Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Andreas Feldhaar, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council provided an update on further developing the Care Leaver offer (Scrutiny Report, Local Offer and Care Leaver Covenant.
In terms of the report that was presented at Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee on 18 December 2024, the following key highlights from that report, which detailed what had happened over the last two years and next steps were presented to members of the Corporate Parenting Board. The Board also noted that the Education, Employment and Training report that was also presented at the same Scrutiny meeting, would be brought before this Board at its' meeting in March 2025.
The Board received the following highlights from the Scrutiny report:
Background information
2018 |
2023 |
Extending services up to 25
Statutory duty to publish a Local Offer for Care Leavers:
Health and wellbeing Relationships Education, Employment and Training Accommodation Participation in Society |
Ofsted Evaluation Criteria Experience and Progress of Care Leavers:
· Making good decisions for care leavers · Support into adulthood · Education, Employment and Training · Helping and protecting · Health and Emotional Wellbeing · Relationships and participation · Local Offer for care leavers
|
The link to the current Care Leavers Local Offer is as follows: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/youthzone/care-leavers-local-offer/.
Improvements 2023 and 2024
· Increased number of care leavers in Staying Put.
· Expansion of Lancashire's House Project.
· New commissioning and increased offer of core supported accommodation.
· Joint Housing Protocol established with our 12 District Councils.
· Integrated Care Board Children in Care and Care Leaver strategy.
· Health Summaries for care leavers.
· Lifelong Links service available to care leavers.
· Improved participation offer for care leavers.
· Leaving Care Social Worker support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) 16 to 17 or care leavers who are pregnant young parents.
· Joint protocol with Lancashire's prisons to support care leavers in prison.
· Joint protocol with Lancashire's Department for Work and Pensions Job Centres Plus to support care leavers into employment.
· Care Leavers Covenant.
· Significant Event Notifications for senior leadership safeguarding oversight up to 25.
· Setting Up Home Allowance (SUHA) increased.
The Board also noted that there was:
· A strong Local Offer of support for Care Leavers.
· Place based support established in Leaving Care Hubs (Lancaster, Burnley and Preston).
· Our pathway to excellence plan.
Next Steps 2025
· Implement the Leaving Well model.
· Improve joint working with Transitions Service and Adult Social Care.
· Launch a joint Transitional Safeguarding Protocol with our partners.
· Work with District Councils to improve access to priority banding for care leavers and agree joint decision-making on intentionality.
· Develop a Staying Close approach for young people in residential children's homes.
· Explore financial assistance from the Integrated Care Board towards repeat prescriptions.
· Improve access to emotional wellbeing and mental health services.
· Review the impact of our new participation offer 'Get Involved'.
· Improved accessibilities of web-based Local Offer.
· Improved accessibility of Local Offer via a Care Leaver app.
· Improved workforce learning and development plans to align to the improved service offer.
Following the presentation, it was commented that the two most important things for care leavers is having a home and being in employment and continued work with the District Councils to improve access to priority banding for care leavers was welcomed and that protocols were in place both for housing and employment and that these be reviewed regularly and in consultation with young people.
Resolved: That the Board received and discussed further developments of the Care Leaver offer, including the report presented to Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee in December 2024, the Local Offer and the Care Leaver Covenant.
Date of decision: 22/01/2025
Decided at meeting: 22/01/2025 - Corporate Parenting Board