Personal Education Plans (PEPs) for Looked After Children

Every child or young person who becomes a Child Looked After (CLA) has to have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) in place. The PEP is initiated by the child/young person’s social worker. The PEP forms part of their care plan.

How the Personal Education Plan process works

1. When a child is 'Becoming Looked After' (BLA) or comes into care in an emergency a PEP is initiated by the social worker on Liquid Logic and assigned to a locality PEP Business Support Officer, they then send securely to the education setting designated practitioner/teacher/person in word format. (Note: for young people 16+ it will be the Leaving Care Worker, for those 18+ their Personal Adviser. For children not yet in an Early Years setting the PEP should be sent to the Health Visitor and foster carers - and parents if appropriate- so they can prepare the information needed for the meeting. The social worker prepares any information they may hold about the child's development. The process is followed but without an education settings input).
2. The social worker contacts the education setting and other relevant professionals to arrange the initial PEP meeting. This should take place within 20 days and prior to the initial Child Looked After (CLA) Review.
3. The social worker generates a new PEP form each term, fills in up to the 'PEP meeting' point and assigns to a Locality PEP Business Support Officer who e mails it securely, in word format, to the designated practitioner/teacher/person, 3 school weeks before the PEP meeting (or as soon as possible for initial PEPs).
4. The education setting designated practitioner/teacher/person prepares the PEP filling the form in with the required information and e-mails back to the Locality PEP Business Support Officer 3 days prior to the PEP meeting.
5. The social worker records any additions, or amendments at the PEP meeting, with support from the designated practitioner/teacher/person. The social worker and education setting set the date for the PEPs for the current academic year (if summer term set date for autumn term PEP).
6. The Locality PEP Business Support Officer types up the PEP from the meeting onto Liquid Logic, assigns back to social worker for finalising and then sends out securely to all attendees, the social worker ensures that the child receives a copy.
7. Each term the process is repeated from step three.

Sending confidential or sensitive information

The PEP form can be e-mailed directly from Liquid Logic. If sending from an e mail with 'Cheshire' in the root to and e-mail with 'Cheshire' in the root it is secure (e.g. cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk or cheshire.sch.uk). For those that have not a secure e-mail system such as Egress or Voltage should be used. If you are unable to use any of these methods with the designated practitioner/teacher/person providers then please use registered post.

Documents and publications

Contacts and links

• Telephone: 01606 274352
• Mobile: 07500 834910
• Email: PEPsWest@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk