Agenda item

The report of Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer Partnership Development and Business Support briefly outlines the role of the Corporate Parenting Board and aims to increase understanding of the role of the Children’s Champion and what being a Corporate Parent means.

(Report attached)

The report of the Chief Officer Partnership Development and Business Support briefly outlined the role of the Corporate Parenting Board and increased the understanding of the role of the Children’s Champion and what being a Corporate Parent meant.

Cllr. Gruen introduced this item in her role as Children’s Champion for the Inner West area and member of the Corporate Parenting Board. Cllr. Gruen shares these roles with Cllr. Smart.

Cllr. Gruen informed the Members and officers that in their roles as elected members and all officers employed by the Council they had a responsibility for all looked after children and care leavers.

Cllr. Gruen informed the Community Committee that members of the Corporate Parenting Board had attended an induction session with Head of Service for Looked After Children, Head of Virtual School, and Voice and Influence Lead. Then, in December 2016 the young people on the Have a Voice Council and the Care Leavers Council took over the meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board. She went on to explain that prior to the meeting the young people had asked members of the Corporate Parenting Board to let them know three things they planned to do as a result of the induction session.

Cllr. Gruen said that one of her actions was

“Explain the role of the Corporate Parenting Board to the Inner West Community Committee and ensure all reports comment on the impact on children looked after and decisions where this is relevant”

This Item was the first step towards achieving this action.

Hannah Lamplugh, Voice and Influence Lead attended the meeting. She informed Members that the session was to provide the following outcomes:

·  Greater awareness of the characteristics and outcomes of looked after children

·  Increased understanding of what corporate parenting means in practice

·  Informed about the different levels of corporate parenting responsibility

Hannah explained the three responsibilities as:

·  Universal responsibility – applicable to all councillors and LCC employees

·  Targeted responsibility – e.g. Corporate Parenting Board members, School Governors 

·  Specialist responsibility – e.g. The Lead Member for Children’s Services

The young people from the Have a Voice Council had prepared a quiz for the Community Committee relating to aspects of being a looked after child or a care leaver.

The Community Committee enjoyed the quiz which was in the style of “Who wants to be a Millionaire”. The questions and answers prompted discussion.

Members were asked to note the contextual information about the Inner West Community Committee area at point 8 of the submitted report.

Members were informed of an annual prize giving event called ‘STARS’ which celebrated achievements of looked after children and care leavers. Members gave the offer of MICE money for prizes at future events.

The Community Committee discussed the following points:

·  Support for looked after children in hospitals and hospices

·  Educational attainment and how this needed to improve, including the work that Bramley Cluster was doing.

·  The role of designated teachers in schools

·  ‘Staying put’ – continued care for over 18 years up to 21

·  Independent Visitor Scheme – which is on facebook

·  Need for foster carers

·  ‘Moving on up’ event at Leeds Beckett University

·  Low numbers of looked after children and care leavers attending university

·  The need for a scheme to link universities nationally

RESOLVED – It was resolved that Members of the Inner West Community Committee use their increased knowledge and understanding of looked after children and young people and corporate parenting to consider and act on their own corporate parenting responsibilities.

At a future meeting, Cllr. Gruen to explore with members of the Community Committee how future Community Committee reports could consider and record the impact of decisions on looked after children and care leavers – where this is relevant.