Agenda item

County Councillor Prynn and other Elected Members

To note feedback from work undertaken by the Chair of the Board and our Elected Members as part of their role on the CPB, including Member visits carried out since the last meeting.

CC Brindle

CC Prynn reported on behalf of CC Brindle that she had followed up with the Head of Housing Department at Burnley Borough Council with regards care leavers and housing benefit and she is still awaiting a response.  CC Brindle stated that she would follow this up.

CC Prynn

CC Prynn reported that following the last CPB meeting she had set up three Task and Finish Groups and the following elected members had been assigned to the following specific groups:

Mental Health – CC Brown and CC Prynn

Housing – CC Kim Snape and CC Prynn

Care Leavers Policy/Core Offer – CC Beavers and CC Prynn

The groups will carry out individual pieces of work to assure the quality of provision and practice in these areas.  This will help inform the Care Leavers Policy and Core Offer.  A combined Task Group report will then be completed and shared with CC Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools.

The Children's Services Scrutiny Board has a Youth Offending Team (YOT) subgroup of which CC Prynn is a member.  This subgroup is looking at a set of recommendations for children in care when they enter the criminal justice system.  CC Prynn tabled the "In Care, Out of Trouble" report as attached, which is an independent review chaired by Lord Laming.

The key element to this report is Appendix One on page 21.  The Board and LINX were asked to look at Appendix One and send any comments on this to CC Prynn and Tony Morrissey, who will then look at taking it forward on behalf of the Board.  CC Prynn will look at working with criminal justice agencies and how the Board can help prevent care leavers entering into the criminal justice system.

Action:  Board members and LINX to send comments on Appendix One to CC Prynn and Tony Morrissey.

CC Beavers

CC Beavers attends the Fostering Panels that are held at County Hall and commented on how the panel has welcomed the questions provided by LINX (Lancashire's Children in Care Council) for them to ask potential foster carers and to share with carers what a young person would be looking for when they are looked after by them.  It was felt this had enhanced the process and it was good to include young people's views/questions in the assessment.

CC Gibson

CC Gibson reported back on the Hate Crime Strategy that was mentioned at the last meeting.  Feedback has been received and CC Gibson is now working with officers on this.  A meeting with the Police has also taken place too.

CC Gibson is a member of Children's Services Scrutiny Board which is currently looking at SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and putting together a set of recommendations.

With regards Regulation 22, CC Gibson stated that she is hoping to carry two out in the next few months.

CC Prynn congratulated LINX Young Inspectors who had recently been awarded the Diana Award 2016 in the Champion Volunteer category.  Mia Leyland had nominated them, explaining about the number of hours they had volunteered to carry out inspections on behalf of Lancashire's children in care.  Also a young person from a home where an inspection had been carried out, was a beneficiary and wrote about how the young inspectors had improved the services that they received.  There are 14 young inspectors in total and they will visit Althorp in June/July and receive a certificate.

The Board congratulated the LINX Young Inspectors on their success.