Agenda item

Jane Hylton, Peter Knowles

To receive an update.

Jane Hylton, Assistant Base Manager, Children's Social Care Central gave an update on the Local Offer and reported that it was due to go live during Care Leaver week in October.

Feedback on the Local Offer and how it had got to where it currently was, is detailed in the PowerPoint presentation attached.  The Local Offer website would be regularly updated as services come on-board.  There had been lots of improvements made to the website and there would also be an events section, so care leavers knew when and where events were taking place.  All information would be in one place for care leavers and this would also include national guidance/information required by law but mostly local areas which were relevant to our young people.  There would also be a link to the website from the Care Leavers Facebook page.  It was confirmed that the website works on all mobile devices.

There was still ongoing interest in providing a Lancashire card for care leavers, which would give them discount on public transport, museums etc.  Stephen Young agreed to speak with Jane Hylton on this suggestion outside of the meeting.

Offers would appear on the website and where and how those offers could be accessed ie leisure centres that were offering free passes for three months and then offer access after this at a significantly reduced rate.

Caroline Waldron, Safeguarding and Looked After Children, East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group and Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group informed the Board that there was an exemption for care leavers on prescription costs.  An HC1 SC form needed to be completed and this was something that needed to be available on the website.  Caroline agreed to forward the form to Anna Howarth who would ensure that Jane Hylton was in receipt of it to be included on the website.  This exemption did not include dental fees, however this was something that Caroline would take back to her service to discuss further.

If anybody had any offers/schemes/information for young people, please use the Local Offer email address and a member of the team would be in touch – careleaverlo@lancashire.gov.UK.

When the website went live, it was vital to ensure that foster carers, residential homes were aware of it and carers/staff use it as a resource. 

One of the young people queried whether a credits scheme could be applied within Lancashire County Council for young people who volunteered and then their credits could be exchanged.  Chorley Borough Council run a Local Exchange Scheme and young people felt this would be good for them here in Lancashire.

Actions:  i)  Stephen Young, Executive Director of Growth, Environment, Transport and Community Services to liaise with Jane Hylton on the idea of a Lancashire card for care leavers.

ii)  Caroline Waldron to forward the HC1 SC form to Anna Howarth, who will liaise with Jane Hylton re putting this on the local offer website.

iii)  Caroline Waldron will speak with NHS Services with regards to dental costs being exempt/reduced for care leavers.