The Virtual School and College for BCP Council has a statutory duty to monitor and oversee the quality of education provision for children and young people in care and is committed to raising the educational attainment of all children and young people in care including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

This is achieved through:

• the early identification of special educational needs using a range of assessment tools and resources
• assisting educational professionals to ensure that the correct level and type of intervention is in place for each child or young person in care within a graduated approach
• ensuring that all support and interventions are effectively meeting the child’s special educational needs and supporting progress or attainment

Children and young people in the care system have a range of special educational needs, from an SENSENSpecial Educational Needs is a term which refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. Support level to those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCPEHCPA legal document that describes a child or young person's special educational, health and social care needs. It explains the extra help that will be given to meet those needs and how that help will support the child or young person to achieve what they want to in their life.). As such, education will be provided in a range of mainstream and specialist settings and could include alternative provision. The Virtual School and College works with all education settings and other departments in the council and health, to help schools fulfil their duties set out in the Equality Act 2010Equality Act 2010The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act,making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone., the Children and Families Act 2014Children and Families Act 2014The act came into force on 1st September 2014. Part 3 of the Act sets out the law on Special Educational Needs and DisabilityDisabilityA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities.. The Act is supported by the SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of PracticeCode of PracticeA document that explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.  : 0 – 25 Years. and the SEND Code of PracticeCode of PracticeA document that explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.   2015. We do this through:

• appointing one of our team to fulfil the role of Lead Teacher for Inclusion and enabling them to act as a source of professional advice or challenge
• providing a range of courses and networks for professional development that includes training, videos, workshops, networks or forums and presentations
• targeted support that meets the needs of children and young people in care especially if they move schools or colleges suddenly or unexpectedly
• offering advice and challenge to ensure the needs of children and young people are aligned with the support of offer and accessed

The Virtual School and College want to ensure that all Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) schools feel supported and that they have an inclusive culture. They also foster relationships with other agencies working within the field of SEND, including local groups and national organisations.

For those children and young people attending educational establishments outside BCP we work closely with other Virtual Schools in those areas to support their inclusive policies and practice.

When a child or young person with SEND comes into care, the Virtual School and College liaise with the Designated Teacher and SENCOSENCOThe SENCO is responsible for coordinating provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Those are children or young people who need more help than is normally available to pupils of the same age.  in the education provision and the social worker to arrange a meeting to complete the first Personal Education Plan (PEP) as part of the Care Plan within 10 working days and to be available in time for the first Children in Care Review.

Children in Care with Complex Health and DisabilitiesDisabilitiesA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities.:

The Child Health and Disabilities Team (CHAD) are a specialist team of Social Workers and Family Support Practitioners whose core purpose is to provide a service to children with disabilities (from 0 to 18 years) and their families. A child or young person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities' (the DisabilityDisabilityA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities. Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995) and are lifelong life limiting.

The Child Health and DisabilitiesDisabilitiesA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities. Team (CHADCHADThe Child Health and DisabilityDisabilityA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities. (CHAD) team provides tailored, focused support for families where there is a child with a severe disability, to empower the family to function effectively.) offers specialist support to children when there is a combination of factors related to a disability or health condition, the family's ability to cope and the resources available to the family. Our priority aim is to ensure the child develops to their full potential and is free from harm, neglect and abuse.Most of the children we work with have multiple disabilities and health conditions that result in them having exceptional care needs.

There are times when children being supported by the CHADCHADThe Child Health and DisabilityDisabilityA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities. (CHAD) team provides tailored, focused support for families where there is a child with a severe disability, to empower the family to function effectively. Team come into the care of the LA under Section 20 or a Care Order. This is when they move into foster care or a residential placement subject to parents signing section 20.

When a child or young person with complex health needs and disabilities comes into care, the Virtual School will monitor and support them and their education provision in partnership with the CHADCHADThe Child Health and DisabilityDisabilityA physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual’s ability to do normal daily activities. (CHAD) team provides tailored, focused support for families where there is a child with a severe disability, to empower the family to function effectively. team. However, although the statutory requirement for PEP meetings is relevant, in carrying out their role, the Virtual School are mindful of the pressures that families of children and young people with complex needs face and make every effort to minimise the number of meetings required by combining meetings with those requested by other professionals.