Agenda item

To seek approval to the Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy for the period 2021 – 2023.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval to the Children in Care Leavers Strategy for the period 2021–2023 at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Strategy set out the Authority’s responsibilities to children in the Authority’s care and those cared for in their childhoods.  It made clear the Authority’s ambitions for them and the things the Authority would do to provide them with support to thrive into adulthood.

The role that the Authority played in caring for children was one of the most important things it did. In this context, the Authority was referred to as being the ‘corporate parent’ of these children and young people, and the critical question that should be asked in adopting the presented strategy was: ‘would this be good enough for my child?’.

The ethos of corporate parenting was that everyone in the Authority and partner services took responsibility for promoting and delivering the vision for the children in the Authority’s care and care leavers.  It was recognised those children had the same needs as every child – to be loved, cared for and to feel safe.  It was also acknowledged that children might have unique challenges due to the abuse or neglect they had suffered.

The ambition of the strategy was to promote a strong corporate parenting ethos recognising that the care system was not just about keeping children safe, but also to promote recovery, resilience and well-being. This strong corporate parenting vision meant that everyone was concerned about children and care leavers as if they were their own. This was evidenced by a culture where officers did all that was reasonably possible to ensure the Authority was the best ‘parent’ it could be to the child or young person. In order to evidence the strongest corporate parenting practice, it was vital that all parts of the Authority, beyond those directly responsible for care and pathway planning, recognised they also had a key role.

North Tyneside Council had not experienced the increase in Children in Care that regional partners and statistical neighbours had during the Covid 19 pandemic. There were 285 children in care and 157 young people supported by care leaving services on the date of writing this report.

These children and young people were cared for in a variety of settings including wherever safe to do so, within their own families or networks, supported by the Authority’s specialist fostering team. The Authority had responsibility for children who lived in foster care with mainstream foster carers and others who lived in children’s homes. As the young people matured, the Authority as corporate parent encouraged them to remain living in their stable foster homes as long as each young person wanted under the ‘staying put’ scheme. When young people were ready to move on, the Authority had a dedicated accommodation service which offered an excellent range of options to young people.

Children and young people in the Authority’s care received health assessments and support and advice from dedicated staff. This helped young people to be as healthy as possible and to develop the skills and confidence to manage their own health needs as they matured.

Children in the Authority’s care were supported to maintain stable education and were assisted by dedicated staff who worked alongside schools and colleges to promote the best outcomes for the children. Despite this young people who had experienced care often struggled to gain and sustain employment and the global pandemic had further impacted negatively on this outcome. The Authority recognised that significantly more focus was required to aid them with this.

The strategy sought to provide the culture and circumstances in which each child and young person could be supported with a stable home, a family and professional network that was mutually supportive of the child, the best health and educational opportunities and high expectations of their ability to follow their dreams. The Authority wanted children in its care to experience genuine affection, acceptance of who they were and belief in them.

The strategy had identified a range of key priorities. The overarching priorities for the Authority were to:

•           only bring children into care when it could not be made safe for them to stay at home. 

•           work with each child’s network to try and keep every child within their network. 

•           support all adults who cared for children to do so safely.

•           all children to live in safe homely and comfortable homes.

•           all children to be able to build enduring relationships with consistent adults.

•           to work with children in care to stop them having to tell their story over and over.

•           all children to achieve their best in education, and to work with them and their school, college or workplace to support this.

•           all children in care, and those who have left care to help the Authority to get better at caring for children. 

There were then a range of further actions under the following themes: -

•           Our Children and Young People

•           Relationships

•           Virtual School and Health (Health, Information & Advice, Virtual School and Emotional Wellbeing)

•           Learning from Care Experienced Young People

•           Model of Practice

•           Care Leavers

•           Children in Care Council

The implementation of the plan would be overseen by the Children in Care Council and the Corporate Parenting Forum. The Multi-Agency Looked After Panel was the key delivery mechanism. On an annual basis, progress against the strategic priorities would be reported to the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board.

Cabinet considered the following decision options: to accept the recommendations as set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report, or alternatively, to not approve the recommendations and request officers to consider relevant issue(s) raised by Cabinet.

Resolved that the Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy for the period 2021–2023 at Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

(Reason for decision: adoption of the Strategy demonstrates the Authority’s commitment to its corporate parenting responsibilities and best aids the continued development of service improvements for children in its care and those who have experienced care.)