Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Children’s Services which outlines the current law in regard to home education and the processes undertaken by Children’s Services in Leeds.

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report which outlined the current law in relation to home education and the processes undertaken by Children’s Services to support the local authority’s duties.

The following information was appended to the report:

-  Policy on Elective Home Education 2016 (Children being educated at home by parental choice)

-  Elective Home Education: One Minute Guide (October 2016)

-  Elective Home Education: Guidelines for Local Authorities.

The following were in attendance:

-  Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Executive Board Member (Children and Families)

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Board Member (Children and Families)

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer (Partnership Development and Business Support)

-  Andrea Richardson, Head of Services (Learning for Life)

-  Barbara Temple, Lead Officer for Home Education, Children’s Services

-  Elaine McShane, Head of Children’s Social Work, Children’s Services. 

The key areas of discussion were:

·  Clarification sought regarding the destinations of young people that had been home educated.  The Board was advised that legislation prevented the local authority maintaining a record of this information.

·  Clarification sought whether there was any data about particular cohorts of children that benefitted from home education.  The Board was advised that this was difficult to determine.

• Following a case described by Councillor Mulherin, the Board sought clarification about ensuring the voice of the child was heard and that they were given a choice. The Board was advised that children became home educated at different times for different reasons and that each case was unique. It was the parent’s choice to home educate. 
• The importance of ensuring a good standard of education for all young people.  The Board was advised that it was the local authority’s responsibility to ensure that children received the education that they were entitled to. It was the parent’s choice about what they considered to be a suitable education.  The local authority had no right of access to monitor the quality of education.
• The trend in the increase in home education. Clarification was sought about the reasons for the increase and why parents chose to home educate.  The Board was advised that parents were not obliged to disclose reasons for home education, however information was sought to try and provide the necessary support.
• The aim to develop relationships with parents rather than a regime of inspection.
• Social learning, isolation, the refusal of visits / access and safeguarding. The Board was advised that there were a number of agencies, particularly GP’s that engaged with children not in the school system. The nature of the law did not provide a right of access, a refusal of a visit was passed onto Social Care. However, without consent and evidence of risk of significant harm there were no grounds for going out to the family.
• The work of the Virtual Youth Council and the Voice and Influence Team in providing information and support to families.
• Access to extended and targeted services and access to CAMHS.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report and appendices, be noted

(b)  That the concerns raised by the Board be forwarded to Leeds Safeguarding Children Board

(c)  That the Board writes a letter to the Secretary of State for Education, outlining the Board’s concerns in relation to the legislation and the quality of education and intervention relating to home education.

(Mr A Graham left the meeting at 11.50am, Councillor K Renshaw at 12 noon, Ms C Foote at 12.25pm, Councillor C Gruen at 12.30pm, Ms L Nichols at 12.35pm and Councillor J Akhtar 12.40pm, during the consideration of this item.)