Agenda item

The Annual Report of the Corporate Parenting Panel is attached.

The Corporate Parenting Panel considered the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report 2021-2022, which provided an overview of the work presented to the Corporate Parenting Panel in 2021-2022 and is a celebration of the success, achievements and areas of improvement of Croydon’s Children Looked After and Care Leavers. The Panel received a short presentation overview from the Head of Quality Assurance, Shaun Hanks.

In brief summary, the Panel heard that:

-                  Overall, in 2021-2022 year was marked by the covid-19 pandemic, restructure within the service which integrated unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

-                  There was a changed in the demographics which saw a reduction in looked after children, an increase in Black and Black British children and mixed ethnicity.

-                  84% of children were in fostering, where 50% of the foster carers used were from Croydon.

-                  In terms of risk, there was 17% of young people who go missing from care and 56% of return to home interviews undertaken which needed more improvement.

-                  The Health Operational Group had focused on the quality of the health assessments and the timeliness of the assessments, which needed more focus.

-                  Two thirds of the care experienced young people were unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

-                  There were 75% of 17-18 years olds, and 59% of 19-21 year olds engaged in Education Employment and Training, which was slightly higher than statistical neighbours. More work was channelled around this.

-                  There were fourteen children adopted.

-                  EMPIRE had provided outstanding service in support provided to young people and the engagement from young people.

-                  There was a strong independent visiting and advocacy service provided to the young people, and there were work to expand services to 18-25 year olds who equally required support.

-                  The priorities for 2022-2023 included reviewing the experience of care and identifying differences; reviewing the support that works for care experienced 16-18 year olds; missing children; the systemic understanding of relationships and trauma informed practice; and to increase ‘local’ homes in fostering which would be sufficient and close to Croydon.

Panel Members thanked the officers for the annual report which was seen as a huge improvement. The priorities going forward was welcomed.

In response to queries raised by the Panel, the Head of Quality Assurance clarified the following:

-                  In relation to whether there was policy in place to support care leavers up until aged 25, officers confirmed that since 2018 the legislation requested for support to be given to young people up until age 25 if this was what they required. The service was putting in better services to help the leaving care experienced young people with additional support.

-                  In relation to the trauma and adolescence review that was conducted, officers informed that the work had been conducted through the children’s safeguarding partnership and across the agencies. Though there was an increase in crime, and there was a better understanding in trauma following the high risk assessments and multiagency approach which had taken place.

-                  In relation to the comment around work done to increase the number of foster carers for larger sibling groups, officers informed that within the fostering recruitment this was a focus area, additionally, a lot of the sibling groups accommodated often came from court, and the work with the legal teams and support would help review trends, ethnicity and matching. The Chair welcomed the work around this.

The Panel RESOLVED to approve the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report of 2021-2022 to be taken to Full Council in July.

In any other business, a Panel Member addressed her concern for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the two-tier system particularly relating to the emotional wellbeing not considered [in a particular case]. It was highlighted and addressed by the Chair that children who were vulnerable and experienced trauma had received the support required, as Croydon was a borough that welcomed all children. Further, officers responded and acknowledged where there were failures and have liaised with services to ensure the system was better for unaccompanied asylum seeking children.