Agenda item

Corporate Parenting Sub Group Update

(To receive a report which presents to the Committee the draft minutes of the Corporate Parenting Sub Group meeting held on 15 March 2018)

Minutes:

The Committee received an update from the Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Sub Group who advised that the minutes from the last meeting held on 15 March 2018 were attached at Appendix A of the report.

 

It was reported that the Sub-Group considered the following items at the meeting:

 

The Sub Group received an update on the progress of the Looked After Children and Care Leaver Strategy, and also the Corporate Parenting Strategy.  A working group was agreed by the Sub Group consisting of 9 members, who were listed in the report, to consider these two documents.  It was reported that due to the availability of members, half the working group met on 9 April and the other half met on 16 April.  At the meetings, the working group considered the draft strategies and had the opportunity to input their views and provide feedback on the documents.  Both of these strategies would be presented to this Committee at its meeting on 8 June 2018.  The Looked After Children and Care Leaver Strategy would then be approved by the Executive in July, and the Corporate Parenting strategy would be approved by full Council at its meeting in September.

 

It was reported that the Sub Group had been trialling having virtual meetings in between the main meetings, where a small number of reports would be circulated to the Sub Group by e-mail and the members had 10 days in which to submit any queries on those reports to Janice Spencer.  A written response would then be provided by e-mail to those queries and which would then be brought together and presented at the next Sub Group meeting for information.  It was noted that the purpose of the Virtual Meetings was to relieve some of the pressure on the agendas for the main meetings.  Members were advised that the next virtual meeting would take place on 30 April and the Sub Group was due to meet next on 14 June where it would be receiving the Legal Services Annual report for 2017/18 and the Virtual School Annual report for 2017/18.

 

The Sub Group also received a six monthly update from Barnardo's who provide the Leaving Care Service in Lincolnshire.  The Sub Group was pleased to learn that there were now 20 care leavers attending university, which was the highest figure ever recorded for care leavers in Lincolnshire.

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions in relation to the information contained within the report and the update presented, and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         Councillor Dodds advised that she attended the working group on 16 April and found it to be a very good meeting, with some useful discussions.

·         It was clarified that in terms of social care, the County Council would remain responsible for a child if they moved out of county.  However, the authority of the county they lived in would be responsible for their education and health care.

·         Members were advised that officers were pleased with the way the virtual meetings were taking place.

 

RESOLVED

 

            That the work of the Corporate Parenting Sub Group be supported and the update noted.

 

Supporting documents:

 

 
 
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