Corporate Parenting Strategy 2020 to 2023

Our Children in Care and Placement Sufficiency Strategy provides a detailed assessment of the current needs of our children in care and care leavers; however, see a summary below:

In order to inform the priorities of this strategy, a comprehensive survey was circulated to all our young people. It posed questions about safety and stability, health and wellbeing, local services, ‘having your say’, preparation for adulthood and impact of services.

• 49 young people completed the survey circulated, 29 by means of face-to-face consultations undertaken by the ‘We Do Care!’ Team.
• 88 professionals completed their survey: •25 Buckinghamshire foster carers
• 24 County employees
• 21 partner organisations
• 7 Independent Fostering Agency carers
• 11 anonymous responses
• Additional face to face and telephone interviews with professionals were completed by an independent source.

The main messages emerging from the above work were:

• most children and young people are feeling safe
• many of the respondents in foster care reported that the carers were making a positive difference to their lives
• the stability of placements and schools was raised as a concern by some
• most responses confirmed that physical health needs are met, but access to timely and effective services for emotional and mental health was a particular source of concern
• the Virtual School was cited by many young people as a positive source of support

There was a high level of comparability in issues identified by children / young people and professional sources. This enables a good level of confidence that the priorities in the improvement plan within this strategy (all consistent with the more widely focused ones in the Children and Young People’s Plan) are the right ones. Areas highlighted as needing further attention include:

• ensuring that all children and young people have an allocated social worker and/or PA and that they do not have to repeat their stories to several staff
• ensuring that all young people are treated with respect by listening to them; offering clear easy to understand information; records of and rationale for decisions and responding in a timely way to phone calls and other contacts
• earlier preparation for independence including options for move on accommodation and further education and career planning
• access to and financial support in order to enjoy leisure activities on a regular basis
• placing young people closer to family, friends and communities
• accessing early mental health support

The following quotes offer examples of the comments of those consulted and have informed the improvement plan within this strategy:

"More support with mental health and having somebody to talk to"

"Agencies need to work together better"

"More help with life skills and what life might look like when I leave care"

"Prioritise what I need and what makes me happy"

"Use words that I understand and let me help plan how meetings run"

"People to act more quickly"

• Buckinghamshire Children and Young People’s Partnership Plan
• Buckinghamshire Strategic Plan
• Buckinghamshire Pledges to Children in Care and Care Leavers
• Children in Care and Placement Sufficiency Strategy 2019
• Care Leavers’ Offer 2020
• Virtual School Plan 2020
• Health Plan 2020
• Foster Carers’ Charter (currently being revised)

• Children Act 1989
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Education Act 2002
• Adoption and Children Act 2002
• Children Act 2004
• Children and Young Persons Act 2008
• Crime and Disorder Act 2008
• Equality Act 2010
• Leaving care Guidance 2010
• Care Planning Regulations 2010
• Independent Reviewing Officer Handbook 2010
• Health and Social Care Act 2012
• Care Act 2014
• Children and Families Act 2014
• Care Leavers’ Transition to Adulthood Audit Office July 2015
• Children and Social Work Act 2017
• Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities - April 2019

1.1 To be the accountable body for the Council and its partners in the discharge of Corporate Parenting responsibilities for its children in care and care leavers as set out in legislation and guidance.

1.2 To champion children in care and care leavers, ensuring a strategic oversight of needs and outcomes and appropriate high-quality responses from all partners.

1.3 To provide challenge and scrutiny to all partners in securing the best outcomes for children in Care and Care leavers by being aspirational and innovative.

1.4 To ensure the voice of children and young people in care and care leavers is central to the functioning of the Panel and there is effective involvement in the development of policies, services recruitment of staff and improving practice.

2.1 To develop, lead, manage and monitor the Corporate Parenting Strategy.

2.2 To receive and use high quality data to understand where outcomes for children in care and care leavers are good and where they require attention and to drive improvements in response to underperformance.

2.3 To support and develop systems and processes to ensure the views and opinions of children and young people in care inform, shape and evaluate services.

2.4 To identify and address gaps in service availability or usage.

2.5 To ensure that all services within the Council are aware of their Corporate Parenting responsibility and can evidence in Business Plans, their contribution to improving the life chances of children in care and care leavers.

2.6 To ensure that all elected Members receive regular updates on the well-being of children in care and care leavers.

3.1 The Corporate Parenting Panel will be made up out of the following post holders:

• Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
• Elected Members
• Executive Director Children’s Services
• Service Director Children’s Social care
• Children and young people’s representative (via We Do Care Council!)
• Housing representative
• Foster carers via the Foster Carer Liaison group
• Head of Children’s Care management
• Head of Children’ Care Services and Commissioning
• Head of Quality standards and Performance
• Virtual School / College Head Teacher
• Designated Nurse (Doctor) Looked After Children
• CAMHS representative
• Family Nurse Partnership Supervisor & Service Lead for LAC
• Children’s Adolescent Mental Health Services Representative
• National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)
• Specialist Participation Team Leader
• Adult Services
• Head of Service Integrated Commissioning

4.1 The Corporate Parenting Panel will meet bi-monthly and review annually, its progress / effectiveness and identify any development needs.

4.2 The Chairperson is the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and the Executive Director Children’s Services is Vice Chair (with an aspiration that a young person will chair on occasions). Additional members can be co-opted for specific periods of time or agenda items.

4.3 There will be additional extraordinary meetings, working groups and workshops as/when necessary.

4.4 The Service Director of Children’s Social Care will ensure the Panel is effectively administered including the setting of agenda, minutes and distribution of paperwork.

4.5 The Panel will be quorate with the attendance of representatives from three disciplines.

5.1 The Panel will have a 'thematic' approach to its reporting cycle as follows:

• Education / Employment and Training outcomes
• Housing and Placements
• Health outcomes
• Care-leavers transitions
• Qualitative feedback through ‘We Do Care!’ surveys / IRO annual reports / carers feedback activities
• Annual developmental progress review

5.2 Panel members will be expected to read all reports in advance of meetings. Reports that are for ‘information only’ will be circulated with the agenda and noted, but are not for discussion unless focused on the selected theme.

5.3 Reports will be written in plain English, presented imaginatively and will have a brief executive summary with clear recommendations to the Panel.

5.4 Reports will be shared with ‘We Do Care!’ 1 week prior to meetings.

5.5 Members will receive an agenda and papers 5 working days in advance of each meeting.

5.6 Meetings will include 15-minute dedicated time for the ‘We Do Care!’ representative to ask any questions focused on the chosen ‘theme’.

5.7 Minutes will be circulated within 2 weeks of a meeting.

6.1 Corporate Parenting Panel members will be clear about their responsibilities as corporate parents to our children in care and care leavers and be able to:

• act as an ambassador for our children in care and care leavers
• speak for their organisation or network with authority
• commit their organisation on policy and practice matters
• champion the needs of children in care and care leavers within their organisation and network
• challenge partners and their own organisation or network to ensure we strive to achieve good outcomes for our children
• ensure they attend the panel at least 75% of the time and send a nominated representative from their organisation or network to ensure 100% attendance overall