Behaviour and Discipline in Schools

Memorandum submitted by The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (TACT)

Introduction

1. The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (TACT) is a national charity for children and young people involved with the care system. We are the UK’s largest charity provider of fostering and adoption services having nine offices through England, Scotland and Wales. TACT provides foster carers for over 500 children. As a service provider TACT’s evidence is based on day to day contact with looked after children, their foster carers and TACT’s frontline social workers. We also campaign on behalf of children and young people in care and on the edge of care.

2. TACT is a member of the Special Education Consortium (SEC) and as such we support and endorse the evidence SEC is providing to the Select Committee on behaviour and discipline on pupils with special educational needs (SEN). TACT would point out that of the 43,200 children who had been in care for more then 12 months in the year ending Sept 2009, 32,300 were of school age and of those over a quarter (27%) has SEN. There are no statistics to tell us the number of children who were permanently excluded who were both in care and have SEN, but the implication of the data available is that they will be a substantial proportion.

3. However TACT is submitting separate evidence on the issues of behaviour and discipline of children and young people who are looked after by local authorities under the 1989 Children’s Act. The education of these children has always been problematic and the issues for looked after children have a degree of specificity that require, in TACT’s view, special consideration generally about their education and, specifically, in terms of behaviour.

Children and Young People in Care and Education

4. Children end up in the care system through no fault of their own and yet are among the most disadvantaged. Currently, only the children of travellers have worse educational outcomes. Historically the educational achievements of looked after children (LAC) have always been poor when compared with all children in the population. In 2008, 7% of children in care obtained 5 GCSEs A*- C. This compares with 49.8% of all children in England. [1]

5. Many children and young people in the care of local authorities enjoy high levels of educational achievements and go on to make a success of their lives. However far too many leave care with few or no qualifications and, as such, have poor life chances. The statistics on care leavers outlined by a report by the Centre for Social Justice make uncomfortable reading: 55% of care leavers suffer from depression; a third of care leavers misuse drugs and alcohol within a year of leaving care; around a third of those living on the street have a background in care; and 23% of the adult prison population have previously been in care. [2]

6. There is a high cost to this failure of the education system both to the children and young people (as we see above) and to the tax payer who has to support those who have come through the care system and cannot support themselves [3] . A disproportional number of young people who are ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) are care leavers which demonstrates the negative continuum of poor education outcomes and future employment for children in care. In this respect TACT is pleased that the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith MP is making youth unemployment a priority. As the Secretary of State said in a recent speech, ‘Nearly 700,000 of the young people [who are unemployed] are looking for a role in life, but cannot find one….’

Coming into and being in care

7. Being taken into care and being looked after by the local authority for the vast majority is traumatic. Some children and young people develop a degree of resilience, but for most coming into and being in care has life long consequences and not least for their education. A recent study funded by the Dept. of Health comparing the mental health of 1500 looked after children with a sample of children living in private households showed the nearly 45% of looked after children has a psychiatric disorder of some type. This compares with nearly 10% for the children living in private households. [4]

8. These psychiatric disorders include emotional disorders such as post traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety and separation anxiety, as well as conduct disorders and hyperkinesis. This latter condition includes attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recent research has also identified that there is a substantial overlap or comorbidity between these three groups of psychiatric disorders (emotional disorder, conduct disorder and hyperkinesis). [5]

9. The consequences for all children with mental health problems was spelt out by Professor Richard Layard in his report on Child Mental Health:

· Mental problems obstruct many of our key goals for children. They disrupt learning; encourage truancy; increase school exclusion; and encourage drink and drugs use.

· Mental problems also generate many of the social problems we experience with young adults – crime; teenage pregnancy; continuing mental illness, and benefit dependence. [6]

Professor Layard also said in the report that ‘The shocking thing is that only a quarter of them [school children with mental health problems] are receiving specialist care of the kind recommended by the NICE Guidelines.’

10. For looked after children to progress in their educational attainment it is clear that teaching staff will need knowledge of such conditions and have available support of the local mental health team. This was recognised by the Every Child Matters Project with the publication of their guidance for Children’s Trusts partnerships [7] together with the development of the National Indicator 58 – emotional and behavioural health of looked after children.

11. Unfortunately the availability of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), as indicated by Professor Layard, is totally inadequate and the schools are not getting the support they need to understand the behavioural issues for looked after children. As such inappropriate and damaging disciplinary action takes place. The provision of a country wide mental health service would be appropriate to support and reinforce the positive behaviour of looked after children in school.

12. Second to this would be teaching staff that have a mental health knowledge base to provide support to both looked after children and those teaching them. Unfortunately the proposed pupil premium and the passing of the Academies Act puts under threat both the existing support and the future support for looked after children. [8] [9]

Foster Care and Education

13. TACT is an organisation run on social enterprise principals and surplus resources are put back into the organisation. This ‘added value’ provides a foster care service that is able to support looked after children who have additional needs. [10] TACT has two ways that support the looked after children in our care for those who have needs that result in behavioural problems through their education career.

14. First, and specifically in respect of mental health needs, TACT commission therapeutic support for any child and young person in our care who has emotional or behavioural issues. Second, and more generally, there is the careful selection of foster carers ensuring the match between children and TACT foster carer is right and providing foster carers with the training they need. TACT expects foster carers to have aspirations for the children and young people in their care that translates into very practical educational support.

15. This practical support includes getting the children to the school gate ready to learn, communicating with the school and teachers both about academic and behavioural problems, providing space and the encouragement to do homework. In short, doing the things that aspirational parents do for their children

16. TACT’s own data shows that the GCSE results of the children in TACT care are much higher than the average for looked after children, attendance rates for school are very high (98%) and absence from school of over 25 days and exclusions are very low (8%)

17. There is another crucial part of the foster care equation – that of a long term stable placement. It is a well researched and logical idea that living in a stable foster home where the child is settled for a long period of time will have positive effects on many aspects of behaviour and development. The results of longitudinal research commissioned by TACT, and carried out by Professor Bob Broad of the London South Bank University, demonstrated that in those children in TACT’s care who enjoy long term placement showed the highest level of improvement in educational attainment during the first 18 months of their placement. After this period there is still an improvement but at a lower rate. [11]

18. It is clear that commissioned therapeutic services when needed, placement stability, and suitably matched foster cares with the right attitude and training improve both the educational outcomes and the behaviour and attendance at school for looked after children.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder and Behaviour

19. In the past few years TACT has become increasingly aware of a growing problem among the population of looked after children that will, inter alia, have an impact on behaviour at school. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term that describes a number of effects that can occur in a child whose mother drank alcohol when she was pregnant. FASD is a lifelong, incurable condition. The effects may include physical, mental, behavioural and/or learning disabilities. However, with early diagnosis, and effective mitigation strategies, the impact can be greatly reduced.

20. Alcohol is a teratogenic [12] compound that can readily cross the placenta. If this does happen it can cause brain damage leading to a number of disorders. These disorders range in diversity from the full presentation of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), to a set of conditions – including Partial Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS),a Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) – that show some, but not all, of the features of FAS.’ [13]

21. A BMA Board of Science report on FASD says that there is no reliable evidence of the incidence of FASD in the UK, [14] but much of the data on drinking habits in the UK shows a marked increase in alcohol consumption among women and therefore points towards FASD as an increasing problem. The report further says that ‘In the light of the recent increasing levels of alcohol consumption in women of a child bearing age in the UK it is reasonable to suggest that this will lead to an increased risk of heavy drinking during pregnancy and subsequently an increased risk of having a baby who is affected by pre-natal alcohol exposure.’ [15]

22. The relevance of all this to looked after children is that many of the children who come into care come from families where parents regularly misuse drugs and alcohol. TACT has become increasing concerned that a disproportionate number of looked after children may have some form of FASD. This has consequences for all parts of these children’s lives including their education. As the BMA study implies, the knowledge base of FASD in the UK is underdeveloped and as a consequence there are limited clinical diagnosis and very little understanding of FASD by key professionals supporting children and children’s services including those supporting schools.

23. The net result of this is that looked after children who have FASD are misdiagnosed, with their behaviour often attributed to learning disabilities meaning incorrect behaviour modifying strategies are used. There are many behavioural characteristics which differentiate children with FASD from those with other learning disabilities. Socially, they tend to be very outgoing and engaging yet they are frequently seen by others as intrusive, overly talkative, and generally unaware of social cues and conventions. They are children who struggle with concepts like understanding money and time. Poor social judgment and poor socialization skills are common: many children crave extra attention, even if this is negative.

24. Due to their social immaturity, children and young people with FASD have difficulty establishing friendships, especially with children of the same age. There is a potential for both social isolation and exploitation of individuals with FASD. Hyperactivity is frequently cited as a problem for young children who characteristically have short attention spans. Many also have memory problems, thus creating further setbacks to adaptive functioning and academic achievement later on. Children with FASD are often on the autistic spectrum and have symptoms of ADHD. If undiagnosed, it may lead to disrupted school experiences, alcohol and substance misuse, dependant living, difficulties with employment, inappropriate sexual behaviour and crime.

25. TACT is naturally concerned that looked after children in the education system who have FASD are not getting diagnosis or appropriate support services. Further, with reference to the comments from the BMA about increased alcohol assumption among women of child bearing age, there might well be increasing incidences of FASD in the general population, with obvious impact on children in school and on pupil behaviour patterns. TACT, along with other charities, is raising awareness of FASD and also developing services for looked after children with FASD. TACT is also working with medical professionals on research into developing a robust diagnostic methodology for FASD.

26. If there is a lack of awareness of the incidence and consequence of FASD in health and social services, this is likely to be greater in education services. A teacher with a class of 30 pupils to attend to is unlikely to be aware that a child who seems to pay little attention, or who is disruptive, suffers from FASD. There will be no appreciation or understanding that ‘bad behaviour’ is caused by brain damage. Punishments intended to correct that behaviour will be ineffective as the FASD affected child will not understand why they are being punished and will be incapable of altering their behaviour without appropriate interventions. TACT believes that a basic level of education concerning the nature and impact of FASD is essential for all education professionals.

Summary of Main Points

27. Looked after children often have complex mental health needs that arise from being taken into and being in care.

28. There is a lack of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services to support both looked after children and teaching staff in schools.

29. TACT as a social enterprise organisation uses surplus resources to provide services to meet the mental health needs of the children our care.

30. Careful matching by TACT of children to foster carers improves educational outcomes and behaviour.

31. Long term stable placements are essential to improve educational outcomes when it is not possible to return a child to their family.

32. TACT is concerned that Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder is a growing problem among looked after children.

33. The reason for this is that many children are taken into care from families who abuse alcohol.

34. FASD diagnosis is rare, resources available for diagnosis are insufficient and there is a lack of awareness among key professionals of the characteristics of children with FASD.

35. This means that incorrect behavioural strategies may be used.

36. Education professionals need basic training in FASD awareness.

37. Increased alcohol consumption among women of child bearing age could mean a general increase in FASD in the general school population.

September 2010