Jane Hylton, Peter Knowles and Aaron Walmsley-Fishwick
To receive an update on Objective 3 from the Corporate Parenting Strategy – Care Leavers in Lancashire will have a 'Local Offer' and feedback from LINX on the Local Offer. To note the National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers' First Year Report.
Minutes:
Jane Hylton, Leaving Care Development Officer, Lancashire County Council gave on update on Lancashire's Care Leavers Local Offer and in setting up the Local Offer had been working closely with other Authorities and sharing good practice and that other Authorities were impressed by what Lancashire was offering.
The Local Offer had been developed over the last 12 months and a lot of work and consultation with young people had taken place. It was still a work in progress, however the progress made was on the right track.
Aaron Walmsley-Fishwick gave a demonstration to the Board on how to search for the website by searching for Lancashire Care Leaver Local Officer or find it via Lancashire County Council's Youth Zone page https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/youthzone/care-leavers-local-offer/.
Board members were asked to work with a young person and use an electronic device to search for the Local Offer webpage and navigate around it.
Following this exercise, comments were received from the Board on how they found the website. Comments were as follows:
· Tracey Ellmore, Department for Work and Pensions commented that there were updates on Universal Credits required.
· Possibly look at amending the title "Who is a Care Leaver" to "What Am I Entitled To" and then putting a link to "Who is a Care Leaver" on the webpage.
· Need to ensure colours are suitable on the webpage for dyslexia/colour blindness.
· Natasha Wright to be included in the Barnardo's contact list.
· Clarification on areas need to be included on the website ie where North, South, Central and East covers so young people could see which area they were living in.
· To liaise with Caroline Waldron on GPs and Dentists information and anything else health related that would be beneficial to care leavers.
· Ensure the link was also available on the Lancashire County Council internet and intranet.
Resolved: That Jane Hylton to ensure that all comments above were actioned.
Personal Advisers, Independent Reviewing Officers and Care Leaver Social Workers needed to spend time with young people to navigate them around the website. Members of the Board also need to be signposting colleagues and care leavers to the website as well.
If there were any updates ie staff, changes in legislation, to ensure that they are emailed to the mailbox careleaverLO@lancashire.gov.uk.
Any events to be shared can be submitted via the website also.
It was suggested that Permanence and Corporate Parenting Board and partner agencies have the Lancashire Care Leavers Local Offer link on their webpages.
Also have all the Local Offers from all Authorities on the Gov.uk website.
Resolved: That Tracey Ellmore agreed to look at having the link available on the Gov.UK website.
It would also be very useful for support groups for foster carers to understand the Local Offer and it would be beneficial for the young people to present this to them. Marieta Birt agreed to take this to the Fostering Forum meeting and if agreed would take this forward with Jane Hylton.
Resolved: That Marieta Birt agreed to raise the idea at Fostering Forum and if they were in agreement with young people presenting the Local Offer at the Support Groups to contact Jane Hylton to arrange this with Barnardo's and LINX.
Jane Hylton requested that the Board read the National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers' First Year Report from the Department for Education. Mark Riddell MBE, National Implementation Adviser for care leavers had visited over 40 local Authorities and hopefully would be coming to Lancashire in the near future.