Agenda item

The Committee considered the joint report of the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People’s Services and the Chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel that presented the draft Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report April 2022- March 23 for comment.

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

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

She alluded to some of the achievements and were particularly proud of, including:

•         The focus on personalised care, ensuring each young person had an individual care plan detailing how they need to be looked after to help them get the best from their lives.

•        The awareness raising work remind staff and carers how young people like to be treated. Young people are now on the interview panels for all foster carers and children’s home staff to ensure they help appoint the best people to the jobs.

•        The updates that had been made to Family Time rooms to help young people have the best possible experiences with their family members, in more natural surroundings.

•        Development of the care leavers scrutiny committee and the care experienced young inspectors programme to help the Council explore how services are received by young people.

•        Commitment to continue to support young people with their transport arrangements.

•        Implementation of the Mockingbird Foster care model which helps support foster families in a way similar to other family networks.

The Ofsted inspection results earlier in the year were certainly an achievement, with the Council being graded as ‘good’ overall with the impact of leaders on social work practice being ‘outstanding’. In addition, Ofsted noted the Corporate Parenting Strategy as ambitious.

Work was continuing to address the 2023-24 priorities, which included savings and life skills, and she looked forward to providing a progress update next year. Across the year they met with young people from the children in care council, who hold the Council to account on the progress they were making.

She was extremely proud of the work of the Panel, and the commitment within the service to ensure the best possible experiences and outcomes for the young people in the Council’s care.

She presented the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report 2022-23 for information.

Resolved: That the contents of the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report 2022-23 be noted.