Agenda item

To receive an update from the Corporate Parenting Executive Board.

The committee received a verbal update on the work of the Corporate Parenting Executive Board, which focused on three workstreams: ‘Good Homes for All’; ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’; and ‘Good Education and Skills’.  Key points included:

• ‘Good Homes for All’ Workstream:

·         Progress was reported on the Housing Charter, which was now in place.

·         Bi-monthly Registered Provider meetings brought together housing providers, youth ambassadors, care leaver ambassadors, Children’s Services and Housing.  These meetings promoted shared understanding, best practice and joint problem-solving to ensure the Housing Charter was actively being applied.

·         Work was underway with young people to gather feedback on their experiences of moving into independent accommodation.  This complemented the rollout of the National House Project.

·         Feedback covered both practical needs, such as equipment and furnishings, but also the emotional aspects of transitioning to living alone, with emphasis on ongoing support beyond the initial move.

·         A new Common Allocations Policy was being finalised.  The wording relating to care leavers’ housing priority was being revised into clear, plain language following officer review, prior to public consultation.

·         Significant progress was noted in housing support for care leavers over recent years.

• ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’ Workstream:

·         Emotional health was a key focus of discussion.

·         A recent audit of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) showed strong partnership working, good oversight of health actions, and all outstanding TB screening appointments had now been secured.

·         Case studies highlighted positive trauma?informed practice and improved emotional wellbeing support for UASC.

·         A new Care Leaver Ambassador had joined this workstream and was contributing positively to shaping priorities.

·         Local offer themes were being strengthened, including enhanced support for young parents and increased awareness of NHS services.

·         Work was underway to improve NHS app adoption during preparation for adulthood.

·         Ongoing challenges remained in relation to CAMHS-to-Adult Mental Health transitions, with risks of young people falling between services.  Local work was examining whether some should remain longer within CAMHS or transition earlier, to ensure continuity of support with no service gaps.

• ‘Good Education and Skills’ Workstream:

·         The current focus was on employment and employability.

·         Gaps had been identified in communication relating to job fairs, apprenticeship opportunities and similar events.  Further feedback from young people highlighted the need to improve communication channels to ensure they were accessible and relevant to young people rather than adults.

·         A proposal was being developed for a large-scale corporate event bringing together all Council services to showcase employment and skills pathways for cared for children and care leavers.  Although the proportion of care leavers in education, employment or training was improving, further progress was needed.

The committee commented on the following matters:

• Raising the corporate profile of the Council as an employer and expanding opportunities such as work experience, job shadowing, and early exposure to Council workplaces and roles.
• Transitions between services remained a recognised challenge.  Members welcomed ongoing work to prevent young people being moved between waiting lists when transitioning from child to adult mental health services.
• A Member sought assurance that the Council was being reimbursed by government for costs relating to UASC; confirmation was provided that this funding was being claimed.
• Accommodation models for care leavers, including shared living arrangements.  Officers clarified that accommodation decisions were made on an individual basis and included options such as Staying Put, shared or independent living, depending on the young person’s needs and circumstances.
• Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) reporting.  It was clarified to Members that reporting had been aligned with national statutory measures, focusing on children who had been looked after for 12 months or more.
• Assurance was sought on the position of UASC within the service.  Officers confirmed that all children in Cheshire East’s care, including UASC, were treated as cared for children with full support provided.
• It was suggested that Town and Parish Councils could also provide work experience opportunities.  Members supported expanding the ‘family firm’ approach to include these partners.

The Chair thanked officers for the update and noted the significant improvement in corporate parenting practice and outcomes over the past year.

RESOLVED:

That the update from the Corporate Parenting Executive Board be noted.