Why your PEP system might be holding your Virtual School back (and how to fix it)
For Virtual School Heads (VSHs) and their teams, the quality of a Personal Education Plan (PEP) system can make or break their ability to support looked-after children. A poor system doesn’t just create frustration; it undermines efficiency, data accuracy, and, ultimately, the outcomes for children in care.
So what are some of the challenges faced by Virtual Schools using an inefficient PEP system? And how can a purpose-built, innovative Virtual School solution such as the Welfare Call ePEP address these pain points and elevate the support provided to vulnerable children?
The Hidden Costs of an Inefficient PEP System
- Clunky Systems and Labour-Intensive Processes
One of the most common complaints about alternate PEP systems is that they are clunky and labour-intensive. We’re aware of examples where local authorities have needed 2 years+ to implement their current system from a different provider fully – a timeline that highlights inefficiency and steep learning curves. Even after this setup, ongoing maintenance falls disproportionately on Virtual School staff. For instance:
- Design and templates are limited to free text boxes, restricting flexibility and increasing manual input.
- Delegating sections of the PEP to schools requires manual intervention, often weeks before meetings.
- Notifications are not automated, leaving Virtual School teams to manually track PEP deadlines on spreadsheets.
Why this matters: Labour-intensive systems not only waste valuable time but also increase the risk of errors. For a role as critical as supporting looked-after children, VSHs should focus on strategic oversight, not battling outdated technology or micromanaging workflows.
How we help Welfare Call’s ePEP automates notifications, tracks deadlines, and simplifies delegation, enabling teams to manage PEPs efficiently without manual intervention. This frees up time for VSHs and PEP coordinators to focus on supporting children and driving improvements.
- Lack of Flexibility and User Control
The inability to make changes once a PEP is submitted or to adjust time limits (for example, if there is a default 30-day access period for schools) severely hampers flexibility. Schools often miss submission deadlines, losing all progress, which creates frustration and additional workload for everyone involved. Similarly, if users cannot view other workers’ sections, this can lead to fragmented communication and gaps in oversight.
Why this matters: Flexibility is critical for addressing the real-world complexities of supporting looked-after children. A rigid system makes it harder for teams to adapt to individual cases, leading to inefficiencies and potential gaps in the quality of care.
How we help: Welfare Call’s ePEP allows full flexibility, including the ability to amend submissions and adjust access periods. It provides transparency across all sections, ensuring seamless collaboration between designated teachers (DTs), social workers (SWs), and Virtual Schools. Welfare Call’s PEP platform is live and accessible to all users 24/7
- Poor Reporting and Data Access
Effective reporting is essential for monitoring progress and identifying trends, yet some alternative systems can make this process unnecessarily difficult:
- Progress data cannot be reported on without IT intervention.
- Business cases are required for any report creation or template changes.
- Extracting data is time-intensive and requires technical expertise, which many teams lack.
Why this matters: Data should empower Virtual Schools, not hold them back. Reporting delays hinder the ability to make evidence-based decisions and demonstrate impact to stakeholders, including Ofsted.
How we help: Welfare Call’s PEP provides built-in reporting tools that allow users to generate custom reports without the need for IT support or lengthy approval processes. This means Virtual Schools can access critical insights in real time, enabling better decision-making and improving accountability.
- Limited Integration and Data Duplication
Where local authorities use different systems for different data (e.g. attainment data), the lack of integration between this system and their current PEP solution forces teams to duplicate efforts, further increasing workload. Ideally, progress and attainment data should be seamlessly integrated into the PEP.
Why this matters: Separate systems create silos, increase administrative burdens, and raise the risk of inconsistent data. Integration is key to ensuring that all relevant information is accessible in one place.
How we help: Welfare Call’s ePEP integrates core data and attainment information, eliminating duplication. This ensures that all stakeholders have a clear, unified view of a child’s progress, saving time and improving accuracy.
- Frustrating User Experience for Schools and Virtual School Teams
The experience of using a PEP system should foster collaboration, but alternative solutions often fall short:
- Schools risk losing all input if they fail to submit PEPs within a certain amount of days.
- No automated notifications leave schools dependent on manual reminders from Virtual Schools.
- Core functionality, like amending data, requires disproportionate effort, causing frustration for all users.
Why this matters: A poor user experience discourages engagement and risks damaging relationships between Virtual Schools and schools. This can negatively impact outcomes for children in care.
How we help: Our ePEP is designed with usability in mind, providing intuitive workflows, automated reminders, and safeguards to prevent data loss. This ensures that both schools and Virtual School teams can work together effectively.
Breaking Free from Clunky Systems: How Welfare Call Transforms PEP Management
The Welfare Call ePEP solution is tailored to the unique challenges faced by Virtual Schools. By prioritising automation, flexibility, and user-friendliness, it addresses the critical pain points outlined above. Key benefits include:
- Time-Saving Automation: Automated notifications and deadline tracking streamline workflows, reducing administrative burdens on Virtual Schools.
- Enhanced Flexibility: Teams can amend PEPs after submission, adjust timelines, and collaborate transparently.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Built-in tools make it easy to track progress, monitor attainment, and generate reports without IT expertise.
- Seamless Integration: Core data and attainment information are unified within the system, eliminating duplication and silos.
- User-Friendly Design: An intuitive interface ensures that all users, from Designated Teachers (DTs) and Social Workers to PEP coordinators, can engage effectively.
Final Thoughts
The role of Virtual Schools in supporting looked-after children is too important to be hindered by inefficient systems. The challenges outlined above highlight how a poor PEP solution can drain resources, create frustration, and ultimately impact outcomes for vulnerable children. Welfare Call’s ePEP addresses these issues head-on, offering a solution that saves time, improves collaboration, and delivers the flexibility needed to meet the demands of modern Virtual Schools.
If your current PEP system feels like a barrier rather than a tool, it’s time to consider a change. Welfare Call’s ePEP isn’t just a system; it’s a partner in helping Virtual Schools provide the best possible support for children in care.
Learn more about Welfare Call’s ePEP https://welfarecall.com/epep/