ITEM CA12
CABINET – 20 MAY 2008
CORPORATE PARENTING – THE COUNCIL'S ROLE AS CORPORATE PARENT TO ITS LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN: ISSUES AND PROGRESS
Report by Head of Children & Families
Introduction
1. This report seeks to update Cabinet on performance and outcomes for Looked After Children, and on progress in developing a greater impact for the Council as Corporate Parent. Corporate Parenting is the term used to describe the collective responsibility of the Council, and its partners in the Children’s Trust arrangements, to act as a “parent” for the children it looks after in care and for those leaving care post-16.
2. Critical to the role is that members and officers of the Council seek for their children in care what every parent would want for their own children: the best possible care; health; education; and opportunities.
The Council’s Corporate Parenting Strategy
3. Annex 1 (download as .doc file) to this report is the proposed Corporate Parenting Strategy, which has been considered and approved by the Council’s Children’s Panel. The membership of this panel has been extended to include a foster carer and an adoptive parent. It is now proposed that the panel be called the Corporate Parenting Panel, to reflect the crucial importance of this role. It is further proposed that, in order to cement the link between the panel and the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, that its Chairman be invited to become a permanent member of the Corporate Parenting Panel. The current membership of the Children’s Panel, which as an informal body is not subject to the rules relating to political balance on Committees, is set out at Annex 3 (download as .doc file).
4. In line with the Children in Care Act progressing through Parliament currently, a Children in Care Council has been formed. This will be a group of supported young people , working with members and officers to ensure that appropriate services and support are designed and delivered, which will be gathered together in the Council’s Pledge to its Children in Care: a clear statement of the elements of good parenting that the Council is committed to provide.
5. The Corporate Parenting Strategy sets out the key priority actions required to tackle the critical issues that impact on children in care: these include the need for stable and consistent care; and access to the best possible appropriate education and health care.
6. Part of the strategy includes establishing a programme of monthly visits by members of the Children’s Panel to our two residential units, Thornbury House and Maltfield, the purpose of which is to meet the young people and staff; and to satisfy themselves that the care provided is “good enough for my child”.
7. In the Joint Area Review, services for Looked After Children were judged to be “good”. Progress in preventing entry to care, provision of appropriate placements and high quality case work and line management were all recognised in the inspection.
8. Some concerns about member involvement in the corporate parenting role were raised, as well as concerns about the educational attainment of children in care in primary schools (it should be noted that of the current population of children looked after, 41% have Statements of Special Educational Needs)
Performance and Outcomes for Children and Young People in Care
9. The Corporate Parenting role currently extends to 817 children and young people, 410 in care, and 407 care leavers. 267 of these are unaccompanied young people seeking asylum.
10. Annex 2 (download as .doc file) sets out the key performance and outcomes information relating to this group of children and young people. Strengths include:
· the number gaining one good GCSE; · allocation of cases to qualified social workers; · young people’s participation in their care plan reviews; · the number of Looked After young people living with “Family and Friends” carers (outcomes are generally good for these young people, whose relatives or family friends we support to care for them); and · the number leaving the care system for adoption and other permanent placements.
11. Key challenges in future include:
· ensuring sufficient local foster carers are recruited and supported; · managing placement stability better so young people experience fewer changes in care; and · providing the fullest range of support to young people to maximise their opportunities and life-chances.
Future Service Improvements
12. A range of further service improvements are being developed to support better outcomes for this most vulnerable group. These include:
· Working with a group of “Corporate Parenting Champions” from each directorate to raise the profile and develop new opportunities for Looked After Children and Care Leavers. · Developing a cross-Council Employability programme, to provide work experience, apprenticeship and ultimately employment opportunities for Care Leavers. · Extending existing mentoring programmes for Looked After Children, targeting Council staff, but, in accordance with the strong views expressed by the Children in Care Council, developed through partnerships with the voluntary sector. · Further training for Care Leavers as Source Workers, advising the Council on its services and policies, assisting with recruitment of staff, and enhancing life skills and confidence for this group. · Maintaining successful bidding record, to pilot new services, such as Multi-Dimensional Treatment Foster Care, extending care beyond 18 etc.
13. The Corporate Parenting Panel will regularly report progress on these developments, and outcomes for this vulnerable group, to the Cabinet.
Financial and Staff Implications
14. The average unit cost for looking after a child or young person in care in Oxfordshire in 2007 was £802 per week. This compares favourably with our statistical neighbours. With a low number of social work posts in the County, services can reasonably claim to be low-cost and high-performing, relative to comparator authorities.
15. As reported previously, Oxfordshire is one of a group of ten authorities lobbying Government to ensure that the costs of providing good care and support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people are met in full.
RECOMMENDATIONS
16. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) approve the Corporate Parenting Strategy and the priorities contained therein;
(b) note the information on outcomes for our Looked After Children and the service performance measures;
(c) approve a change of name from the Children’s Panel to the Corporate Parenting Panel, so as explicitly to address this key responsibility; and
(d) approve an invitation to the Chairman of Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee to join the Corporate Parenting Panel as an additional member.
ANDY COULDRICK Head of Service, Children & Families Children, Young People & Families
Background
papers:
Contact Officer: Andy Couldrick, Tel: (01865) 815833
May 2008
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