Minutes:
The Head of Children’s Social Care informed the Panel of an initiative that was introduced during the pandemic which aimed to capture the experiences of the pandemic, of children and young people looked after, through creative activities, such as the production of videos, poetry and photographs. As a result, an e-book had been produced which would be circulated to the Panel with the minutes: CYPS Lockdown Diaries
The Panel viewed an audio clip of one of the poems written during lockdown, which was narrated by the author of the poem, a child looked after.
The Strategic Manager for Children Looked After Resources shared a positive story about two young people residing at one of the county’s children’s homes. The young people had noticed that, during the pandemic, people had more time to enjoy nature, which provided them with an enterprising idea. They spent recent weeks clearing the shed in the garden in order to create a wood shed in which they intend to use their design skills to make bird-tables in time for the spring. The young people have impressed staff by fully engaging and showing a real commitment to this project.