Education Matters - May 2024

Dear Colleagues, 

I am delighted to have stepped into the role of Assistant Director of Education and Skills at the end of the spring term, and I am gaining a deeper knowledge of the excellent work taking place within settings across the County. As we progress through the remainder of the academic year, I look forward to celebrating our children and young people’s achievements, and the success of our colleagues who support them within their settings.

In this edition of Education Matters, we learn more about the experiences of Children We Care For, and how they are being supported across the County to achieve positive educational outcomes. The edition includes an introduction from Sarah Clark, Head of The Virtual School, which will provide an insight into the range of support offered by The West Sussex Virtual School. We will also hear from Carrie O’Rourke, Deputy Head of The Virtual School, on the importance of trauma-aware practice in settings, and how colleagues can effectively support children and young people.

We will also hear from the West Sussex Fostering team, who will explore the experiences of foster carers, discussing the #Ask1Person campaign and sharing one Foster Carer’s experience of fostering. Finally, Keith Gulliver, HR Policy Consultant, will share details of the upcoming changes to the West Sussex Fostering Friendly Policy, which is planned to be launched for Local Authority maintained settings from July 2024.

Thank you for the fantastic work that you do to support children and young people in West Sussex.

Best Wishes,

Claire Hayes, Assistant Director Education and Skills

Introducing The Virtual School

The Virtual School is an advocacy and advisory body within the Local Authority, working to improve outcomes for Children We Care For and children who have had a social worker or have experienced care. 

In this article, we hear from Sarah Clark, Head of The Virtual School, who provides us with a deeper insight into how The Virtual School can support colleagues, children and young people within your setting. 

Every child needs a family. Do you have room in yours? 

The number of children and young people coming into care each year has increased by 35% since 2018, which means that foster carers are needed now more than ever before.

In this article, Nikki Burch, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer in the Fostering team, shares information on how you can support fostering in West Sussex. Nikki discusses the positive experiences of foster carers, and the excellent work that they do to support children and young people in West Sussex. 

"I'd been thinking about it for a long time": Carole's experience of becoming a respite Foster Carer whilst working full-time

Carole has been a respite Foster Carer in West Sussex since 2022, and she has opened her home to several children during that time. She has fostered children of varying ages, and has found the experience to be positive and enjoyable. 

Carole thought about becoming a Foster Carer for a long time before she got in touch with the Local Authority's Fostering team. Carole has had an extensive career in education, working as a class teacher for many years before moving on to train teachers at a university. After moving back to West Sussex, Carole worked as the Lead Teacher for a Sure Start programme in Littlehampton before opening a children's centre in Findon and training as a counsellor.

The assessment for becoming a Foster Carer can appear daunting at first, especially as it involves a panel process. Carole's experience was positive overall, and she says that her social worker "explained the panel process clearly and it was a positive, enjoyable experience."

Carole says that fostering was a challenging adjustment at first: "On the day that my first young person was due to arrive, I was so nervous I couldn't speak!" Although she was nervous at first, Carole says that "one of the biggest surprises is that it can be a real laugh!"

Carole's story is a testament to the transformative effect that fostering can have on foster carers' lives. If you, or someone you know, can offer a child or young person stability, support and care, please click here to read our foster carers' stories.

For more information, please click here to join a free information session, or email the Fostering team via fostering@westsussex.gov.uk. 

The Virtual School: attachment-aware, trauma-responsive policy and practice

In this article, Carrie O'Rourke, Assistant Head of The Virtual School, explores the importance of trauma informed practice in settings. She discusses how colleagues in educational settings can access The Virtual School's training offer, which is delivered at no cost to settings, to ensure that they can meet the emotional needs of children and young people who have had Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). 

Fostering Friendly Policy: how the Local Authority is continuing to improve infrastructure for Foster Carers

West Sussex County Council has been recognised by The Fostering Network as a Fostering Friendly employer. As part of our work to be Fostering Friendly, the Council is continuing to improve the infrastructure in place to support foster carers and their fostered children and young people. 

In this article, Keith Gulliver, HR Policy Consultant, discusses the changes that the Local Authority has made so far, and the changes that are planned to roll out to maintained schools in July 2024. 

The Virtual School offers a variety of training courses to West Sussex settings. As mentioned in Carrie O'Rourke's article on trauma-aware practice, continued professional development can support colleagues to develop their professional understanding of children and young people's lived experiences and the best ways to support them. 

Visit The Virtual School's training and events page to view available training, including: 

• An introduction to Motivational Interviewing
• Primary: what makes a good PEP?
• Secondary and post-16: The impact of trauma: through the eyes of a child
• EYFS bite sized training: the same but different

These and many other courses are part of The Virtual School's training offer, which is delivered at no cost to West Sussex settings, and for delegates from outside the County who are supporting a child or young person within West Sussex. 

For more information about training and events, please email wsvs@westsussex.gov.uk.