Case Studies

Identifying a family’s needs helps improve attendance

Children’s names have been changed

Frank, Year 2, was referred to the WPA Education Welfare Officer because he and his sister Jenny had a number of unauthorised absences.

Frank is hearing impaired and his mother has schizophrenia. Frank’s attendance was 90% in March 2017 and the school felt the family needed extra support.

The family was living in a one-bedroom flat given to the mother by the local authority before she had children. The local authority had never rehoused her despite her marrying and having two children. The children shared a bed and the parents slept in the living room.

As Jenny reached puberty things had become more and more difficult. Her mother also suffered severe mood swings which were made worse by the strain of their living conditions.

The Education Welfare Officer completed an Early Help Referral Form and also informed a local housing association of the situation. After over a year of supporting the family both formally and informally (through conversations in the school reception and phone calls) the family were moved to a three-bedroom house and are now very happy.

Franks attendance today is at 97% and Jenny’s is 98%. By identifying the family’s needs and providing extra support, particularly in relation to the mother’s mental ill health, we were able to work with the housing association to improve their situation.

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk

Better health and better attendance for Amy

Children’s names have been changed

Amy was enjoying Reception but often missing lessons because of coughs and chest infections.

The WPA Education Welfare Officer (EWO) invited the parents in for a meeting, where she learned that mould and damp in the family’s home was the cause of Amy’s ill health.

The parents had a letter from the family GP who agreed that the damp and mould were damaging Amy’s health and showed the EWO photos of the child’s bedroom, which she shared with a younger sibling. 

The EWO wrote to the housing provider saying that the GP had confirmed that the condition of the accommodation was having a negative effect on Amy’s health and that this was also causing poor school attendance.

The parents attended a review meeting and said that, as a result of the letters sent by the EWO and the GP, the housing provider had made some repairs to the building and also re-decorated. There was no longer mould and damp at the property and Amy was no longer suffering from recurring chest infections. The parents were very happy with the outcome, as were the school because Amy’s attendance improved.

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk

Bishop family get the support they need

Children’s names have been changed

Children in the Bishop family had a history of poor school attendance. There are five children: one above school age, one who is pre-school, two siblings at primary school and one at secondary. 

The mother is a lone parent and has a health issues which she said prevented her from being able to take her children to school, because she was in pain.

The WPA Education Welfare Officer (EWO) arranged a series of home visits because the mum said she was unable to get in to the school for meetings.

On one home visit the EWO felt very concerned because she observed things that made her feel that the children were at risk. The EWO phoned the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) team who advised her to phone the police, which she did.

A welfare visit took place and a social care referral was also completed, and the children were placed on a Child Protection Plan.

The members of the core group, which included the EWO, have worked with the family to improve the home life for the children. This has had a positive impact on their school attendance, which has more than doubled since the last academic year.

Had it not been for the home visit, some of the issues faced by the children would have gone unnoticed and could have caused considerable harm to them.

The sibling at secondary school had been self-harming as a coping strategy and so the EWO made a referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The girl has now started to take part in a support group which is helping her to reduce her anxiety and improve her coping skills.

The mother is also engaging with the Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme and getting the support she needs to improve her own mental health and provide a stable and nurturing home for her children.

There continues to be regular discussion with the other agencies involved and regular core group meetings to discuss progress and to ensure that the appropriate support is in place. The children are now thriving at school.

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk

Seema’s Attendance Improvement Plan gets results

Children’s names have been changed

Seema, Year 10, had several sessions of unauthorised absence in a six-week period, which followed on from attendance issues in Year 9.

The reasons given for absence were varied, including refusing to come to school. Seema, who has diabetes, also took time off school for medical appointments, though the absences for medical reasons were not supported by any medical evidence.

The WPA Education Welfare Officer (EWO) invited the parents, who live separately, in for a meeting. The mother telephoned to explain she could not attend, but the father did.

At the meeting the EWO and father agreed an Attendance Improvement Plan. This is a voluntary agreement between the Education Welfare Officer, the parent and also the pupil, if present. It sets out specific actions intended to achieve and maintain improved attendance.

In the plan the reasons for Seema’s absence were discussed. They centred on the management of the pupil’s medical condition and the impact this was having on attendance and academic performance. The family were not being truthful about the control of the condition and were allowing Seema to dictate when she attended school.

The parents agreed that communication with the school nurse would be more regular, including the student checking in with the school nurse to check her blood sugar levels each day.

Issues between the mum and dad had also added to the number of absences. This subject was broached at the meeting and the dad agreed a method for communicating absences. The student had suffered from low mood so the EWO also arranged for sessions with the school counsellor.

A Team Around the Child meeting was arranged with an invite extended to the school nurse, the Year Pastoral Manager and the diabetic nurse working with Seema. At this meeting the management of Seema’s diabetes was agreed and attendance targets set. Seema’s attendance since the EWO’s intervention has risen by 3.32%.

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk

Helping Ali, Year 2, helps the whole family

Children’s names have been changed

Ali, Year 2, had attendance of 81% when he was referred to the WPA Education Welfare Officer (EWO) by his school.

The EWO met with Ali’s mother and learned she has six children and a husband who is living abroad and caring for his elderly father. Ali’s mother also has a three-year-old child who had needed major stomach surgery. She told the EWO she had been forced to take all of her children to the hospital appointments as there was no one else to look after them. She was also pregnant.

The family were living in B & B accommodation where they had to share a bathroom with other families despite the three-year-old’s chronic health condition.

The EWO submitted an early help referral which led to a TAF meeting being held. As the younger child’s condition was severe – he had to be kept in isolation in hospital at times – the EWO asked Great Ormond Street to write to the local authority regarding rehousing and the need for private sanitary conditions. 

The EWO also contacted the father and asked him to consider his family’s needs. The outcome was the family were rehoused in suitable accommodation with private bathroom facilities and the husband moved back in with his family.  Ali’s attendance improved to 88%.

A few months later Ali’s mother passed the EWO in the street and stopped her to thank her.  

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk

From persistent absence to attendance reward for Andrea

Childrens’ names have been changed.

Andrea, Year 9, goes from missing school regularly to winning her own attendance reward.

Andrea, Year 9, was referred to the WPA Education Welfare Officer by her school in Kent because her teachers were very concerned about Andrea’s unexplained absences which meant she was falling badly behind at school.

“The relationship between the school and parent had broken down,” explains Linda, one of our team of education welfare officers. “It made it difficult for the school to approach parents to discuss their concerns about Andrea’s frequent absences.”

Linda visited Andrea at home to talk to her mum too. “It was much easier talking to the family in their own environment,” says Linda. “We discussed all the school’s concerns and Andrea’s mum admitted to struggling overall. She said Andrea often complained of feeling unwell and she let Andrea miss school on a regular basis. I felt that Andrea’s mum needed guidance, support and a plan she could follow.”

Linda spoke to Andrea’s mum about the impact of absence on her daughter and how it could affect her whole education. “I explained that full attendance would mean that Andrea wasn’t constantly playing catch-up and would be able to stay on top of her work,” says Linda.

Linda remained in regular contact with the family for several weeks while the school monitored Andrea’s attendance closely. “I encourage Andrea’s mum to be strong and not let her daughter make excuses about why she needed to miss school.”

It worked. Andrea’s attendance improved and her mum started to have better communication with the school too. “In fact, Andrea even received an award from the school in recognition of her improved attendance,” says Linda.

To find out how we can help your school, call 0208 462 2716 today to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation or email info@school-attendance.org.uk