View in EDS

Evaluation of the Extension of Virtual School Heads' Duties to Children with a Social Worker. Phase Two: Interim Report

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Evaluation of the Extension of Virtual School Heads' Duties to Children with a Social Worker. Phase Two: Interim Report
Language: English
Authors: Andrew Brown, Alun Rees, Nikki Luke, Leon Feinstein, Georgia Hyde-Dryden, Judy Sebba, Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom), University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Rees Centre
Source: UK Department for Education. 2024.
Availability: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 119
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Occupational Information, County School Districts, School Administration, Administrators, School Social Workers, Outcomes of Education, Special Needs Students, Virtual Schools, Program Implementation, Administrative Change, Change Strategies, Educational Finance, Program Evaluation, Elementary Secondary Education
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
ISBN: 978-1-83870-547-3
Abstract: From September 2021, the role of the Virtual School Head (VSH) was extended to include the strategic oversight of children subject to a Child in Need (CIN) plan or Child Protection (CP) plan or having been subject to such plans over the previous 6 years. The duty is not statutory. Non-statutory guidance was first published by the Department for Education (DfE) in June 2022 which uses the terms Children With a Social Worker (CWSW) and Ever 6 CWSW, respectively. Funding was allocated to VSHs in every local authority (LA) until 31 March 2022. This initial six-month period comprised Phase One of the programme and was evaluated by the Rees Centre, though a formative, realist mixed methods evaluation, reflecting the early stage of development of the programme. The findings from the Phase One evaluation suggested that the additional resources were used by VSHs strategically to influence practice through, for example, better use of data, training of SWs and DSLs, supporting SWs to work more closely with schools and creating a culture of high aspirations. Barriers to implementing the extended duties included the short lead in time and duration of the funding, lack of access to accurate data, SW turnover and issues related to SEND among the cohort. Recommendations included longer-term funding commitments, making the CWSW duties of VSHs statutory, providing statutory guidance related to CWSW for schools, improving the systems for data-sharing and extending Pupil Premium to all CWSW. In March 2022, it was announced by DfE that VSHs' responsibilities for promoting the educational outcomes of the CWSW cohorts would be extended until March 2025 and would comprise Phase Two of the programme. The Rees Centre was commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Phase Two. As with Phase One, this will deliver mixed methods formative support for the programme by sharing findings on how the funding is being used, difficulties and barriers for VSHs in implementation and solutions identified in practice. In addition, the evaluation will, in time, include analysis of national datasets seeking to identify benchmarks for impact. This interim report covers the first 20 months of the Phase Two evaluation (April 2022-November 2023), drawing on evidence from two national surveys of VSHs (Survey 3 in October 2022 and Survey 4 in October 2023) and a second round of case studies (March 2023). The structure of this interim report is as follows: the methodology for each type of data collection is detailed before the most salient points from surveys 3 and 4, alongside evidence from the Phase Two case studies, are drawn together as key findings related to progress on ToC outcomes, commensurate to the time of reporting. A discussion of the key findings concludes the main body of the report. The case studies are presented in full in Appendix 1, and full results from surveys 3 and 4 are provided in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676827
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED676827
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED676827
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Evaluation of the Extension of Virtual School Heads' Duties to Children with a Social Worker. Phase Two: Interim Report
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Andrew+Brown%22">Andrew Brown</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alun+Rees%22">Alun Rees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nikki+Luke%22">Nikki Luke</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leon+Feinstein%22">Leon Feinstein</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Georgia+Hyde-Dryden%22">Georgia Hyde-Dryden</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judy+Sebba%22">Judy Sebba</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Department+for+Education+%28DfE%29+%28United+Kingdom%29%22">Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Oxford+%28United+Kingdom%29%2C+Rees+Centre%22">University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Rees Centre</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22UK+Department+for+Education%22"><i>UK Department for Education</i></searchLink>. 2024.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: UK Department for Education. Castle View House East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ, UK. Tel: +44-37-0000-2288; Fax: +44-19-2873-8248; Web site: http://www.education.gov.uk
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 119
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2024
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Evaluative
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Occupational+Information%22">Occupational Information</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22County+School+Districts%22">County School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Administration%22">School Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrators%22">Administrators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Social+Workers%22">School Social Workers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Needs+Students%22">Special Needs Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Virtual+Schools%22">Virtual Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrative+Change%22">Administrative Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Change+Strategies%22">Change Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Finance%22">Educational Finance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Evaluation%22">Program Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink>
– Name: ISBN
  Label: ISBN
  Group: ISBN
  Data: 978-1-83870-547-3
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: From September 2021, the role of the Virtual School Head (VSH) was extended to include the strategic oversight of children subject to a Child in Need (CIN) plan or Child Protection (CP) plan or having been subject to such plans over the previous 6 years. The duty is not statutory. Non-statutory guidance was first published by the Department for Education (DfE) in June 2022 which uses the terms Children With a Social Worker (CWSW) and Ever 6 CWSW, respectively. Funding was allocated to VSHs in every local authority (LA) until 31 March 2022. This initial six-month period comprised Phase One of the programme and was evaluated by the Rees Centre, though a formative, realist mixed methods evaluation, reflecting the early stage of development of the programme. The findings from the Phase One evaluation suggested that the additional resources were used by VSHs strategically to influence practice through, for example, better use of data, training of SWs and DSLs, supporting SWs to work more closely with schools and creating a culture of high aspirations. Barriers to implementing the extended duties included the short lead in time and duration of the funding, lack of access to accurate data, SW turnover and issues related to SEND among the cohort. Recommendations included longer-term funding commitments, making the CWSW duties of VSHs statutory, providing statutory guidance related to CWSW for schools, improving the systems for data-sharing and extending Pupil Premium to all CWSW. In March 2022, it was announced by DfE that VSHs' responsibilities for promoting the educational outcomes of the CWSW cohorts would be extended until March 2025 and would comprise Phase Two of the programme. The Rees Centre was commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Phase Two. As with Phase One, this will deliver mixed methods formative support for the programme by sharing findings on how the funding is being used, difficulties and barriers for VSHs in implementation and solutions identified in practice. In addition, the evaluation will, in time, include analysis of national datasets seeking to identify benchmarks for impact. This interim report covers the first 20 months of the Phase Two evaluation (April 2022-November 2023), drawing on evidence from two national surveys of VSHs (Survey 3 in October 2022 and Survey 4 in October 2023) and a second round of case studies (March 2023). The structure of this interim report is as follows: the methodology for each type of data collection is detailed before the most salient points from surveys 3 and 4, alongside evidence from the Phase Two case studies, are drawn together as key findings related to progress on ToC outcomes, commensurate to the time of reporting. A discussion of the key findings concludes the main body of the report. The case studies are presented in full in Appendix 1, and full results from surveys 3 and 4 are provided in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: ERIC
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED676827
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED676827
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 119
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Occupational Information
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: County School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrators
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Social Workers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Needs Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Virtual Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Implementation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Administrative Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Change Strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Evaluation of the Extension of Virtual School Heads' Duties to Children with a Social Worker. Phase Two: Interim Report
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom)
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: University of Oxford (United Kingdom), Rees Centre
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Andrew Brown
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Alun Rees
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Nikki Luke
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Leon Feinstein
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Georgia Hyde-Dryden
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Judy Sebba
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Identifiers:
            – Type: isbn-print
              Value: 978-1-83870-547-3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: UK Department for Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1