Children with a social worker (CWSW)

The government’s Child In Need review, published in 2019, raised that education and life outcomes for children with or previously with a social worker, were statistically far poorer than for those children who had never had a social worker. Barriers to learning for this cohort were also identified in this review.

Consequently, the role of Virtual Schools across the country was extended to include all children with a social worker, in September 2021. These additional duties do not replicate the statutory requirements we hold or the direct work we conduct for promoting the education of Children in Care (CiC). Instead, these are strategic duties, requiring us to promote the educational outcomes of the cohort of children with a social worker and those who have previously had a social worker, who are aged from 0 up to 18. This cohort comprises children and young people on a Child in Need (CIN) plan, a Child Protection (CP) plan, and those who have been on a CIN or CP plan within the last six years.

Our duties around promoting the education of children with a social worker are currently non-statutory and outlined here: Promoting the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care arrangements: virtual school head role extension - GOV.UK.