Agenda item

To receive the Cared for Children and Care Leavers Scorecard for September - November 2025.

During consideration of this item, in the interests of openness, Councillor S Gardiner declared an interest by virtue of the fact his husband was a partner in a law firm who occasionally represented cared for children living within Cheshire East.

Consideration was given to the Cared for Children and Care Leavers Scorecard, which covered the period September - November 2025.

The key highlights from the Scorecard were:

• There had been a reduction in the number of children entering care.  Numbers had decreased from 540 in August to 526 in November, reflecting strong decision?making and effective support enabling children to remain safely at home where appropriate.

• Discharges of Care Orders: Progress continued for children successfully living at home, supporting greater permanence.
• Placement stability: Children with three or more placement moves had reduced from 60 to 55.
• Staying Put arrangements had increased from 49 to 56 young people remaining with foster carers post?18.
• Out?of?area placements: Eight fewer children were now living out of area.
• Assessment timeliness: 80% of children now had up?to?date assessments - a 10% improvement since the summer.
• Access to higher education: 24 care leavers were currently in higher education - up from 21 in August.
• SDQ reporting now aligned to the national 12?month reporting measure.

• Dental checks: Reported decrease from 95% to 75% was due to delayed data entry rather than reduced activity.
• Pathway plans and PA allocation: Timeliness and PA allocation remained below desired levels.  Lower PA allocation for 16–17?year?olds, 45%, was linked to vacancies and sickness within the team.  Recruitment and a planned expansion of PA support to younger age groups aimed to address this.
• There would be continued focus on assessment quality and timeliness.

• Improved external support was being put in place for managers to strengthen oversight and decision?making.
• Ongoing permanence work, including long?term matches and Special Guardianship Orders, was taking place.

The committee commented on the following matters:

• In relation to SDQs and health-related timeliness, concerns were raised regarding delayed data from health partners. Officers confirmed the data had now been received and partners were working collectively to prevent gaps.

• PA capacity: officers clarified that this was affected by staff instability and that improvements were expected.
• Adoption delays: It was explained to Members that national and local factors had contributed to these, including court processes, emerging family options, and the need for high?quality evidence.
• Children’s participation in reviews and reasons why participation had reduced by over 10%.
• The length of time children remained in care.  Officers explained that multiple factors influenced timescales; oversight processes were in place to track any delays.
• Missing children data and fluctuations throughout the year. Officers explained that some children experienced repeat missing episodes, often for short periods, e.g. under 24 hours.  Weekly multi?agency meetings reviewed all children with frequent missing episodes, supported by contextual safeguarding.  All missing children received a return home interview to understand causes and plan tailored support.  Reasons for going missing varied and may have related to issues within placements (“push factors”) or influences within the community (“pull factors”).
• Adoption and permanence. Members noted the national decline in prospective adopters.  External data referenced by a Member indicated a 28% drop in approved adopters in the first half of the year. Concerns were also raised about the number of children experiencing three or more placement moves.  Officers reported that placement breakdowns were examined through disruption meetings involving carers and young people.  Learning from these meetings informed foster carer training and commissioning of residential placements.  Placement instability could occur for a range of reasons, including family circumstances, suitability of placements and the complex needs of young people.  Potential use of comparative data with neighbouring local authorities was considered.
• The Mockingbird fostering model emphasised the value of peer networks and support among foster families.  The committee agreed that promoting the model more widely could help potential carers further understand the support available to them.
• The potential barriers that may be discouraging prospective adopters.  Officers acknowledged there may be multiple, complex factors affecting adoption rates, but emphasised the Council’s commitment to promoting adoption, addressing misconceptions, and encouraging more people to come forward.  Members commented on the importance of myth?busting in respect of fostering and adoption, particularly around eligibility, and highlighted the need for continued public awareness efforts.
• The committee concluded that while isolated challenges remained, overall progress was positive.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.