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Contents

1. Background
2. Timescales
3. Titles and Contacts

1. Background

From January to June 2010 The Virtual School for Looked After Children, Oxfordshire set up a task and finish group to examine the education of unaccompanied asylum seekers.  It was found that there were commonly delays of between 30 and 60 days in the admission of these young people to Oxfordshire Schools. There was no single reason but amongst the many contributory reasons were:

• Social worker not applying quickly for a place
• A built-in delay of 10 days, the maximum amount of time available to admissions officers for processing applications (if the social worker had not sent the form within 10 days this could mean that the legal minimum for admission already expired before the form was sent to the school).
• Challenges in appointing interpreters.
• Clarification by admissions officers needed about a child's details (form not completed sufficiently clearly or completely).
• Foster carers who commonly are not English mother tongue speakers, failing to understand arrangements for admissions interview.
• Administrative workload in schools.
• Child not put on roll by school until an English as a Second or Other Language beginners class is available.
• Child not put on roll by school until a language assessment has taken place.
• Disputes over age by the home office allowed to delay admission.

Where children were admitted within 20 days the following aspects were common factors:

• Social worker applied for place within a few days of child coming into care.
• Paperwork clear and place available in school.
• Good understanding by school of what risk constitutes and by social worker of information required.
• Quick responses by school and other parties to communications about meetings.
• Language assessed on admission.
• Interim timetable allocated for early days with high levels of in class and peer support.

It was recognised by the working group that the context was different between schools and that not all schools were managing an equal volume of UASC admissions.

Two actions were agreed:

• The drawing up of a protocol which would allow for transparent and synchronised approaches to communications between and actions by Local Authority officers and schools.
• The Virtual Headteacher would initiate a dialogue with senior staff in the three key schools to explore ways in which issues related to resources and uneven patterns of admission could be resolved constructively and fairly.
• Additional headteachers and officers were consulted and the process was completed on 28 July 2010.

2. Timescales

All references to officers are for the central area as this is where UASCs are admitted but protocol would apply to all three areas were a child to be placed in foster care in North or South.

School working days. Figures in brackets show time available for each action	Action	Responsibility
Day 1	Child taken into care.	Social Worker
Day 3 (4)	CAP form completed clearly naming 3 schools in order of preference, with accurate spelling of child's name and dates. Risk assessment attached. Admissions officers now check and act on these applications twice weekly. Standard email to Darren Utonagan (Social Inclusion Officer) with name of child and date of coming into care.	Family Support Worker Maria Rahimi or Social Worker (asylum) Michelle Hayden, (Children Looked After and Leaving Care Team)
Day 7 (4)	Name and school passed to Darren Utonagan who will refer the child to the In Year Fair Access Panel (IYFAP) who will credit the child to the designated school post hoc.  Allocation of the child to the school will not in any circumstances be delayed by waiting for a meeting by the panel. Risk Assessment, if appropriate to specified school by social worker.	Admissions officers: Oxford Academy - Richard Cave Oxford  School - Gavin Wardley Cheney School - Garry Hook St Gregory the Great School - Richard Cave* *And other officers as appropriate where other schools are involved
	If all 3 requested schools already have 3 students in the vulnerable categories placed by In Year Fair Access Panel, including those in care, over number in the National Curriculum Year group appropriate to age, the case must be referred by the admissions officer to Darren Utonagan, the Social Inclusion Officer and secretary to the In Year Fair Access Panel.	Admissions officer
Day 8 (1)	If necessary an alternative school is named by the Social Inclusion Officer who contacts Maria Rahimi by standard email. Maria Rahimi ensures that risk assessment is made available to school.	Darren Utonagan Maria Rahimi
Day 9 (1)	Maria Rahimi informs carers of allocation of alternative school.	Maria Rahimi
Day 20 (10)	Interpreters appointed to join the admissions interview if appropriate. Carers are kept fully informed. If appropriate, medical information is sent to the school. If available a language assessment is shared with the school.	Social worker
Day 20 (10)	Allocation of National Curriculum year as per age on initial social services assessment or in line with school policy.  If the child's age is under dispute by the home office this will not at any point be a reason to delay admission. Scheduling and completion of admission interview. Allocation of induction programme and initial timetable. Scheduling of language assessment, if this does not take place before admission it will take place within 5 days of admission. Admit the child	The school.  In all cases the overall responsibility for the admission belongs to the Designated Teacher for looked after children who will delegate aspects of the work as appropriate.
Day 21 (1)	If child is not on roll in a school and admitted, social worker will immediately notify Darren Utonagan. Darren Utonagan will place the child on roll	Social Worker Darren Utonagan

During reorganisation of the city the Diocese agreed to follow Oxfordshire Local Authority Admissions policies.

3. Titles and Contacts

Name	Post Title	Tel:
Neil Darlington	Service Manager for Admissions	01865815844
Darren Utonagan	Social Inclusion Officer, Central	01865 815138
Elishia Meade	Social Inclusion Officer, North	01865 810658
Sharon Oliver	Social Inclusion Officer, South	01865 816280
Caroline Dod	Senior Practitioner Social Care	01865 323179
Lucy Wawrzyniak	Secondary Co-ordinator, The Virtual School for Looked After Children	01865 256640
Maria Rahimi/Michelle Hayden	Family Support Worker and Social Worker (asylum)	01865 323057/ 01865 323056

End