When a child becomes looked after, his/her social worker must ensure that the child’s needs, along with the services to meet these needs, are documented in the Care Plan. The Care Plan – of which the Personal Education Plan (PEP) is an integral part – is made before the child becomes looked after or, in the case of an emergency placement, within 10 working days.
The PEP is a record of what needs to happen for looked after children to enable them to fulfil their potential and reflects any existing education plans, such as a statement of special educational needs, Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Provision Mapping. The PEP should reflect the importance of a personalised approach to learning, which secures good basic skills, stretches aspirations and builds life chances. The PEP is the joint responsibility of the local authority and the school.