Issue - meetings

To consider the report and recommendation of the Health and Cared for Children Task and Finish Group’s review for approval and submission to Cabinet

Councillor Gill Merry presented the Health and Cared for Children Task and Finish Review final report to the Committee for approval and submission to Cabinet for consideration. Sheila Williams, Designated Nurse Cared for Children East.

The Committee discussed the review and the recommendations and the following points were made:

·         Councillors should be committed to their corporate parenting duty by offering support to those in care or leaving care where possible.

·         Personal advisors were important in supporting care leavers to live independently.

·         The planning process for leaving care needed to start earlier to ensure care leavers were fully prepared and supported.

·         16-18 years of age was an important period for providing support.

·         Care Leavers could be helped with financial education by providing them with Jam Jar Accounts which controlled their spending, ensuring they paid essential bills. The Finance Policy Development Group had been researching help for credit unions and could be asked to consider assisting with Jam Jar Accounts for care leavers.

·         Supporting foster carers was important in ensuring that foster placements did not break down.

·         Provision of leisure passes for people in care, as well as subsidies for those accompanying them, may not have been an option as the Council moved services on to a Charitable Trust.

The Committee was pleased with the findings of the report and the Task Group’s recommendations.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Task Group be thanked for its hard work.

2.    That the Committee approves the recommendations be endorsed  and the report be submitted to Cabinet for consideration.