Minutes

44      CHILDREN IN CARE AND CARE LEAVER ANNUAL VIRTUAL HEADTEACHER REPORT 2020/21 – The Director: Children and Families submitted a report seeking approval and endorsement of the Annual Virtual Headteacher Report for Children in Care and Care Leavers for 2020/21.

The  council were highly ambitious for all children in the area, particularly looked after children and care leavers.  The role of corporate parent was taken very seriously and the council’s aim was for all looked after children and care leavers to achieve the best they could and have a successful transition into adulthood.

The role of the Virtual Headteacher and Virtual School was to promote the educational achievement of children in the council’s care whether educated in North Lincolnshire or placed out of the county.  The Virtual Headteacher and Virtual School had high aspirations for and continually strived to close the attainment gap between, the children and their peers.

The Virtual School worked tirelessly to provide effective support and challenge in order to make a difference to the education outcomes for the council’s looked after children throughout their journey through school and into leaving care.  The report reflected the impact and successes over the past year.

Resolved – That the Children in Care and Care Leaver Annual Virtual Headteacher Report 2020/21 be noted, endorsed and approved.

45      INCREASING OUR OFFER TO CARE LEAVERS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ADVICE, WHATEVER THEIR AGE IN LINE WITH OUR CORPORATE PARENTING PROMISE TO CHILDREN IN CARE AND CARE LEAVERS 2021 – The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 amended the Children Act 1989 and along with The Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017 had increased the powers and duties on councils to better support young people leaving care through support and accommodation arrangements to improve their life chances.  This included extending the duties to support care leavers to the age of 21 to 25.

The duty that extended the Personal Advisor support (where requested) to all care leavers meant that the council continued to exercise functions in respect of care leavers to age 25 and should therefore apply the corporate parenting principles when exercising those functions.

The duty meant that councils did not necessarily need to provide the same level of support to care leavers aged 21 to 25 as it did for those aged 18-20.  The duty did, however, enable councils to respond positively to requests for support from care leavers aged 21-25 who may be continuing to struggle with the transition to independence and adult life.

The council currently provided support as necessary to care leavers up to the age of 25.

Corporate parents had the same aspirations for a child in care or care leaver as any good parent would have for their own child.  It meant providing them with the stability and support they needed to make progress; and helping them to access new opportunities and experiences that inspired them to set ambitious goals for themselves.  It meant celebrating their successes, but also recognising that they would sometimes make mistakes and need help to get back on track.  It also meant supporting them to gain the skills and confidence to live independent lives, while letting them know that they had someone to call on for help if the going got tough.  For most children support from their family never ended whether they were aged 18, 21 or 25 or beyond.

The council were family for their care leavers.  In line with the corporate parenting promise the council wanted to formally extend the support and advice offer to care leavers beyond the age of 25 years, recognising that a care leaver was a care leaver for life not just until the age of 25 years. 

Resolved – That the proposal to increase the council’s offer to care leavers to provide support and advice, whatever their age, in line with the Corporate Parenting Promise to Children in Care and Care Leavers 2021, as set out in Option 1 of the report, be approved.