Personal education plans (PEPs) guidance

  1. Overview
  2. The PEP process
  3. Log in to the Lancashire PEP
  4. PEP meetings
  5. Quality assurance of PEPs
  6. Collecting the child or young person's voice
  7. Emotional health and wellbeing
  8. Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ)
  1. Target setting
  2. Transitions
  3. PEP checklist
  4. Exemplar PEPs
  5. Previously looked after children and children with a social worker
  6. Help and advice
  7. Videos

2. The PEP process

When a Lancashire child becomes looked after, the social worker will arrange for a PEP meeting to be convened to complete the PEP document within 20 working days of the child coming into care. When a child is placed in an emergency, the PEP should be initiated within 10 working days of the first placement.

The setting will be contacted to agree a date and time for the initial meeting. The child and their carers will be part of the PEP meeting.

  1. Social worker completes the “My Personal Information” and “My Health” sections of the PEP at least 10 days before the PEP meeting. Please follow this up with the social worker if it is delayed.
  2. You should begin completion of the PEP before the meeting. You'll get an email when your sections are delegated to you (this currently comes from: noreply@lancashire.gov.uk). Check the sections above are completed fully and contact the social worker if there are any issues.
  3. PEP meeting. The social worker must attend all PEP meetings. In the event of unavoidable non-attendance, comments and input must be provided before the meeting, for example, telephone call and an email.
  4. Complete the PEP within 10 working days of the PEP meeting. You'll get a reminder email before the due date. You can attach supporting documents such as SEND targeted learning plans through the professional portal.
  5. Social worker checks PEP. If social workers have issues with the quality of the educational information that the setting has submitted, they'll contact the Virtual School consultant for follow up.
  6. Quality assurance (for a sample of PEPs). You'll be contacted if you need to make improvements to the PEP.
  7. On approval of the PEP, you'll get a copy via secure email to share with parents/carers.
  8. Process is repeated termly for review meetings/PEPs. Once the first PEP form is finalised, the second PEP form process will be immediately started by CLA business support and reassigned to the social worker to delegate to the setting.

PEP windows

The Virtual School also sets a date each term by which all PEPs have to be submitted. These deadline dates are:

  • Autumn Term 7 December
  • Spring Term – 7 March
  • Summer Term – 7 July

Please do them as early as possible as if the PEP has to be returned, this then causes a delay for the next term.

Out of county children

If a child is looked after by another local authority, you must use the PEP template and system of that local authority.

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