Agenda item

This report outlines key aspects of a proposed Draft three-year Corporate Parenting Strategy 23-25 with a new Draft Terms of Reference.

The Corporate Parenting Panel considered the Draft Corporate Parenting Strategy 2023-2025 report which outlined key aspects of a proposed Draft three-year Corporate Parenting Strategy 23-25 with a new Draft Terms of Reference.

The Chair of the Panel shared with members that the Department had a recent visit from Mark Riddell from the DFE who was looking into the work done by Childrens Social Care to support our Care Leavers. He had also visited a number of other Councils. He recognised the changes to the Corporate Parenting Panel as positive but we need to do more for our Care Leavers not only in Childrens Social Care a "Whole Council " approach was needed. Following his meeting with a number of our Care Leavers and discussions with senior officers he shared his recommendations. Present at the meeting were the Executive Mayor, the CEO, the Director of Childrens Social Care and the Lead Member among others.

The Panel received a presentation from the Service Manager, Adam Fearon-Stanley who shared the work the service had engaged in with the young people. Adam highlighted that all children deserved to be cared for, respected, listened to and supported, to feel safe and loved. All children deserved an opportunity and support to grow into happy and successful adults. As corporate parents, it was the responsibility to be supportive parent in times when birth, adoptive parents or carers were unable to fulfil the role, additionally to be corporate grandparents. This responsibility was for the whole council and partnership approach council staff and elected members and partners.

The Panel further heard that the voice of the children and young people often involved the engagement of activities. The service had established the Sunday Service, which was an opportunity for Children in Care Council (CICC) to get together. Over the last six months the service recognised how to widen focused participation approach: i.e. focus group for virtual college; permeance group; Corporate Parenting Panel Co-Chair; also work around the locking-bird model – in supporting fostering and how the service received feedback of their experience. This would include CICC working with different teams. The service envisaged to expand the team and continue to deliver and provide strength in support and management.

As part of the Corporate Parenting Strategy, the Subject Expert, Jane Scott shared with the Panel the four priority areas as mentioned within the report which were: Housing; Education, Employment, Training; Permanence Stability; and Health and Adult Transitions.

The Panel deliberated in detail the four priorities by discussing three main points: (1) were the priorities the right approaches to improving this area; (2) were the priorities the right measures to understand improvement and impact; and (3) what priorities were considered should be focussed in years 1/2/3 of the Strategy.

In summary, the Panel discussed that:

Health and Adult Transitions: showed a positive approach in improvement within this area, though challenged how access would be measured for young people, SEN and other groups. The basic right for a young person that entered care was to include GP registration, dental care, health assessments as the focal point.

Employment, Education and Training: included the mental health and wellbeing of a young person to address the voice of the child as the priority. The inclusion of co-chair, ambassadors, sub-groups and strategy would highlight the voice and concerns raised. The education provision and working side by side with other multi-agency professionals were considered to be the focal point.

Housing: The transformation project highlighted that housing could not develop on the quality and speed of what was required, so the transformation board encompassed young people to apply for affordable housing with a guarantor and support. Support included charity support and affective partnership. The ability for housing to recognise their accountability to support young people leaving care each year was reflected to be the focal point.

Permeance Stability: The voice of a child and how the service could prove that young people’s voices were heard included the clarity in the language used for accessibility for the young people was considered to be the focal point.

The Panel considered the Terms of Reference as set out in the report, which highlighted the purpose, membership and tenure to membership.

The Panel welcomed the Terms of Reference with no changes.

The Panel RESOLVED to provide feedback on the Draft Corporate Parenting Strategy Report and Terms of Reference.