Corporate Parenting Strategy 2025 to 2030

Care experienced children and young people are likely to need support to recover from adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Our aim is to address the inequalities in health and wellbeing that our children and young people go on to experience in adulthood. Our children and young people need a consistent and supportive approach that takes into account the impact of their experiences and enables them to recover and go on to have healthy and active lives.

We know that children and young people entering care have been exposed to trauma and that navigating the care system can be difficult, particularly when it comes to emotional wellbeing and mental health. We are committed to embedding a trauma-informed approach amongst the wider workforce, including our key partners such as health, Thames Valley Police and education services.

As corporate parents, the physical and emotional wellbeing of our children and young people is a key priority and we are committed to providing care experienced children and young people with the right mental health and wellbeing support at the right time.

We work in close partnership with our Designated Nurse, CAMHS and other health professionals to monitor and support the health needs of our children in care and care leavers. Where our children are referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, they will be supported according to their needs, which can include the dedicated Adopted and Care Experienced (ACE) CAMHS team.

We are committed to further improve collaborative data gathering and analysis around care experienced children and young people to further review the health offer. This will particularly focus on care leavers and young people placed out of area during this period.

• Work with our key partners to continue providing training for trauma-informed practice for staff, fostering community, schools, youth services, Thames Valley Police and health and wellbeing services so that children have a consistent and understanding approach.
• Enable foster carers to access support in providing therapeutic care to the children they look after.
• Provide initial health assessment within four weeks of a child entering care, and annually thereafter (or six monthly for Under 5’s). Our health team will listen to our children and young people’s problems and understand their needs, reviewing their physical health, growth and development.
• Use the SDQ (strengths and difficulties questionnaire) tool alongside consultations with our CAMHS Psychologists and Leaving Care Services addressing any concerns in a timely way.
• Support young people to repair and resolve historical trauma and attachment insecurity through trauma informed parenting and access to appropriate services, which may include CAMHS support.
• Educate our young people and encourage them to have a happy, healthy and active lifestyle. We will talk to them about all aspects of their health; from healthy eating, exercising and staying safe, to sexual health, smoking, alcohol and substance misuse.
• Facilitate access to a range of hobbies, interests and opportunities for children and young people, allowing them to explore their passions and talents which will promote their wellbeing.
• Maintain and extend access to council leisure centres and encourage our partners in the private sector and in neighbouring authorities to do the same.
• All unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will receive the right support that is sensitive to their cultural background.
• Ensure that information about our young people’s health is kept confidential and only shared with the people who need to know.
• Promote joint working between Children’s Services, Adult Services and Mental Health Services to provide young people with a smooth transition between departments and reduces any risk of gap in provision.
• Review young people's experiences of transitions and identify how this can be improved and support development of best practice.
• All care leavers will be given information by Health and their Personal Advisors about how to access their own health records through the NHS app to access their "Leaving Care Health Summary."
• A dedicated nurse will be available for staying close arrangements to support care leavers.
• Promote the availability of free prescriptions for those in young people in Buckinghamshire with care leaver status.

• Data will demonstrate maintained performance and improvements in key health metrics (access to dentist, optician, and timely health assessments).
• Strength and Difficulty performance indicators will show decreased levels of concern and that timely intervention is provided when required.
• Children and young people report having access to support if they need it.
• Clear evidence of children’s engagement in hobbies and activities.
• Reduction in school-based absence due to illness.
• Pupil Voice survey results show outcomes for care experienced children are more aligned with their peers (increased healthy eating, reduced smoking, reduced consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs, increased wellbeing).