The North Yorkshire Virtual School is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes, emotional wellbeing, and life chances of all children with a social worker, including those who have had any involvement in the previous six years. With its extended duties, the Virtual School now provides strategic support to ensure these children receive the guidance and resources they need to thrive academically and personally. We endeavour to attend relevant meetings at the earliest opportunity to ensure our connection and availability to support is recognised. We offer ongoing ad hoc support to Designated Safeguarding Leads and social workers, alongside the offer of regular cohort meetings.
Key responsibilities include:
- Raising Educational Achievement: Supporting schools and professionals to help children overcome barriers to learning and to achieve their full potential.
- Promoting Emotional Wellbeing: Encouraging interventions that foster resilience and good mental health, ensuring children feel supported in their educational journey.
- Collaborative Support: Working closely with social workers, carers, and educators to create a cohesive network of care and learning.
- Evidence-Based Interventions: Advising on and implementing strategies proven to enhance outcomes for vulnerable children.
These duties, which are carried out by members of staff covering a dedicated geographic area (West, Central, East), reflect North Yorkshire's commitment to ensuring every child, regardless of their circumstances, has access to high-quality education and opportunities for a brighter future. This includes the offer of an Anspear licence to all young people currently on a plan, to increase the accessibility of resources and to help to overcome barriers to learning.
Supporting Children in Need (CIN) and Child Protection (CP)
How the Virtual School can help schools and social workers
Children who have a social worker, including those with Children in Need (CIN) or Child Protection (CP) plans, are more likely to face challenges that affect their attendance, wellbeing and learning.
The Virtual School has a strategic role in supporting these children (aged 0–18) by working closely with schools, settings and social care. Our aim is to make education a place of safety, helping children stay engaged in learning and achieve their full potential.
Why this support matters
Nationally, 1 in 10 children has a social worker. Many experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can lead to:
- Lower attendance, including persistent and severe absence
- Poor emotional and physical wellbeing
- Unidentified learning needs
- Lower attainment compared to their peers
- Increased vulnerability to exploitation
By working together early, we can reduce barriers to education, improve outcomes and help prevent families reaching crisis point.
What support is available from the Virtual School?
Schools, settings and social workers can access the following support through their allocated Education Liaison Advisor (ELA):
👥 Supervision and advice
- DSL supervision for advice and guidance, including trauma‑informed support
- Social worker consultation, via team managers or direct contact with the ELA
- Support to escalate concerns where cases are complex or attendance is a concern
📊 Attendance support
- Targeted work with schools and social workers to improve the attendance when it is:
- Below 90% (persistent absence)
- Below 50% (severe absence)
- Joint working with attendance teams and wider NYC teams and services
🎓 Training and professional development
- Bespoke DSL and social worker training
- Input into existing DSL networks and locality meetings
- Support to strengthen understanding of education as a safeguarding factor
🧩 Education Liaison Advisor (ELA) consultation (Mapping Sessions)
- Structured conversations using:
- Signs of Safety
- Family Finding
- Supports joint problem‑solving between schools and social care
- Focuses on removing barriers to:
- Attendance
- Engagement
- Learning
🤝 Multi‑agency working
- ELA attendance at all relevant meetings alongside social care and inclusion colleagues
- Modelling effective partnership working
- Promoting a shared understanding that education is a protective factor
What the Virtual School does – and does not do
✅ Our role includes:
- Highlighting the disadvantages children with a social worker may face
- Promoting engagement in education as a safeguarding measure
- Supporting improved attendance, wellbeing and attainment
- Strengthening partnership working between education and social care
- Advising professionals on evidence‑based approaches
🚫 Not in scope:
- Direct work with individual children or families
- Tracking or monitoring individual pupils’ progress
- Funding education provision
- Responding directly to parents or carers
- Responsibility for children with SEND who do not have a social worker
How to access support
If you are a school, setting or social worker, please contact your allocated Education Liaison Advisor (ELA) for advice, supervision or to request a mapping session.
For urgent enquiries, contact:
📧 VirtualSchool@northyorks.gov.uk
