1
CHILDREN MISSING EDUCATION
(CME) PROCEDURE
Date approved: 14 September 2016
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
Date for review: August 2017
2
INDEX
Page
1
Purpose
3
2
Position statement
3
3
Overview
3
4
Roles and responsibilities:
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5
CME Officer
Lead responsibilities
Schools
Education Welfare Service
Partner agencies
Ways in which a child can fall out of the education system:
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Starting education
Withdrawal
Exclusions
Failing to register at a new school
Pupils unable to find a school place
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
7
7
7
7
6
Children who are at risk of missing education
7
7
CME process flowchart
8
8
Routes into education for children of compulsory school age
8
9
When to refer to other services:
8
9.1
9.2
MASH
Police
8
8
10
Training and Reporting
9
11
Children we have failed to track
9
12
Related policies\guidance\legislation
10
13
Review
10
Appendices:
1&2
3
4
4
CME Process flow charts
Partner agencies involved with vulnerable groups
Contact details for partner agencies
Notification of Child Missing Education
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
11,12
13,14,15
16
17
3
1.
Purpose
To clarify Southampton City Council’s children missing education (CME) procedures and the
joint responsibilities of all agencies, schools (including their governing bodies) and the local
authority.
2.
Position Statement
Every child who has attended pre-school provision in Southampton, or who has a record on
the education database as a result of an involvement with professionals, will be captured as
part of our CME process should they not join Year R once they reach compulsory school age.
Children who do not complete the transition to junior or secondary education are also in scope.
3.
Overview
The Southampton City Council School Attendance Policy is the over-arching policy of which
this document forms part.
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires all local authorities to make arrangements
to enable them to establish (so far as it is possible to do so) the identities of children residing
in their area who are not receiving a suitable education.
Children missing education are defined as children of compulsory school age who are not on
a school roll. It does not include:
•
•
•
Children educated otherwise than at school i.e. tuition provided by the LA.
Children who are registered at an education provision who are not attending regularly.
Children who are being educated at home i.e. parents have taken responsibility for
education provision.
This policy sits alongside safeguarding responsibilities placed upon professionals under
Working Together to Safeguard Children (March 2015) and Keeping Children Safe in
Education (September 2016). It does not replace established safeguarding referral
procedures which should still be followed in any case where there are safeguarding concerns
such as child sexual exploitation.
Our approach is to work within a robust framework, prior to children becoming CME, so that
we have an audit trail of steps taken and can ensure that when children are removed from roll
it is lawful. Process flow charts are attached as APPENDICES 1 & 2.
Unlawful removals from roll will be challenged by the Local Authority and schools may be
asked to reinstate pupils.
Alongside the local authority, the biggest stakeholders in the CME process are schools and
the Southampton City Council document Children Missing Education – Guidance for Schools
(September 2016) provides detailed operational advice and guidance on the steps that should
be taken, prior to removal from roll, to locate the whereabouts of a pupil.
Some Southampton resident, school-aged children receive education in Hampshire County
Council schools, or in the independent sector and processes are in place to collect this
information so that we can fulfil our statutory CME duty.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
4
Everybody who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play in Children
Missing Education. The Children Act 2004 places a duty on all agencies to work together to
promote the welfare of children and to share information. This principle underpins this policy
and there is an expectation that all agencies will work together to ensure children are safely
on roll at a school.
4.
Roles and responsibilities
4.1
CME Officer
4.2

Is the named point of referral for CME in Southampton, developing and maintaining a
referral system for children without an education provision.

Maintains and updates the local authority education database with information about
children missing education, ensuring that all communications held in relation to these
individuals are accurately recorded.

Coordinates and\or advises upon actions to be taken in respect of CME referrals.

Undertakes remote casework to track CME, in conjunction with schools and after removal
from roll. APPENDICES 1 & 2.

Supports unannounced CME visits with Education Welfare Officers, in line with our two to
visit policy.

Acts upon information contained in Hampshire Constabulary CYPs to identify CME.

Works closely with the School Admissions Team to develop processes to ensure that
children do not slip through the net.

Works with other LAs in their efforts to track CME and makes onward referrals for
Southampton children.

Produces and maintains operational CME guidance for schools.

Develops systems to allow for regular reporting of data on children missing education.

Makes full use of the DfE Lost Pupil Database in tracking children.

Coordinates efforts to secure as many on-time applications as possible for the annual
reception intake.

Coordinates the process of building the Reception intake each year. (see 5.1)
Lead responsibilities
It is not always necessary for the CME Officer to have an active role in casework, the nature
of the involvement may be to act as a conduit for information sharing, or, simply to monitor the
situation.
The current CME lead responsibilities within Southampton City Council are:
Eliza Johnson – Children Missing Education Officer – 023 8083 3666
Tina Selby – Lead Officer Inclusion Services – 023 8083 3889
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
5
4.3
Schools
Statutory guidance from the Department for Education1 states the following;
School and college staff should follow the school’s or college’s procedures for
dealing with children that go missing from education, particularly on repeat
occasions, to help identify the risk of abuse and neglect, including sexual
exploitation, and to help prevent the risks of their going missing in future.
Schools have a key role to play in early identification of potential CME and should follow
established safeguarding referral procedures, as appropriate.
The CME Officer should be consulted when the actions outlined in the CME Guidance for
Schools have been undertaken, but these efforts have failed to locate the whereabouts of a
pupil.
Poor attenders and school refusers are not CME and the established referral process to
access the Education Welfare Service should be followed.
4.4
Education Welfare Service
Each school in Southampton has a named Education Welfare Officer and the Education
Welfare Service plays a key role in the CME process.
The CME Officer will make appropriate referrals to the Education Welfare Service for CME
cases and will support home visits where the address and\or family are not previously known
to us, or, where other safety concerns have been flagged.
Direct casework that is complex, or requires a longer professional intervention, will be led by
Education Welfare Officers who will make referrals to other agencies\services as required.
Education Welfare Officers are also well placed to pick up children at risk of becoming CME
and regularly audit school attendance that falls below 90%.
4.5
Partner agencies
Everybody who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play in CME. The
Children Act 2004 places a duty on all agencies to work together to promote the welfare of
children and to share information. This principle underpins this policy and there is an
expectation that all agencies will work together to ensure children are safely on the roll of a
school.
All professionals, therefore, have a responsibility to alert the CME Officer whenever they have
evidence to suggest that a child is missing education, as information sharing is vital for early
intervention.
The Department for Education (2016) ‘Keeping children safe in education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges’.
Department for Education.
1
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
6
In addition to those listed in APPENDIX 3, key partners who may directly engage with children
who are, or may become, children missing education are:
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5.
School Admissions
Independent & maintained schools
Academies and schools who are their own admission authority
SEND
Exclusions
Virtual School
Education Welfare
Child Health
SCC Homelessness
CAMHS services
Educational Psychology
Voluntary & Community Organisations
Children’s Centres
UK Visas and Immigration
Ways in which a child can fall out of the education system
The diagram below depicts the ways in which a child could drop out of the education system
and become CME.
5.1
Starting education
Each September the School Admissions Team send letters to the home addresses of every
child in our Reception transfer group, inviting parents to make an on-line application so that
their child can start school the following September.
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7
At the start of the Spring Term a multi-service effort is then made to identify children for whom
no application has been made, with the objective of securing as many applications as possible
before the 15th January closing date for on-time applications.
As many parents as possible are contacted by their early years providers, or staff at Children’s
Centres. During the Autumn Term the same staff are pro-active in encouraging parents to
apply on-time.
Liaison also takes place with The Virtual School, Adoption Team and Children’s Services to
ensure that appropriate vulnerable children are identified and included in the admission
process.
Any children known to us who do not start school are captured as part of our CME procedures
once they reach compulsory school age.
5.2
Withdrawal
The CME Guidance for Schools gives operational guidance on dealing with cases where a
pupil has ceased accessing their education provision.
CME reports are also in place that interrogate the ONE system and can identify children who
have been removed from roll, along with the reason and a forwarding destination, where one
is recorded in school information management systems.
5.3
Exclusions
Schools have a responsibility to arrange full-time education for excluded pupils from the sixth
day of their fixed term exclusion. The local authority are required to provide full-time education
to pupils who have been permanently excluded, from the sixth school day of exclusion.
5.4
Failing to register at a new school
At the start of the Autumn Term it is possible to identify children who have not made a phase
transfer, however, this requires all data returns to be up to date from Southampton schools,
enrolment data to have been collected from all independent schools educating Southampton
resident pupils and collaboration with Hampshire County Council.
For children expected to take up school places as mid-year admissions, the CME Officer
produces a fortnightly report of children who have not accessed the places offered by School
Admissions. This report is passed to the School Admissions Team so that follow-up action
can be taken.
5.5
Pupils unable to find a school place
The School Admissions Team will offer a place at the closest school to a home address with
a place available. There are occasions when, following a house move within the city, the
closest school may still be the original school.
6.
Children who are at risk of missing education
There is general agreement that certain groups of children may be at a higher risk of becoming
children missing education. These groups are included in the table attached as APPENDIX 3.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
8
It is the responsibility of all professionals working with families to notify the CME Officer if they
become aware of a child of compulsory school age who is not enrolled in a school and is not
receiving education otherwise than at school or at home. A form is attached for this purpose
as APPENDIX 4.
It is also the responsibility of all professionals working with families to notify the CME Officer
if a child they are working with, of compulsory school age, leaves the city or country.
7.
CME process flowchart
Attached as APPENDICES 1 & 2.
8.
Routes into education for children of compulsory school age
Southampton City Council acknowledges that education can protect and the best way for us
to ensure the welfare of children is to ensure that they are on a school roll and that children
do not ‘slip’ off school rolls and become ‘missing’. Routes into education are:

Via the normal School Admissions process.

Where cases are deemed to be complex, via IYFA\PHIG.

Via the statutory assessment process for children with SEND.

The Virtual School secure school places for Children Looked After.
Southampton School Admissions have a responsibility to coordinate all school applications
and to provide school places for children who are of statutory school age, liaising with schools
who are their own admission authority.
9.
When to refer to other services
9.1
MASH
The CME Guidance for Schools makes clear that if a pupil is open to Children’s Services and
has an allocated caseworker, the school should notify the caseworker within the first 24
hours of the unauthorised absence if no contact can be made.
Where it is otherwise suspected or known that a pupil is at potential risk of harm, or where the
school has information or reason to suspect the child has been a victim of criminal activity, the
school should notify MASH and the Police immediately. The Education Welfare Officer or
CME Officer should be notified as soon as possible afterwards.
9.2
Police
There may be occasions when a child not receiving education may be the victim of a crime
e.g. if there was a significant incident prior to the unexplained absence, or if there have been
previous suspicions about the child and\or their family which, alongside a sudden
disappearance, are worrying. In these instances, it may be necessary for schools or
professionals to contact the Police.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
9
10.
Training and Reporting
The CME Officer:

Provides operational guidance and support to schools.

Works to raise the profile of children missing education by delivering awareness training at
school Admin Officers Conferences and training for Designated Safeguarding Leads in
schools and early years’ settings.

Provides reports to the Southampton Local Safeguarding Children Board.
In addition, the Lead Officer Inclusion Services reports on the CME tracking number to the
Inclusion Services Manager at monthly 1:1 sessions.
11.
Children we have failed to track
Every child who has attended a Southampton education provision since 2005, who does not
currently have a school place, or whose whereabouts are not known, are included in our CME
number.
In order to achieve a manageable caseload for the CME Officer, however, in the absence of
any evidence of safeguarding concerns, once the following steps have been taken (as
appropriate to each case) the records of these children will be made inactive on the
Southampton City Council education database.
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Enquiries of last education provision.
Enquiries of health colleagues.
Checks of the DfE Lost Pupil Database.
Checks of the Electoral Roll.
Checks of the Education Welfare drive on the SCC network.
Checks of the Children’s Centre database.
Enquiries of Hampshire County Council CME.
Checks of the Council Tax and Housing Benefit systems.
Enquiries of housing colleagues.
Checks of ONE against surname and\or address matches\Police reports.
Checks of DfE Key to Success website.
Checks of PARIS.
Checks of the Admissions module on the education database.
Checks of the CCIS database.
Visit to last known address.
Alerts will be added to records made inactive for this reason asking that if the child presents
to any users of the education database in the future, the CME Officer be alerted.
In addition, each time a new dataset is added to the DfE Key to Success website all children
in the “CME failed to track” base will be re-checked.
This action will be taken in line with our duty (as stated in section 3) to make such enquiries
as far as it is possible to do so.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
10
12.
Related policies\guidance\legislation
There are a number of policies and guidance documents which relate to children missing
education. These include;
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13.
Department for Education (2016) ‘Children missing education: Statutory guidance for
local authorities’
Southampton City Council (2016) ‘Children Missing Education Guidance for Schools’
Department for Education (2015) ‘Working together to safeguard children: A guide to
inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children’
The Department for Education (2016) ‘Keeping children safe in education: Statutory
guidance for schools and colleges’
Southampton City Council (2013) ‘School Attendance Matters’
Southampton City Council School Attendance Policy
The SCC Protocol for Difficult to Place Pupils.
Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006
Education and Inspections Act 2006
The Children Act 2004
Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & Southampton 4LSCB Missing, Exploited and
Trafficked Protocol December 2013.
The Education Act 1996
Review
This policy will be reviewed and updated annually, or as legislation, guidance, roles and
responsibilities or procedures dictate.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
Appendix 1
11
Actions to be taken prior
to removal from roll
Schools
Follow all actions
in the CME
guidance
document
Local
Authority
The CME Officer can:
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If the school has followed the
CME guidance checklist, the
conditions for removal from roll
are met, process steps (where
appropriate) have been taken
and the child is located in
another local authority or
confirmed as overseas, they
may be removed from roll.
Ensure the “destination” field on
SIMS holds correct forwarding
information.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
Check the One system (education
database) for:
o Any previous involvements
o Siblings
o Checks on the postcode
Check Paris (social care database)
Make enquiries of Child Health
Check the Council tax and Housing benefit
databases
Check the School Admissions module
Check the Children’s Centre database
Check with Early Years funding staff
Check police reports (current & historical)
Check with other LAs via the national CME
network
Refer to Education Welfare Service for a
home visit
PLEASE NOTE:
Schools are expected
to follow established
safeguarding referral
procedures where
necessary.
Appendix 2
LAWFUL Removal from roll when efforts
have failed to locate the pupil
Local Authority
(CME Officer)
Schools
If the pupil cannot be located,
school should liaise with the
CME Officer (prior to removal)
to agree that all steps have
been taken therefore removal is
lawful and the removal date.
Ensure destination on SIMS is
‘Referred to CME Officer’
Schools should send CTFs to
the DfE Lost Pupil Database
(7 x’s)
Child remains CME case
The CME Officer can:


PLEASE NOTE:
Schools are expected
to follow established
safeguarding referral
procedures where
necessary.
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Ask Child Health colleagues to put flag on health
database to notify us if there is any new contact with the
child.
Ask Housing colleagues to put a flag on their database,
if appropriate.
Notify Information Officers to update PARIS (adding the
child to PARIS if no record exists)
Consider whether a safeguarding referral should be
made (to MASH or Police).
Complete the checklist of actions agreed as fulfilling our
CME duty to carry out “all reasonable enquiries”.
Close the case to CME and flag the child’s record on
ONE as ‘CME- Failed to Track’.
Liaise with School Admissions to ensure the child is not
captured as part of their processes.
Check the child against datasets uploaded to the DfE
Key to Success database as and when new datasets
become available.
Message all local authority CME contacts via the Lost
Pupil Database.
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
12
13
Appendix 3
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The Buzz Network
√
Scratch **
√
Solent NHS Sexual Health
Service
√
City of Sanctuary
Southampton Hub
√
√
Soton City Mission (Basics
Bank) **
√
Prospects
√
√
The Avenue Centre **
√
Soton Information, Advice &
Support Service
√
EU Welcome
Headstart
√
SOS Polonia
Family Nurse Partnership
SVS Young Carers Project
Barnado,s
Princes Trust (age 13+)
YOS
No Limits (age 11 -26)
√
Soton Rape Crisis
Children from families
fleeing domestic violence
√ √ √
and abuse
Children of homeless
families, perhaps living in
√
temporary accommodation,
houses of multiple
occupancy or B&B
Children who are missing
from their home address.
Children in families involved
√
in anti-social behaviour
Children who are on a Child
√
Protection Plan
Children affected by
substance and/or alcohol
misuse
Unaccompanied asylum
seekers (should be CLA)
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
Carers in Southampton
Youth Options
IDVA
PIPPA
Refuges
At risk group
Homeless Healthcare
**
Partner agencies for at risk groups within Southampton
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Children at risk of sexual
exploitation, including
children who have been
trafficked to, or within the UK
√
√
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
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Prospects (Early Yrs
Service) **
City of Sanctuary
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√
The Buzz Network
√
Scratch **
√
Solent NHS Sexual
Health Service
Soton Information,
Advice & Support
Service
The Avenue Centre **
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Southampton Hub
√
√
Soton City Mission
(Basics Bank) **
√
EU Welcome
√
Headstart
Family Nurse
Partnership **
SVS Young Carers
Project
Soton Rape Crisis
Barnados
Princes Trust (age 13+)
YOS
No Limits (age 11 -26)
√
SOS Polonia
Children of migrant working
families (who may not be
familiar with the education
system)
Children of refugees and
asylum seeking families
Children in new immigrant
families, who are not yet
established in the UK and
may not have a fixed
address
Children who have been
bullied
Children who have suffered
discrimination on the
grounds of race, faith,
gender, disability or
sexuality
Carers in Southampton
Youth Options
IDVA
PIPPA
Refuges
At risk group
Homeless Healthcare
14
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√
The Buzz Network
Scratch **
Solent NHS Sexual
Health Service
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Schools, Education Welfare, Early Years providers, Police, Children’s Services
and Early Help teams may apply to every group
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
√
√
** Referral procedures and\or eligibility criteria apply
Note:
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√
√
√
Southampton Hub
√
Soton City Mission
(Basics Bank) **
√
City of Sanctuary
IDVA
PIPPA
Refuges
Children with special
educational needs
Children with mental health
issues
√
Prospects
√
Children at risk of "honour"based violence including
forced marriage or female
genital mutilation
Young carers
Soton Information,
Advice & Support
Service
The Avenue Centre **
√
EU Welcome
√
SOS Polonia
Teenage parents
Headstart
√
Family Nurse
Partnership **
√
SVS Young Carers
Project
Soton Rape Crisis
Princes Trust (age 13+)
√
Barnados
YOS
√
Youth Options
Children who are
permanently excluded from
school, particularly those
excluded unlawfully e.g. for
problematic behaviour or
offending
At risk group
Homeless Healthcare
No Limits (age 11 -26)
Carers in Southampton
15
√
√
√
√
Appendix 4
16
Contact details for partner agencies (correct as at May 2016):
Refuges: Southampton Women’s
Aid
Stonham DV Service
PIPPA
IDVA
Homeless Healthcare
080 8801 0334
023 8083 2329
023 8033 6991
[email protected]
Youth Options
Carers in Southampton
No limits
YOS
01794 525510
023 8058 2387
023 8022 4224
023 8083 4900
http://www.youthoptions.co.uk/
Prince’s Trust
0800 842 842
https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about-thetrust/where-we-work/southengland/southampton-centre
Barnado’s
SVS Young Carers
Southampton Rape Crisis
Family Nurse Partnership
http://www.southamptonwomensaid.org.uk/
023 8042 5350
http://www.pippasouthampton.org/
http://www.solent.nhs.uk/serviceinfo.asp?id=40&utype=1
http://www.carersinsouthampton.co.uk
http://www.nolimitshelp.org.uk/
[email protected]
v.uk
[email protected]
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/index.htm
023 8021 6032
023 8063 6312
023 8029 4212
[email protected]
http://www.southamptonrapecrisis.com/
[email protected]
http://fnp.nhs.uk/
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/healthsocial-care/children/headstart/headstartyoung-people.aspx
Headstart
[email protected]
www.sospolonia.net
http://www.euwelcome.org.uk/contact-us/
SOS Polonia
023 8023 3722
EU Welcome
Southampton Information Advice &
Support
The Avenue Centre
Prospects
City of Sanctuary
Solent NHS Sexual Health Service
Scratch
023 8033 3589
023 8055 7607
023 8071 1700
0300 300 2016
023 8077 3132
[email protected]
The Buzz Network
023 8083 2069
(Mon & Tues)
023 8083 3881
(Wed & Thurs)
07929 641755
[email protected]
Southampton City Mission (Basics
Bank)
07904 423093
http://www.southamptonmencap.org
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Southampton Hub
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
http://www.letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk
http://www.scratchcharity.co.uk
[email protected]
http://www.southamptoncitymission.co.uk/bas
ics-bank
http://www.southamptonhub.org/branchup
Appendix 5
NOTIFICATION OF CHILD MISSING EDUCATION
This form should be sent to the CME Officer promptly when:



A child of statutory school age goes missing from education.
A child of statutory school age is discovered as having no education provision.
A child of statutory school age is planning to leave your school with no forwarding information.
Please include as much information as possible.
Name of child\ren
DoB
Name & designation of
person with PR
Last known address & telephone number
Tel:
School
Date of last attendance
Area child has moved to (if known)?
Details of known siblings & schools on roll at
Known risk factors for child
Action Taken
Outcome
Contact with parents\carers by telephone
Send Truancy Call (if this system is
available)
Telephone any other person with parental
responsibility
Telephone all other emergency contact
numbers
Contact schools known to have siblings
on roll
Enquire of school staff or other pupils
Enquire of any professionals working with
the family
Letter to be sent to the home address
Home visit to be carried out if resources
are available
Referred by:
Contact tel.
Date:
Approved 14 September 2016 - For review August 2017
Return completed forms to:
Eliza Johnson
Children Missing Education Officer
Southampton City Council
Civic Centre
Southampton SO14 7LY
(023) 8083 3666
[email protected]
Children Missing Education via Anycomms
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