Looked-after children still face double jeopardy of poor GCSEs and lack of opportunities

As GCSE results and the range of opportunities they bring stir the minds of 16-year-olds around the country this week; if this year’s results are like years past, looked-after children will once again find themselves disadvantaged.

The National Care Advisory Service (NCAS), managed by Catch22, has been urging local authorities to continue to help improve educational outcomes for looked-after children.

In 2008/09 just over one per cent of all children eligible to take GCSE exams entered none or achieved no grades, yet for looked after children this figure rose to almost 32 per cent. This level of disadvantage in educational attainment continues for looked-after children, with only seven per cent at university and over thirty per cent not in education, employment or training at the age of 19.

Linda Briheim-Crookall, senior policy manager for NCAS explains

'Looked after children face the double jeopardy of poor GCSE outcomes combined with a lack of training and employment opportunities as they become adults. Too many care leavers end up in low skilled work or on benefits in their early twenties. Local authorities need to do more to embed the concept of career planning linked to personal education plans.'

NCAS, through its From Care2Work programme, has been working with local authorities to help them improve the educational chances for looked after children and improve the long term training and employability opportunities for care leavers. Its eight-point leaving care standards provide a blueprint for local authorities to enable young people from care to make a successful transition to a healthy and productive adult life.

Linda Briheim-Crookall adds

'The demise of the Future Jobs Fund, which offered the opportunity for six month career-enhancing training and development, was a job-lifeline for many looked after young people. The majority rely on local authorities to help facilitate their social mobility and at a time when competition for jobs and education placements is particularly high, programmes such as From Care2Work are crucial in creating employment and education opportunities for those who are in or leaving care.'