Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report (for copy see file of minutes).

Councillor Brookes, Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Panel, introduced the first annual report following Ofsted recommendations in 2016 to ensure political input into practices delivered to children.  The report had been produced by young people in conjunction with the Children in Care Council.  Councillor Brookes welcomed the news that care leavers no longer had to pay Council Tax and referred to a recent Care Leavers Challenge that Councillor Patterson had participated in, where she had spent a week living on the care leavers allowance of £57.90.  Councillor Brookes confirmed that it was alarming that at one point, she had been forced to choose between food or heating.  He thanked Vice Chair of Corporate Parenting Panel, Councillor Smith for the work that she been involved with.

Resolved:

That the annual report be received.