Caring2Learn

Overview

Caring2Learn is a research project to support children and young people who are: 

  • looked after 
  • previously looked after 
  • vulnerable 

We want to provide all our looked after children and young people with the foundation for them to: 

  • have the confidence to go on to learn 
  • be aspirational  
  • achieve their full potential 

Aims of the project

Caring2Learn aims to:

  • improve learning through knowledgeable care and learning communities 
  • ensure our children and young people feel safe and believe they belong 
  • upskill and support our carers and educators to help: 
    • support children and young people in and out of education settings 
    • support the wellbeing, emotional and mental health of all vulnerable children
    • encourage active participation in education and improve attendance
    • reduce the number of exclusions of vulnerable children
    • encourage higher aspiration and self-esteem 

To achieve these aims, we work with:

  • schools 
  • foster carers 
  • residential carers  
  • children’s services teams, including: 
    • the Virtual School 
    • inclusion 
    • fostering and adoption 
    • Looked After Children 
    • family assessment and support teams  

Three main areas of work

  1. The Caring2Learn Award identifies, celebrates and supports excellent practice in education and care. 
  2. A comprehensive learning and development programme based on evidence-informed approaches.
  3. The Hub Support Network shares success stories with education professionals and carers. It includes education champions from Foster Care and Education who offer: 
    • individual and group support
    • advice and guidance on all things Caring2Learn 

By joining us, you will play an integral role in meeting these objectives. You will also gain access to a supportive network of: 

  • education settings 
  • carers  
  • social care professionals 

We work together to improve opportunities for all our children and young people. 

To find out more or get involved, email caring2learn@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Support for foster carers

Our Learning Homes Award celebrates foster carers and residential homes that:

  • support education and learning in the home 
  • encourage social, emotional and academic learning 
  • nurture looked after children and young people to develop the life skills and aspirations they need to succeed 

We have created a workbook that describes how you can do this. There are four sections, known as domains, and within each one, there are: 

  • measures of success 
  • theories or research 
  • examples of what this looks like in real life 

The four domains are: 

  1. Practical activities in the home 
  2. Supporting education 
  3. Working together with professionals
  4. The approach to learning 

We know that when education and aspiration are encouraged and supported in the home, young people have a better chance of success in school. They are more likely to go on to achieve their academic goals. 

Working closely with schools can affect how well young people:

  • develop
  • build a positive attitude
  • continue in education or train for a successful future

The Learning Homes Award recognises and celebrates all the fantastic ways you do this. We can identify any training and development which can help you in your crucial role. 

How to enter 

To enter the Learning Homes Award, you can: 

  • join Caring2Learn 
  • work through the Learning Homes Workbook 
  • build a portfolio  
  • attend workshops, training and support meetings  
  • describe and improve the way you work with or support vulnerable young people in your home 

We will ask you to collect evidence to submit for your portfolio. This can include: 

  • photographs 
  • certificates 
  • meetings and review notes  
  • other relevant documents 

You will be supported by: 

  • the Caring2Learn team 
  • education champions  
  • your supervising social worker

They will help you to show the amazing things you do every day to create a caring, supportive and aspirational learning home for children and young people in your care. 

When you are ready to submit your portfolio, the Caring2Learn Assessment team will look at your evidence and agree on your award.  

We will send newly-approved foster carers a workbook about learning homes or training, standards and development. You must complete it within the first year of approval. 

To find out more, ask your supervising social worker or email caring2learn@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Foster carer champions 

We have a team of foster carer champions from a variety of backgrounds. They have wide-ranging experience caring short and long-term for children: 

  • of all ages 
  • of all abilities 
  • with special educational needs 

They encourage wellbeing and education in their homes and support other carers and education settings.

Our foster carer education champions can: 

  • support new carers and introduce them to the Lincolnshire Fostering Hub 
  • be a listening ear and offer support in your role as a foster carer 
  • support and advise about the Learning Homes Award 
  • provide advice to carers around learning and working with schools 
  • support carers with education planning and reviewing needs
  • work with carers and advise at meetings with schools or other organisations

To find out more, ask your supervising social worker or email caring2learn@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Support for education settings

Our Caring Schools Award celebrate schools, education settings and other providers which: 

  • encourage wellbeing 
  • nurture vulnerable children and young people  
  • help children and young people achieve their full potential 

We have created a toolkit to help you assess how you work with children and young people to overcome barriers to learning. There are four sections, known as domains, and within each one, there are: 

  • measures of success 
  • theories or research 
  • examples of what this looks like in real life 

The four domains are: 

  1. Ethos and leadership 
  2. A child-centred approach 
  3. Working together with carers 
  4. Working together with other settings and professionals 

When home, education and other organisations work together to encourage and support aspiration and achievement, young people have a much higher chance of success. They are more likely to go on to achieve their academic goals and dreams for a successful future. 

With the Caring Schools Award, we recognise and celebrate all the fantastic ways you do this. We will identify any training and development which can help you in your crucial role. 

How to enter

To enter the Caring Schools Award, you can: 

  • join Caring2Learn 
  • work through the Caring Schools Toolkit 
  • build a portfolio  
  • attend workshops, training and support meetings  
  • describe and improve the way you work with or support vulnerable young people 

We will ask you to collect evidence to submit for your portfolio. This can include: 

  • photographs 
  • certificates 
  • meetings and review notes  
  • other relevant documents 

Education settings will work to a three-tier accreditation scheme of bronze, silver and gold awards. 

Those who take part can use the reflection and progress record to: 

  • document current success stories 
  • provide evidence of the effects of their approach
  • plan actions to develop their approach further with the Caring School domains and indicators 

The Caring2Learn team and our education champions will support you throughout. They will help you complete the record and detail all the amazing things you do every day. 

When you are ready to submit your portfolio, the Caring2Learn assessment team will look at your evidence and agree on your award. 

To find out more, email caring2learn@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Other vulnerable groups

We recognise that what works well for looked after children works well for all children. We encourage a whole school ethos around Caring2Learn principles.  

To evidence these principles in your daily care of children shows that you are 'looked after ready'. You can evidence the effect on your children in school and may include other vulnerable groups of children, such as:

  • team around the child 
  • child in need 
  • child protection 
  • adopted children 
  • young carers  

Education champions 

We have a team of foster carer and school-based education champions who: 

  • are carers and educational professionals from a variety of backgrounds 
  • encourage the education of vulnerable learners  
  • support other carers and education settings to encourage education better

The education champions can: 

  • advise about the Caring2Learn Awards 
  • support to carers around learning and working with schools 
  • support carers with education planning and reviewing needs
  • work with carers and advise at meetings with schools or other organisations

To find out more, email caring2learn@lincolnshire.gov.uk.