To update the Committee on progress made since the action plan that was

produced on the Review of Transition from Leaving Care to Adult life on 19

December 2008.

The Committee received a report on progress made on the action plan for the Scrutiny Review of Transition from Leaving Care to Adult Life.

The Chairman of the Review Group went through the report and made the following comments:

• That the review of the Children’s and Young People’s Directorate would successfully incorporate the Education Liaison Support Service for Looked After Children (LAC).

• That she was concerned that an IT solution to link the Council’s system with the Health System had not yet been produced.

• She welcomed the news that there was a proposal to employ a dedicated health worker for Care leavers and that despite lack of funding, that this remained a key issue for transition to adult care.

• That the issue of measuring the number of LAC’s from other authorities who were placed in the County had to be solved. 

• She was outraged that black bin liners were still being used three years after this report had been published.

The Chairman of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee concurred with her comments and said that he was deeply disappointed by the years of obfuscation and delay that had greeted this review.  He said that this was a poor report, and he would raise the matter with the Interim Director of Children’s Services.

In reply to a question from a Member, the Head of Safeguarding, LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) reported that the recent judgement made in Southwark, which found that homeless 16 and 17 year olds should be treated as Looked After if provided with accommodation, would have a profound effect on Aftercare services in Herefordshire as these individuals would become entitled to these services if Looked After for more than 12 weeks. They would also be entitled to advice and support until aged 21 years. Having to find suitable accommodation for 40 young people who had previously been dealt with by the Housing Service had put pressure on the accommodation available to Care leavers.  A funded agreement had been reach with the Supporting Herefordshire Young People Project (SHYPP) in order to recruit and support an additional eight supported lodgings to meet the needs of this group

The Head of Safeguarding went on to say that there were currently 89 LAC children in the County, placed here by other Authorities.  The provider organisations were obliged to provide the Council with information regarding these children, and the Council was working in partnership with the Police.  The placing authorities were not obliged to provide the information, and he did not understand why OFSTED would not provide information regarding these placements.

The Head of Safeguarding undertook to provide Members with a briefing note regarding the status of LAC in the County.

RESOLVED: 

That:

a)      That the Committee expressed concern that it was still not clear that any of the areas of concern raised by the Review had been adequately dealt with, and the Action Plan was not fit for purpose;

b)     The report should be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee; and;

c)      The matter should be discussed at Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee.