To review the progress of the corporate parenting strategy.

The cabinet member children and families introduced the report, supported by the head of looked after children. It was highlighted that:

·         this was an annual review of progress of the corporate parenting strategy;

·         the Children and Social work Act 2017 introduced a new duty on councils to have regard to corporate parenting principles when exercising their functions in relation to looked after children and young people;

·         it was important to give looked after children the same opportunities as other children;

·         all decision reports are now required to consider the impact of proposed actions on looked after children as part of the corporate parenting responsibilities;

·         the number of placement moves had been kept low giving stability for looked after children;

·         looked after children in Herefordshire were achieving better than the national average, six care leavers were studying at university;

·         15 units of accommodation were available in the Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP);

·         the numbers of looked after children continued to be a challenge;

·         placement disruptions lead to some children having to move schools;

·         too often foster carers had not had authority to make day to day decisions delegated to them;

·         turnover of staff in some teams remained high leading to some children having several changes in their social worker.

In discussion of the report it was noted that:

·         opportunities for LAC to undertake work experience and apprenticeships was important and all councillors should seek to make use of their contacts or own businesses to promote these opportunities;

·         there was concern about the continuing increase in numbers of LAC;

·         the wider community had a part to play in supporting children and families, resilient communities could help to ensure that children did not needlessly end up in care by preventing families from reaching crisis;

·         a recent visit from the government’s chief advisor on supporting care leavers had been worthwhile;

·         a recent decision to exempt care leavers from council tax would be reflected in the progress report for 2018/19 and should be included in priority 8;

·         work had been done to ensure that authority to make day to day decisions was routinely delegated to foster carers and cases were audited monthly to make sure this was happening.

The chair of the children and young people scrutiny committee summarised the feedback from the committee. She noted that:

·         not everyone at the council recognised their responsibilities as corporate parents;

·         only around half of councillors had attended the voluntary training course on corporate parenting, this training would be made mandatory for all councillors in future;

·         there was a need to improve awareness of career pathways and opportunities among looked after children, many such children when asked express a desire to work in the care system partly because they want to give back but also because it is what they know.

The vice-chair of the adults and wellbeing scrutiny committee welcomed the news that six care leavers were studying at university and the overall improvement in results achieved in schools. He queried the support provided to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22

To review the progress of the corporate parenting strategy.

The committee received a report which provided an update on the corporate parenting strategy and action plan ahead of its presentation to Cabinet. The Head of Looked After Children (HLAC) introduced the report and provided an update on actions undertaken on the scrutiny committee’s recommendations on the Corporate Parenting Strategy. It was explained that challenges remained to ensure members completed the skills directory, finding more apprenticeships at the Council for LAC and the current level of LAC in the county. 

The committee raised the issues below in the discussion that followed:

·         Detail was requested of the LAC who had attended university and whether they had now found employment. The HLAC confirmed that this information would be provided;

·         It was recognised that progress had been made in certain areas of the action plan.

·         The committee highlighted the importance of all members completing the skills directory and also identifying where potential work opportunities existed in their wards. Details of the number of LAC looking for opportunities was requested and it was suggested that detail regarding the type of placements sought was compiled and the economic development team encouraged to work with micro business to identify potential placements. The Cabinet Member Young People and Children’s Wellbeing confirmed that members would be contacted individually to encourage greater engagement with corporate parenting responsibilities and to request details to include in the directory. Work was ongoing to include a social value element to contracts the council procured to include opportunities for LAC. The HLAC confirmed that approximately 20 LAC were looking for opportunities. 

·         The committee encouraged corporate parenting to be presented at the forthcoming parish summit.

·         The committee emphasised the importance of the early help and the edge of care service which had been recognised by Ofsted and the peer review. The Director of Children’s Wellbeing explained that as part of the budget setting process for 2019/2020 resources concerning an edge of care service would be evaluated.

·         It was recognised that LAC had concessions to leisure facilities and it was felt that such concessions to cultural providers locally should also be explored. It was suggested that the chair of the committee writes to local cultural providers to request concessions for LAC.

·         The committee requested detail of how unsuitable accommodation was defined. The HLAC explained that unsuitable accommodation was accommodation which was not felt to be meeting the needs of LAC, including sleeping on sofas, being in inappropriate relationships. Better recording of accommodation had been achieved through Mosaic and a reduction in the number of LAC in bed and breakfast settings had been achieved.  

·         Detail of progress with the savings proposal to reduce the numbers of looked after children was requested. The DCF confirmed that there had been progress in meeting the needs of some looked after children in different family based arrangements and that the directorate was delivering on its medium term financial savings target for this area.  However the expenditure on LAC in the current year would exceed planned spending. This was down to a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16