Concern about welfare of Shropshire’s ‘invisible’ children

Shropshire Council has expressed concern about the welfare of the ‘invisible’ children who don’t attend school and are not known to the council.

Whilst parents are entitled to educate their children at home, they aren’t obliged to notify the council of their decision to do so – leading to concerns about their welfare.

Whilst Shropshire Council holds a register of home-educated children, registration is not compulsory. If a child is removed from a school to be educated at home, parents must notify the school who in turn notify the council.

However, if a child has never attended a school, is at a transitional stage, leaves an independent school or moves into the county they can remain unidentified and ‘invisible’ to the council – who are unable to ensure that the child is safe and well and has access to universal services.

At the start of the current academic year (8 September 2015), 181 children were registered with Shropshire Council as being home-educated. However, these are only the children the council knows about, and it is likely there are more that aren’t known.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said:

“This lack of visibility helps the small minority of home educators who use elective home education as a cover to conceal child neglect and abuse.

“The vast majority of children who are educated at home will be being cared for satisfactorily – however, a small minority may be at risk.

“We ask anyone who has any concerns about a child who isn’t attending school for any reason to report these concerns to the council.”

To report a concern, call 01743 254397.

A report was presented to Shropshire Council’s young people’s scrutiny committee on 4 November 2015 giving details of Shropshire Council’s oversight of children who are educated at home, known as elective home education (EHE) and those children missing from education (CME). The report informed the committee how Shropshire Council meets its statutory duties in relation to children missing education and those children known to be home educated within this local authority area.

Further information

In Shropshire, visits to review the educational provision made for the child at home are offered to parents on at least an annual basis (more frequently when concerns are identified).

In Shropshire, there are currently five families who refuse to engage with Shropshire Council at all. A Parental Engagement Officer (PEO) will attempt to work with these families in the first instance.

Where there are concerns or it is deemed that a suitable education is not being provided for their child, and parents refuse to engage with the PEO, School Attendance Orders (SAO) may be served by the council that require parents to enrol their child in a school identified by themselves or named in the SAO.

In 2015 four School Attendance Orders were breached in Shropshire. The resulting action (the first in Shropshire) brought before the Magistrates Court in September 2015 resulted in fines and costs totalling £5,074.