Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education.

This report puts forward a proposal that individuals with care experience are treated as if it were a Protected Characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.  The Government have not yet made this a legal requirement but that does not prevent the council adopting this approach.

The Cabinet is recommended:-

(1) To agree to Care Leavers / Care Experience being treated by the council as a Protected Characteristic.

(2) To note that once approved by Cabinet, officers will work with the Care Leavers Forum to produce an action plan for the implementation of this change which will be presented to Cabinet in Spring 2024.

Officer contact: Jeanette Warburton on 0161 475 6843 or email: jeanette.warburton@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a proposal for the Council to treat those individuals with care experience as if it were a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

RESOLVED - (1) That approval be given to Care Leavers / Care Experience being treated by the council as a Protected Characteristic.

(2) That it be noted that once approved by Cabinet, officers will work with the Care Leavers Forum to produce an action plan for the implementation of this change which will be presented to Cabinet in Spring 2024.

To consider a report of the Director of Education, Works and Skills.

The report puts forward a proposal that individuals with care experience are treated as if it were a Protected Characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. The Government have not yet made this a legal requirement but that does not prevent the Council adopting this approach.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:-

a)    review and comment on the report.

b)   note that once approved by Cabinet, officers will work with the Care Leavers Forum to produce an action plan for the implementation of this change which will be presented to the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet in Spring 2024.

Officer contact: Jeanette Warburton at jeanette.warburton@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Education, Works and Skills submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) proposing that individuals with care experience are treated as if it were a Protected Characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. The Government have not yet made this a legal requirement but that does not prevent the Council adopting this approach.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

Care Leaver representatives attended the meeting and provided a presentation to the Scrutiny Committee in relation to ‘Care Leavers and Protected Characteristics’.

The Care Leaver representatives highlighted a number of concerns associated with the ‘Care Leavers and Protected Characteristics’ as follows: -

·         Care Leavers were constantly being discriminated against and should not even be making a presentation to the Scrutiny Committee.

·         Difficult for care leavers to use to public transport, apply for housing, access health and education services and were always being stereotyped as care leavers.

·         Other ‘protected characteristic’ groups are not discriminated against.

·         Care leavers should have the same rights as anyone else and not be discriminated against or stereotyped constantly.

·         If care leavers were a ‘protected characteristic’ then it would improve mental health & wellbeing and improve their way of life.

·         Communities should value care leavers and not just their status.

Members expressed their thanks to the ‘care leavers’ and their representatives in attendance for their voices and sharing their experiences and welcomed the report and the recommendations.

The Chair on behalf of the Committee thanked the ‘care leaver’ representatives for highlighting their concerns and raising awareness about their experiences.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Scrutiny Committee notes that once the report was approved by Cabinet that officers would work with the Care Leavers Forum to produce an action plan for the implementation of this change which would be presented to the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet in Spring 2024.