Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children & Family Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/140

Contact: Katie Read, Senior Policy Officer Tel: 07584 909530

Report by Policy & Performance Service Manager (CA10).

To consider and respond to the recommendations from the Performance Scrutiny Committee deep dive into how the Council identifies and supports young carers to reduce the inequalities they face.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          Consider the findings of the Performance Scrutiny Committee’s deep dive into young carers.

(b)         Agree which of the following recommendations the Cabinet will accept:

                          i.    Explore ways of funding the unique support to young carers provided by Be Free Young Carers.

                         ii.    The timescales for completing statutory young carers’ assessments and delivering support are reviewed and improved.

                       iii.    There are examples of good practice in identifying and supporting young carers in some schools, e.g. opportunities for young carers to complete homework on school premises. This good practice needs to be recognised, captured and shared.

                       iv.    Ensure Oxfordshire’s health and social care system specifically considers the impact of its drive to deliver more community-based care on young carers.

                         v.    Identify a Young Carers Councillor Champion to help people understand the needs of young carers and promote the identification and support of young carers.

(c)          Ask the Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services, to prepare a response for a future meeting of the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Agreed to defer a decision on the recommendations in the report pending further work by the Performance Scrutiny Committee and a further report back to Cabinet.

Cabinet considered the report setting out recommendations from the Performance Scrutiny Committee deep dive into how the Council identifies and supports young carers to reduce the inequalities they face.

Councillor Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee. set out the context for the deep dive and indicated that the work was seen not as the end result but as a beginning. Councillors knew that young carers were disadvantaged but were often under the radar, managing their own lives.

Councillor Phillips, speaking as a member of the deep dive recognised that the weakness in the work so far had been that they had not been able to speak to young carers. The councillors involved intended to continue this work. Councillor Phillips referred to the work of Be Free Young Carers, who were not supported financially by the Council. Councillor Emily Smith, speaking as a member of the deep dive added that children were picking up the gap in service provision of adult social care.

Responding to a question Councillor Phillips explained that it had not been possible to speak to young carers to this point, due to diary clashes, but that it had been important to members to bring to Cabinet’s attention the findings so far.

During discussion Cabinet:

1.    Commended the work done so far by councillors and officers but generally felt that the report was premature and incomplete. In particular it was important to speak to young carers. Cabinet looked forward to the report coming back once further work was completed.

2.    There was support for the principle of a Young Carers Councillor champion but more work was needed to define the role.

3.    Considered the work of the charity Be Free Young Carers and discussed the response to the first recommendation, with one Cabinet Member suggesting that officers sit down with the charity to find a way forward..

Councillor Brighouse, responded, commenting that deep dives were evidence based and that this one had resulted from members of the Performance Scrutiny Committee identifying a gap in an earlier Council commissioned report. Officers had worked hard and there had been a need to air the issues. The work so far indicated that there was a lot more to be done. Data was needed on on the referrals, with more data required from adult social care and children’s services.

RESOLVED:             to defer a decision on the recommendations in the report pending further work by the Performance Scrutiny Committee and a further report back to Cabinet.