Children looked after
When a child’s needs are so complex that they cannot be met at home, or when the risk of harm is considered to be significant, they will become looked after. This means that they will live away from home with foster carers, kinship carers, in children’s homes, in secure accommodation or with prospective adopters.
There are a number of different circumstances which might result in a child or young person becoming looked after. If you or your family are already involved with children’s services, then your social worker or lead professional should explain these processes to you, and work with you to understand what will happen next for your family.
Children looked after
North East Lincolnshire Council looks after approximately 300 young people at any one time. Most of these children and young people live in foster care.
Some of these children live in one of our Children’s Homes. We always try to look after our children within our local community. Our aim is for children only aged 10 years and older to be admitted to these placements. Our five mainstream homes are based in various locations in Cleethorpes and Grimsby, providing 16 beds.
In addition there are also two smaller locations that provide care for up to six disabled children, whom are looked after on a full time basis (also see Short Break Services and Cromwell House).
For safety reasons the locations of these facilities are not publicly advertised or disclosed. If you require further information on our residential services please contact the Childcare Resources Service on 01472 325432.
Residential Respite Services
North East Lincolnshire Council provides a three bed respite home for children that may need a break to assist and support their families and carers in keeping the family unit together. These respite services provide support to a number of children who may become become looked after full time or whose existing placement may have broken down.
Whilst respite breaks are normally for a night they can last longer.
The Vulnerable Young Peoples Project provides a range of support services to meet the differing needs of children and their families; we work in partnership with families, helping parents and carers to raise their children to be happy, healthy and achieve their full potential.
It is aimed at children and young people aged between 8 to 18 years old that are identified as having difficulties in educational, social or family settings and are currently involved with three or more agencies.
We are based in a large Victorian house on the East Marsh and offers alternative and formal education packages for 38 weeks of the year, holiday activities and overnight respite care.
During the school holidays the service offers activity based programmes to all the young people on the project. We have found that by retaining contact with the cohort in the holidays, it not only keeps the young people positively engaged, but helps them to settle back into their educational provision each term.
The Vulnerable Young Peoples Project, which has the look and feel of a home, offers a nurturing environment for young people. There are no formal education work areas, although formal education sessions do take place.
North East Lincolnshire’s Looked After Children in Education service co-ordinates the provision and educational success of the area’s Looked After Children.
Our commitment is to the promotion of good educational outcomes for children and young people who enter, remain in, and pass through, public care.
We acknowledge that whilst absence or exclusion from education is a common factor in family or placement breakdown, successful integration and inclusion into education can be the making of successful placements, or to successful reintegration into family life.
The education of Looked After Children is recognised as essential to their well being in childhood and adolescence, as well as a passport to their enjoyment of universal rights to citizenship and access to opportunity in adulthood.
We have a role of Headteacher of the Virtual School for looked after children to act as an educational champion.
The purpose includes the need to both support and challenge schools in relation to rates of progress over time as well as end of key stage national test and exam outcomes.
We have further information on Virtual Schools on our Virtual Schools page.
If you are planning to place a child or young person in North East Lincolnshire, you should notify us prior to placement.
This includes any change of address and notifications of looked after children or care leavers leaving or moving within North East Lincolnshire so we can update our records. All notifications of looked after children placed in North East Lincolnshire should be provided to us by email at [email protected].
Education and school admissions
If you are moving a child into North East Lincolnshire and you need to apply for a school place or the child already attends a school in North East Lincolnshire and you would like them to be admitted to another school, you need to contact our School Admissions Team for advice on how to make the application.
Telephone: 01472 326291 (Option 4)
Email: [email protected]
For more information go to the School admissions page.
Virtual school
The Looked After Children Education Service (LACE) provides advice to ensure children placed in North East Lincolnshire have access to education provision that meets their educational needs. Find out more on the Virtual School page.
Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) – Assessment and review
For information about local provision and advice on identifying appropriate provision please contact our SEN Assessment and Review Team on 01472 323170 or by email at [email protected].
Independent advice for parents/carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities is available from North East Lincolnshire Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice, and Support Service (SENDIASS)
The service is freely available to all parents/carers of children and young people living in North East Lincolnshire who have a special educational need.
Address: 11 Dudley Street, Grimsby, DN31 2AW
Telephone: 01472 355 365
Email: [email protected]
SEND Local Offer
Our Local Offer is the place on our website that provides and directs you to information that will support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It helps parents, children and young people aged 0 to 25 years find information about specialist and targeted services and activities in North East Lincolnshire. To have a look for yourself go to our SEND Local Offer.
Health
The Children’s Health Team offer comprehensive health advice and guidance and will carry out health assessments and prepare Health Care Plans. There will be a charge for assessments. Contact the team on [email protected] or by phone on 01472 874111 ext. 2787.
Young Minds Matter
Young Minds Matter provide emotional wellbeing advice and specialist mental health services for children and young people. If a referral for Young Minds Matter services is needed it is advisable to contact the Designated Nurse. There will be a charge if dedicated looked after children Young Minds Matter support is accessed. For more information go to Young Minds Matter .
Dentist
To find out which NHS dentists in North East Lincolnshire are accepting new patients ring the local dental helpline: 01472 625220
Careers advice
Careers Advice is delivered by YPSS. You can find out all about them on the Lincs 2 .
Advice for care leavers
Advice and support for care leavers is available on our Local Offer for care leavers or the The Children Looked After and New Futures Team on 01472 326355.
Fostering and Adoption
The fostering and adoption service can be contacted on 01472 326292 option 2 or by email at [email protected].
Youth Justice Service
The work undertaken by the Youth Justice Service falls mainly within the following areas:
- Preventative Work
- Pre-court Diversion
- Court Attendance and Bail Supervision
- Referral Orders
- Supervision of Community Orders
- Custodial Sentences and Supervision on License
- Multi-agency approach
For any further information about the work of the Youth Offending Service please contact the team on 01472 325252 or 326294 option 5.
Our pledge to the children and young people in our care
Our Corporate Parenting Pledge and local offer for care leavers are our commitments to the children and young people we care for.
Read more about our Corporate Parenting role.
View the Local Offer for care leavers.