Agenda item

Janice Laing, Permanence Service and Tonya Harrison, Children in Care and Leaving Care Service, LCC

To receive an update on the new Lasting Homes Panel which has replaced the Permanence Panel.

Janice Laing and Tonya Harrison, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council provided a brief overview on the Lasting Homes Panel, setting out key expectations and principles around the function and purpose of the new Panel which has replaced the Permanence Panel as the process for ratifying a child's home as permanent.  The purpose of this item was to share awareness with the Board and its' corporate parenting partners of what is being done now, what was done previously and for the Board to ratify that the Protocol can be progressed.

The Lasting Home Panel Protocol document that was shared with the agenda, prior to the meeting is intended as a guide for social workers and managers.  It will help define the pathways for inclusion of children and young people and their carers in Lancashire children's permanence process and make clear the decision-making points and roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders.  The document also, provided further details on the:

·  Role of Lasting Home Panel

·  Scope of Panel

·  Difference between Permanence Panel and the new Lasting Home Panel

·  Membership and Governance

·  Roles and Responsibilities of the Children in our Care Service

A presentation was also given to the Board on the 'Lasting Home' Permanence Panel Redesign and this was attached to the agenda.  This detailed further information on:

·  Project Aim: Evaluate the Current Permanence Panel

·  Our Journey of Consultation

·  'Lasting Home' Panel Redesign

·  Lasting Home Panel Process

·  Lasting Home Panel Children's Guide

·  Lasting Home Panel Teens Guide

·  The Complete Package

Following the presentation, the Board raised the following questions/points:

It was noted that one of the areas, on the Teens Guide around considering Post 18 accommodation options, is links in to one of the key priorities of the Corporate Parenting Board, "Improving sufficiency and providing the right homes in the right places at the right time" and that County Councillors Gibson and Kay were leading on and they felt it would be useful to link in with the officers involved with the Lasting Homes Panel to ensure that the process is as seamless as possible and that the young people feel completely involved in that journey and the importance of a forever home for the young people.

It was highlighted that the partners involved in both the Permanence Panel and the new Lasting Homes Panel, felt that the new panel was a lot clearer, and they felt that they had more of a role and can contribute to something that is more positive and the involvement of the young people is key to this.

The role of the Corporate Parenting Board in this process is to challenge the Panel on a regular basis on indicators such as how many plans have been ratified throughout the process, how is the process going and feedback on how it is linking in with the four key priorities of the Board.

Resolved:  That the Corporate Parenting Board ratified the process of the Lasting Homes Panel (page 50 of the agenda pack) and agreed to scrutinise its' performance and receive feedback at timely intervals.