Extra Support For Looked After Children and Young People Announced
19 February 2015
This week Education Secretary, Angela Constance, announced which seven local authority areas will be first to benefit from a 100 million pound Attainment Scotland Fund. In the funds first year 20 million pounds will be released to help pupils in Dundee, Glasgow, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and North Lanarkshire. The initial seven local authorities area have been selected due to the concentration of pupils living in deprived areas within each. Annual funding, in the amount of 500 thousand pound,s to support a National Mentoring Scheme to improve the lives of looked after children was also announced.
Mentoring has been shown to make a significant difference in helping looked after children and young people overcome the additional difficulties they experience as well as boosting educational attainment. Initial plans are for a mentoring scheme where a trusted, adult volunteer mentor will be matched with a mentee aged between 8 and 14, who is looked after at home, to provide guidance and support for as long as required.
Additional information on this announcement is available here and we will provide any further updates as they become available.
