Agenda item

(To receive a report from the Executive Director of Children's Services, which seeks approval of the Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018-21, detailed at Appendix A to the report)

That the Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, which had been developed in consultation with relevant partner agencies and following consultation with young people, be approved.

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director of Children's Services, which sought support and approval for the new Looked After Children Care Leavers Strategy to identify how the County Council would seek to fulfil the role of corporate parenting, as amended. Appended to the report was a copy of the Lincolnshire Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018 – 2021.

The Corporate Parenting Manager presented the report and highlighted that Lincolnshire County Council had a responsibility to the children it looked after and its care leavers.  And that following a change in legislation, which had come into effect from the 1 April 2018, the Council's duty had widened, as it now had a duty to provide support to all care leavers up to the age of 25, if they required support.

The Executive was advised that in order to achieve the desired outcomes for Looked After Children and Care Leavers, the strategy had been developed to contain a number of guiding principles, which had been developed locally and these were shown on page 135 of the report. 

The strategy also set out Lincolnshire County Council's seven key priorities to continually improve on, over the next three years.  These were shown on pages 135 and 136 of the report presented.

It was advised that the strategy was a key document for the Council and its partner organisations. The Executive was advised further that the strategy had been developed in consultation with many key groups, elected members and young people.  It was noted that an executive summary of the strategy had been produced aimed at young people, which would be circulated to the Executive.

During consideration of the item, the following points were noted: -

·         It was confirmed that all seven district councils had signed up to the strategy in principle, with formal adoption planned subject to Executive approval.  Furthermore it was advised that the district councils had all committed to prioritising care leavers for housing needs and become an exemption for council tax;

·         It was advised that there were currently circa 600 looked after children; and circa 350 care leavers.  However, owing to the changes in legislation it was anticipated that the number of care leavers would gradually increase over time up to circa 900, as the Council's obligations increased until they reach the age of 25 years old; and

·         In relation to the extension of support to care leavers to the age of 25, it was queried what had been done to communicate this to care leavers and encourage them to take up the offer.  Officers reported that they were in the process of contacting as many as possible of the retrospective 21-25 year olds, but some were proving difficult to track down.  Amongst other things, advertisement through social media was being used.

The Chairman of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee advised that the report had been considered by the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 8 June 2018 and unanimously supported the recommendation in the Executive's report.  The comments of the Committee were detailed on pages 138 – 139 of the report.

RESOLVED

That the Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, which had been developed in consultation with relevant partner agencies and following consultation with young people, be approved.