All our young people are assessed following placement. This provides a baseline from which future progress is measured. This assessment will not incur additional funding.

We believe that young people are best educated in a socially inclusive environment. In order to maintain continuity and to minimise disruption, we will transport young people to their current educational establishment, up to a distance of 25 miles from our office. This will not incur additional funding.

However, where travel to current school is not feasible through distance or care plan issues, we can, via consultation with placing authorities’ representative, provide a learning package of up to 25 hours per week using qualified teacher and learning support staff. Our aim is to work towards inclusive education. We do not set out to segregate and educate our young people in isolation. However, we do recognise that for some young people education in the traditional, formal sense has been nonexistent, therefore, when young people are placed with us during their school year 11 we will offer  realistic and pragmatic life skills and vocational package, including preparing for leaving care and independent living.

The independence programme will offer opportunity for personal and social education to empower young people, individually and collectively, into taking control of their lives during their transition into adulthood. Blackpool Homes believes it is the continuing right of each young person to influence and inform the programme.

The purpose of our independence programme is to enable young adults to make informed choices and decisions of current matters of concern to them. It will provide them with skills and experience to make such decisions so that they have a greater chance of surviving and succeeding after care. The programme is delivered through a broad range of educational experiences, the scope of which is determined by the human, financial and physical resources available to Blackpool Homes.

As a starting point we recognise that needs and aspirations do not solely from chronological age, but also from culture, ability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and, of course, the disadvantages involved with being in care.

Blackpool Homes will ensure the relevant books, other reading material and computer hard/software is available for use by young people. Young people will also be encouraged to join the local library. Young people will be provided with an appropriate place to do their homework and will be encouraged to do it.

Blackpool Homes works in collaboration with LEA, school, designated teacher, placing authority, other key partners, parents and the young person, in the construction of an active Personal Education Plan.

During a notional ‘24hr Curriculum’ we work to enable young people to understand that feelings can drive behaviour, shape values and can predispose us to choose one certain course of action over another. We aim to teach young people to learn to intentionally use their emotions to guide them in making responsible, need fulfilling choices in areas such as learning, interpersonal relationships, problem solving and adapting to the complex demands of growth, development and change.