Renfrewshire Council in Scotland has allocated an extra £100,000 to recruit three new specialists to help ‘looked after children’ in the region.
The term ‘looked after children’ includes children in care, those living with foster parents, and those living with members of their family under a supervision order.
The new recruits will help affected children in Renfrewshire to improve their social and emotional skills and do better at school.
Councillor Iain McMillan is convener of the council’s Social Work, Health and Wellbeing Policy Board. He said:
“Renfrewshire Council looks after over 700 children. Like any parent, we want to give the children we care for the best possible start in life. That means helping them do well at school. This extra investment will allow us to significantly increase the number of staff we have working with looked-after children in our schools and to make a real difference to their lives.”
He added:
“Many children and young people who are looked after by local authorities do worse at school and are more likely to be excluded or play truant than their classmates. Providing the right support for looked-after children is crucial to closing the gap in attainment between them and children who aren’t looked after.”
