Andreas Feldhaar, Permanence Service, LCC
To receive a progress update from the four Corporate Parenting Board Priority Groups since the last Board meeting.
Minutes:
In the absence of Andreas Feldhaar, Jane Hylton, Permanence Service presented an update on the four Corporate Parenting Board Priority Groups.
The Board were informed that there had been Sector Led Improvement visits from Essex County Council during the Autumn, and feedback included some of the areas the Priority Groups were working on, which had followed visits to the 35 teams across Lancashire in Children in Our Care and Leaving Care Services. Diagnostic feedback will be given to each team and a presentation will also be given from Essex County Council on the findings to the Executive Director of Education and Children's Services, Director of Children's Social Care in Lancashire and the Head of Permanence Service.
The Board noted the following updates on:
Achieving Permanence
• Sector Led Improvement (SLI) visits in September/October/November to Children in Our Care and Leaving Care
• Feedback received was:
Ø Committed and passionate practitioners who know their children and young people well
Ø Good and creative care planning to meet the needs of our children
Ø A lot of good practice across Children in Our Care and Leaving Care identified
Improving Sufficiency to Provide the Right Home at the Right Place
Sector Led Improvement (SLI) feedback on:
• Children in Our Care Lasting Home Panels: really good process to approve and celebrate a child’s permanent home
• Leaving Care Lasting Home Panels: really good process to support a young person’s pathway into housing
• Care Leavers Joint Housing Protocol: really good achievement for a Tier 2 authority to have this signed off across 12 districts
• Care Leavers Joint Housing Protocol: not yet consistently applied across Lancashire
• Lancashire House Project: Good progress for our first 10 young people and commitment from registered social landlords to support the project
County Councillor Gibson and Kay requested to meet with Andreas Feldhaar, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council to discuss the current workstream regarding this priority.
Improving Education, Employment and Training Opportunities
• Sector Led Improvement (SLI) feedback for Leaving Care: Can see how the service explores creative opportunities for care leavers
• Regular meetings between Virtual School, Permanence Service and Colleges in place to improve the offer to care leavers and work ongoing
• Working on improving data, information, and intervention for Pupils Missing Education (PME)
• Intended Destination Tracking has been extended by the Virtual School
• Commissioning is undertaking a scoping exercise to ensure young people have free access to Wi-Fi where they live as part of Lancashire County Council's future contracts (Block/Agency Leaving Care)
It was suggested that a Jobs Fayre be held for Children in Our Care and Care Leavers from Year 9, to see what opportunities are available for them when they leave school at 16 years of age and to enable them to have a choice post 16 and receive support. This would be a great opportunity for them to speak with employers and further education establishments and be supported by officers and Elected Members as their Corporate Parents, so they have an extra network around them, to support them with their choices.
Improving Social, Physical, Emotional and Mental Health Support
• Ask JAN from the Rees Foundation now available to Lancashire’s Care Leavers
• Joint working with mental health partners to embed the Risk Support Model
• Participating in NHS England consultation on the mental Health Crisis programme for young people
• Further updates on this are also part of the Health Focus at this Board meeting
It was noted that the Corporate Parenting Board needs to revisit all the Priority Groups and look at ways it can drive this agenda forwards even more and how it can influence the Council to support Children in Our Care and Care Leavers further.
Resolved: That the Corporate Parenting Board agreed that:
(i) Brendan Lee, Permanence Service, would request that Andreas Feldhaar, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council convene a meeting with County Councillors Kay and Gibson for an update on the current position of the Improving Sufficiency to Provide the Right Home at the Right Place priority.
(ii) Ralph Rushworth, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council would begin talks with Brendan Lee, Permanence Service, Lancashire County Council on consulting with young people and what they would want from a Jobs Fayre and to start to look at arranging one in Lancashire.
(iii) It would revisit all four Priority Groups in order to drive the agenda forwards even more and look at how it can influence the Council to support Children in Our Care and Care Leavers further.