Agenda item

RESOLVED: To

1.1.         Consider the public interest report dated 29 November 2022 regarding the events from 2016 – 19, and the recommendations made by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) in relation to Croydon Council set out in Appendix 1.

1.2.         Accept the findings and agree the recommendations set out in the public interest report.

1.3.         Endorse the actions taken by the Council and note the steps, progress, and timeline to implement the recommendations set out in section 7 of this report.

1.4.         Adopt the report as the Council’s formal response under section 31 of the Local Government Act 1974 to be communicated to the Ombudsman.

1.5.         Adopt the report as the Executive’s formal response as required by section 5A of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 for distribution to all members and the Monitoring Officer.

The Executive Mayor considered the Local Government and social Care Ombudsman Report Finding of Fault causing Injustice and Report by the monitoring Officer under section 5A of the Local Government and housing Act 1989 report which outlined recommendations made by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman following findings that the Council was at significant fault for events that took place between 2016 – 2019. The report related to a young person leaving foster care and the Council’s failure to provide the support required as a young, single parent. It was also found that the Council failed to safeguard Miss Y and her young child from the risk of gang-related violence when her brother moved into her property in late 2018.

The Executive Mayor informed that the Council has since accepted all recommendations and ensured that all staff in the care leavers service were clear on their duty to ensure that care experienced young people were supported to find suitable and affordable accommodation.

It was further outlined in the report that a comprehensive review of the Council’s response and provision for care experienced young people had undertaken and continued through a programme of transformation to deliver a ‘Whole Council’ approach to corporate parenting.

The Executive Mayor concluded that the council must accept the findings and agree the recommendations set out in the public interest report included in Appendix A and endorsed the actions taken by the Council to date to implement the recommendations set out in section 7 of the report.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Gatland addressed Cabinet with an apology to the former care experienced young person who did not receive the care she was entitled to at the time. The accommodation issue would be addressed through a revised protocol for care experienced adults accessing housing which would be heard at the June Cabinet meeting. Councillor Gatland further informed that it was the responsibility of all key agencies including the council to ensure adequate care to care experienced young people; there was better improvements in responding to complaints relating to children’s services; and the Corporate Parenting Strategy was in development and would be heard at Cabinet in the later future.

The Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Foster shared an apology to the former care experienced young person and queried on the details of work around better listening and more understanding in safeguarding care experienced young people.

In response, the Corporate Director for Childrens also shared an apology to the former care experienced young person and highlighted that Children’s Services was rated inadequate by Ofsted at the time of the reported incident and the risks of placement had not been adequately assessed, though the difference now was considerable and the lessons learned had shown that a huge amount of work would be done to assess risks for care experience young person and their relatives that remained in the property.

The Executive Mayor extended his apologies on behalf of the council to the former care experienced young person for what she and her family had experienced.

The Executive Mayor RESOLVED: To

1.1.         Consider the public interest report dated 29 November 2022 regarding the events from 2016 – 19, and the recommendations made by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) in relation to Croydon Council set out in Appendix 1.

1.2.         Accept the findings and agree the recommendations set out in the public interest report.

1.3.         Endorse the actions taken by the Council and note the steps, progress, and timeline to implement the recommendations set out in section 7 of this report.

1.4.         Adopt the report as the Council’s formal response under section 31 of the Local Government Act 1974 to be communicated to the Ombudsman.

1.5.         Adopt the report as the Executive’s formal response as required by section 5A of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 for distribution to all members and the Monitoring Officer