Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel that presented the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report 2021-22, a copy of which had been circulated (for copy of report, see file of minutes).

The Annual Report 2021-22 was endorsed by Cabinet at its meeting on 14 September 2022 and was presented to Council on 21 September for information.

Councillor Walton, Vice-Chair of Corporate Parenting Panel was in attendance to present the report and thanked officers from the Corporate Parenting Panel along with all of the young people who made the Annual Report possible.

There’s was a wide range of work taking place across the board to support the children and young people in the county’s care, as well as care leavers.

She alluded to some of the 2021-22 achievements, and were particularly proud of, including college bus pass deductions no longer being taken from care experienced young people’s bursaries at New College Durham.

In addition, all care experienced young people in County Durham who were in years 12 and 13 had been awarded an ‘all time top up bus pass’ to use anytime, not just when they’re going to college. Further discussions around access to public transport were continuing into 2022/23, as this continued to be a challenge for care leavers.

Although the recent Ofsted inspection fell outside of the Annual Report timeframes, Ofsted noted the Corporate Parenting Strategy as ambitious.

Work was continuing to address the 2022-23 priorities identified in the annual report, which included personalised care, staff in Children’s Homes and Foster Carers, and Family Time and she looked forward to providing a progress update in the next annual report. Throughout the year they continued to meet with young people from the children in care council, who hold the council to account on the progress they were making against these priorities.

Luke, one of the young people from the Children in Care Council attended Council on 21 September to present the Annual Report, and he did a fantastic job. It made her very proud to see young people’s confidence and knowledge grow, and to see them go from strength to strength.

The quote on the front of this year’s Annual Report ’children are like boats and just need a little bit of guidance to go down the right path’ and the Corporate Parenting Panel helped to promote that the county’s young people were more than ‘children in care’ they were young people with a range of skills, abilities and talents.

She thanked everyone involved in the work of the Corporate Parenting Panel and presented the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report for 2021-22.

Resolved: That the contents of the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report be noted.