Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

At the previous meeting of the Review Panel, Councillors considered a report which provided background information in relation to the support provided to care leavers. That report is attached to assist Councillors in making their final recommendations.

The Panel are requested to consider and comment on the following:

1.    Champion raising awareness about the challenges for looked after children and care leavers with commitment to being good corporate parents embracing a culture of second chances (and third, forth)

2.    Support for developing more post 18 yrs supported accommodation options within Stockport particularly for higher risk and vulnerable care leavers

3.    Increasing corporate support for our care leavers at university by increasing financial assistance by funding accommodation/ living costs for agreed course duration

4.    Promote and support more flexible apprenticeship and employment opportunities targeted for care leavers including prioritising care leavers within corporate contracts and business enterprise

5.    Transitions pathways work continuing across children’s and adults services to ensure smooth transition and clear policy

Officer Contact: Jeanette Warburton on Tel: 474 6768 or email: Jeanette.warburton@stockport.gov.uk

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People. (To Follow)

The report provides background information in relation to

-       Support provided to Looked After Children in their preparation for leaving care and in making the transition to adulthood.

-       Services provided to care leavers (once they have left care from 16-25 years) to support the boroughs young people achieving the best outcomes

The Scrutiny Panel are requested to consider the information detailed in the report and determine if they wish to consider any further information at a future meeting.

Officer Contact: Jeanette Warburton on Tel: 474 6768 or email: jeanette.warburton@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing background information in relation to Looked After Children in their preparation for leaving care and in making the transition to adulthood.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         There were three distinct groups of Looked After Children, namely i) Stockport children who live within the borough ii) Stockport children who live outside the borough and iii) children who are the responsibility of other Local Authorities who are placed in Stockport.

·         Children and young people come into care for a variety of reasons including care and protection or because they have complex disabilities. The length of stay can be short but for others the length of stay can be many years lasting through to adulthood.

·         Research revealed that young people who remained in supported accommodation post 18 years when they left care achieved better outcomes. Consequently, a strategy had been developed which considered the changing needs of young people, which promoted innovation and helped young people develop practical living skills facilitating their ability to remain in supported accommodation up to 21 years of age and beyond.

·         The Council have been piloting the use of the Get Ready for Adult Life (GRAL) toolkit which was a modular toolkit designed by care leavers for care leavers.

·         In October 2013, Stockport became part of the North West cluster pilot for the implementation of New Belongings Phase 1. The programme was designed to make widespread improvements for care leavers – young people had identified six themes where they wanted services to be improved. The Service continues to work closely with young people as it works to deliver the New Belongings Phase 2 Action Plan in 2015/2016.

·         The Service strongly promoted the culture of providing young people with a second chance or a third, fourth or fifth chance where necessary recognising that young people make mistakes and bad decisions at times. Support was needed from all corporate parents to promote a compassionate culture.

·         The Panel recognised that young people needed continual support to manage complex challenges when leaving care particularly in respect to sort appropriate accommodation and managing their personal finances. The Leaving Care Team has been remodelled in order to build capacity to enable personal advisors to spend more time with the young people they are supporting.

·         In an attempt to extend the Councils duty as a corporate parent, a Lifelong Champion scheme for care leavers has been developed which incorporates the provision of lifelong emergency advice, guidance and assistance.

·         Councillors expressed concern at the implications of the introduction of Education, Health and Care Plans for Looked After Children particularly in respect to the change of criteria for children with Educational, Behavioural Difficulties. Councillors suggested that this was one issue which should be monitored and its effects scrutinised in greater detail.

·         Care leavers at university – inequalities of assistance dependent upon the type of accommodation that a young person was living in had been identified as an issue which required further investigation and a business case was currently in the process of being written.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and officers be invited to attend the next meeting to discuss proposed recommendations in greater detail.