Access to Education - information for professionals

Our Access to Education Protocol aims to:

• Provide an overview of the education provision for children who are identified as, or at risk of, educational neglect.
• Avoid drift and delay for children who are not accessing education.
• Ensure that all available pathways, including single and multi-agency approaches are utilised to ensure children are receiving appropriate education, leading to better educational outcomes.
• Where appropriate, challenge practice by schools and other professional services to schools and families.

All professionals should ensure that they have permission to make a referral either via their own information sharing agreements or via direct parental consent.

All referrers must have followed their own usual statutory processes, and have discussed the referral with their manager who must agree it meets threshold. 

Additionally, it is important that any professional making a referral ensures that they understand what is already happening to support attendance, in particular current actions and involvements by the School Attendance Team and others, before making a referral. Other professionals who wish to refer in must first liaise with the school and the named Local Authority Attendance Officer for the school and consult with them to understand what support school has already put in place and what actions are already taking place.

The protocol is not designed to replace usual multi-agency working, normal supervision processes or statutory duties. It is for additional advice, direction and decision making.

• Schools can request their Local Authority Attendance Officer to make a referral on their behalf. We do not accept referrals directly from schools.
• Local Authority Attendance Officers
• ‘Children Not in School’ (Elective Home Education/Children Missing Education) Officers
• Virtual School Deputy Head on behalf of Team Members
• Admissions Manager
• SEN Manager or Senior Caseworkers (after agreement at SEN Panel)
• Social Workers – after consultation with CP/CIN Education Advisors and their own manager
• IROs, Child Protection and Child In need Chairs
• Early Help practitioners
• Route 29 Education Leads
• Salford Information Advice and Support Services (SIASS)
• YJS keyworkers
• Other professionals who work with a child or family, for example Educational Psychologists, health, CAMHS

Parents are unable to refer directly, and should contact their Local Authority Attendance Officer if there is an attendance issue that they need support with.