Designated Teacher Guidebook
Care Matters Partnership is pleased to present the Designated Teacher Guidebook, a comprehensive toolkit for giving children in care the best educational start in life where they can fulfill their true potential.
This book offers an in depth understanding of the role of designated teachers and their statutory duties; as well as extensive information about educational attainment, the care system and the challenges commonly faced by children and young people in care. The guide situates the designated teacher amongst other actors involved in education and care, and gives concise information on multi-agency involvement and information sharing. This means that designated teachers can fulfil their role competently and confidently, act as an advocate and source of information for other actors within the school, and provide the best possible joined-up support to the children under their care.
This resource has been designed so that both new and more experienced designated teachers can understand their role and what responsibilities they hold to the child or young person, and expand their knowledge and skills base so that they can improve attainment as effectively as possible - including different skills for primary and secondary level interventions, and for working with particular groups.
The guidebook presents a well rounded picture of the role of the designated teacher based upon analysis of current legislation, recent statistics and research, and the insights of professionals and looked after children themselves. It provides the theory for those in the field to understand the barriers to good learning outcomes that looked after children face, and the practical advice to ensure real progress. This is supported by a variety of resources including evidence based interventions, case studies, best practice examples, tips, resources and appendices.
Editorial Team
- Matthew Huggins: CEO of CMP
- Clive Grimshaw: Head of Policy & Research CMP
- Liz Cheesbrough: Researcher
- James Hall: Researcher
Academic Advisor
- Professor Bob Broad: Academic & Research Director
Bob Broad is Professor of Children and Families Research at London South Bank University, and a Visiting Professor at Leicester DeMontfort University. His published research interests include children and young people looked after by local authorities, young people leaving care, kinship care and grandparenting.
Peer Review Team
- Nick Peacy: Institute of Education
- Margery Brooke-Williams: LACES Manager, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- Marc Austin: Deputy Head Teacher and Designated Teacher
- David Cohen: Writer, Documentary Maker, Publisher
The book brings together the latest in legislation, best practice examples and tips and resources including:
- The latest knowledge of the Statutory Duties, the competencies and skills required to meet those duties and best practice job descriptions, person specifications and professional development plans
- Understanding of child protection, safeguarding, children with mental health issues, asylum seeking children, managing challenging behaviour, children with special educational needs and other specialist areas
- Understanding the looked after children system and the professionals and stakeholders involved around the child
- Understanding the issues looked after children face, including reasons for being in care, barriers to attainment and attendance and the views and feelings of looked after children about what would best help them in education
- The latest breakdown of relevant research and ‘what you need to know’ to understand raising educational attainment and attendance of looked after children
- Liaising and communicating effectively with social care professionals including working with foster carers and residential care workers
- Working with and communicating effectively with looked after children and young people
- Understanding and supporting the transitions through the key stages and onto further and higher education
- Supporting your colleagues and the school to develop a culture of high aspirations for looked after children and young people
- Preventing exclusions and the build up to school placement breakdowns
- Understanding the support systems in place for looked after children including the Personal Education Plan, Personal Education Allowance and the Virtual School
- Many more examples of best practice and viewpoints from other professionals and children and young people
Insert quote from Marc Austin
Insert quote from Professor Sonia Jackson
Do you have a review for the Designated Teacher Guidebook? To give us your feedback personally or for publication on our website contact Clare Wenham.
CMP offers expert advise and delivery of training programmes for virtual school staff, designated teachers and schools. For more information about this explore our training options on the website or contact Clare Wenham.
Online Resources
Complementing this guidebook is a micro-site of unique online resources to support the knowledge and professional development of the Designated Teacher role. These resources will be constantly updated with video interviews, tips and best practice examples as well as blogs from Designated Teachers. You can sign up for the online resources here.