Decision Maker: Corporate Parenting Board
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Jane Hylton, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council County provided the Board with an update from the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Form Managers Event that was held in December 2025.
The presentation attached to the minutes, provided further information on the:
· National Care Leavers Benchmarking Forum and Young People's Benchmarking Forum
· A Fair Offer for All
· Department for Education Update
· Young People Benchmarking Forum – A Fair Offer to All – Key Asks
Ø Cost of living
Ø Mental Health/Health
Ø Communities of support
Ø Safe and affordable homes
Ø Support after 21 and 25
The Board were reminded of the Department for Education's seven Corporate Parenting principles that local authorities must have regard to when exercising their functions in relation to looked after children and young people, as follows:
(i) To act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and wellbeing, of those children and young people.
(ii) To encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings.
(iii) To take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people.
(iv) To help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners.
(v) To promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people.
(vi) For those children and young people to be safe, and for stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work.
(vii) To prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living.
The Department for Education are looking at extending these to the wider public sector with an aim to create a culture change in recognition of unique responsibilities the state has towards Care Experience children and young people.
Following the presentation, the Board discussed various national and local asks on their tables.
In terms of health, Caroline Waldron, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board informed the Board that from a health perspective they welcomed the Department for Education vision and what that is going to look like in the future for partners. Health are aware of it, and it is included in the Integrated Care Board's Children in Care and Care Leaver Strategy 2024-2026 outlining how they intend to deliver against the statutory requirements and corporate parenting duties set out in the strategy. It also includes the exploration of Health's offer for care experienced young people, including looking at access to prescriptions. In terms of some of the offers that are in place from Health, this includes Enhanced Children in Care Nurses who engage and support in the Hubs. In terms of what Corporate Parenting means from a health perspective, the Integrated Care Board received a presentation from Caroline Waldron and a young person from the Care Leavers Forum who talked about health as a corporate parent and what the Integrated Care Board should be considering as part of their day to day roles. The Board noted that positive feedback had been received following the presentation.
Resolved: That the Board noted the update from the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum.
Date of decision: 22/01/2025
Decided at meeting: 22/01/2025 - Corporate Parenting Board
Accompanying Documents: