Agenda item

The Strategic Manager for Looked After Children and Permanence presented the Care Leavers’ Annual Report and delivered a presentation (for copy of report and presentation see file of minutes).

The Chair commented that it was pleasing to note that, following intervention from the Director of Children and Young People’s Services, there is now a regional agreement that care leavers residing in the North East are exempt from Council Tax.

Councillor Jewell referred to the number of children in the care system with learning difficulties and asked what support is available to them when leaving care.  The Strategic Manager for Looked After Children and Permanence, replied that pathway planning begins at 15 years of age to ensure that levels of support are identified well in advance.  The Deputy Head of the Virtual School, Clive Horton, informed the Panel that approximately one quarter of looked after children have education health plans and the same percentage have special education support plans, which is just below the national average. 

A restructure of the Virtual School team means that there will be access to a wider team, with a new casework team linking the Virtual School with the special educational needs teams.

Councillor Makepeace asked for more information as to how care leavers are treated as a priority group. Trish Lambert, Senior Practitioner, replied that this is a similar process to when people identify as having a disability, therefore when care leavers meet the criteria for posts within the Council they are guaranteed an interview.  As a result, a number of young people are currently employed by Service Direct. 

Ellie Seed of Investing in Children added that one of the issues raised by the young people within the Children in Care Council (CiCC) is that young people in conventional families often benefit from being offered opportunities within family businesses and this opportunity is not available to children in care.  The Chair responded that this has been considered by the Council, and, as a result the Council, as a corporate parent, is now actively assisting young people within the care system to gain employment and training with the Council, thus providing them with an opportunity to ‘join the family business’. 

Councillor Bainbridge asked how many of these young people have been employed by the Council over the past 12 months.  Trish Lambert, Senior Practitioner, replied that 5 young people have secured a 12 months’ contract and 2 young people have a 3 months’ contract with Service Direct, and, approximately 8 young people have been provided with work experience through the ‘Teenagers 2 Work’ programme.

Councillor McKeon referred to problems of low paid, low quality apprenticeships and asked whether guidance is provided to young people in the care system about their choices.  Ellie Seed of Investing in Children responded that the Children in Care Council is aware that this is an issue and guidance is provided to the young people on this and on the financial support available to them.

In response to a question in relation to the downward trend in the percentage of care leavers aged 17-21 years in education and employment and training, the Strategic Manager for Looked After Children and Permanence replied that in recent months there had been a lack of resources and an increase in the number of young people with complex needs.  However, there is confidence that this will improve in the near future with new resources available at the Old Manse and Headley Court. 

Councillor Scott advised that the Council is able to influence the planning process in an effort to increase the number of apprentices by including a clause in contracts which requires developers to employ apprentices.

The Strategic Manager for Looked After Children and Permanence added that the Chief Executive, Corporate Management Team and Heads of Service are committed to providing opportunities for every care leaver in the ‘family firm’   In addition to this, the Corporate Management Team have discussed the possibility of including a section in the implications appendix of all committee reports relating to care leavers which would ensure that implications for care leavers are considered. It was agreed that Cllr McKeon would raise this with Cllr Gunn, Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People’s Services.

Resolved

That the report be noted.