Important points for quality PEP completion
- An understanding of the importance of the PEP for all children and young people who are looked after. This should be evidenced through child-focused, comprehensive and well-presented recording in the PEP. Remember the PEP belongs to the child or young person and is about supporting them to meet their full potential.
- Children and young people should be invited and supported to attend the PEP meetings, where appropriate and practical, at least in part. If they do not attend the PEP, a clear reason must be recorded and their views should be gained ideally prior to it taking place.
- Children will benefit from preparation for their PEP meeting. This will help the young person feel part of the process and understand the purpose of the meeting. Children should be asked if there is anything they want an adult to say at the meeting that they are uncomfortable about saying themselves and who they would like to say it for them.
- The views of the child or young person should be evidenced and can be used to inform the setting of targets
- Parents or carers should be invited and supported to contribute to the PEP – if this is not possible or not appropriate this should be clearly recorded
- Targets should be child specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and have clear timescales attached to them – remember, they are termly targets and should be measurable at the following term’s PEP meeting
- Targets should not be limited to academic issues and should consider the child or young person’s social, emotional and mental health needs within school, as well as their broadening of social skills and relationships
- It should be clear which adults are going to support the child to achieve their target, how they are going to help and how often (if appropriate) – this also includes children’s carers
- The information included should celebrate the child or young person’s achievements
- Recording should give a sense of the child or young person as an individual (this includes information referring to the child or young person by name and not as ‘the student’)
- Non-generic comments, such as how a child presents, should be up-to-date and not simply ‘carried over’ from previous PEPs without some consideration
- All PEPs must be held within timescales
- The date of the next PEP must be arranged and recorded – if this is not possible the reason needs to be noted