supports  Support to schools

31.  Management different across all boards  BELB Education Options Panel  Monitored on a monthly basis  Advice and Support to schools re compliance  Consultation meetings  Expulsions Committee  School placements  EOTAS ( Education otherwise than at school )

32. Questions? Thank You