Agenda item

Mary-Anne Cosgrove, Head of Children in Care, to deliver a presentation.

Mary-Anne Cosgrove, Head of Children in Care, delivered a presentation, which is included in the agenda pack.

Highlighted points are summarised as follows:

a)  Some children may come into care quite late, at the age at 15 and 16;

b)  every councillor is a corporate parent;

c)  corporate parents now have new duties;

d)  One of the 8 areas which the 2022 OFSTED inspection identified for improvement was the clarity and quality of information available to care leavers, including  of their rights and entitlements, and the statutory requirement for the local authority to provide a personal advisors to support care leavers post-21 years of age;

e)  From April 2023, the OFSTED framework included an additional judgement area focusing on care leavers and ensuring that they are aware of the local offer and continue to be supported up to and beyond 21 years of age;

f)  The presentation sets out how the local authority has responded to the new requirements, including:

i.  providing an app based accessibility platform specifically for local care leavers;

ii.  establishment of a local task and finish group under place-based work;

iii.  provided an enhanced Local Offer around transport and plans around Council Tax, Leisure and a Conference with City employers in the Autumn;

iv.  a cross-department strengthened local offer, including mental health, housing and employment;

v.  increased personal adviser and management capacity;

vi.  contact with city and local authority employers;

vii.  ensuring that locally, care leavers are considered a protected characteristic;

viii.  the breadth of how the local offer has since been increased set out within the presentation;

g)  Due to a Barnardo’s Children’s Charity mystery benefactor and grants from Central Government, further work is possible to expand and extend the local offer;

h)  Partnership members and colleagues are requested to consider how they, or someone they know, who has influence and power and could contribute to corporate parenting, possibly creatively/ operationally/with sharing their experience and /or support, mentoring or championing our care leavers, be aspirational and passionate for these young care leavers. Training can be provided, including virtual LGA sessions on Corporate Parenting;

i)  The Pathfinders initiative will open up opportunities in the health sector, with supporting managers to support care leaver and understand their specific challenges. In addition the autumn conference is inviting commercial business and asking what they can offer. The champion’s initiative is website which could match people to children and care leavers for one-off meetings, longer term mentoring, and multiple different championing paths;

j)  The Positive Destinations Pathway officer at Futures was closely with the specialist personal advisor for children, not in education, training or employment to identify talking about care and work with them and companies to improve links. Futures will also be managing tutor for 18 to 25-year-olds.

Comments from the partnership included:

k)  It’s really important to involve people from across the city to assist with supporting local offer to care leavers;

l)  The involvement of head teachers and the Police would be most welcome;

m)  It is important to ensure that the Corporate Parent Board concentrates its efforts and enables young people in care to have the opportunity to see the routes available for their future, alongside being confident and ambitious with regard to work and career development by being exposed to potential opportunities through work experience;

n)  The majority of partners in attendance today are working within the public sector, but inevitably come into contact with private sector organisations, many of which aspire to add social value for the services they work with and maybe keen to support care leavers. Private sector engagement needs to be encouraged by colleagues, for instance, when commissioning services, consider care leavers, either in a practical manner, such as providing apprenticeship routes, or mentoring or sponsoring activities which are particularly directed at care leavers. Partners are requested to consider mobilising the experience and funds that sit within the City;

o)  There needs to be improved connectivity with the Careers Hub and the Careers and Enterprise Advisers, with regard to employability. Futures host these roles on behalf of the city and the Local Enterprise Partnership, working with secondary schools to develop enterprise networks and relationships between employers and schools. There are some systems but in place, but maybe further aspect is required to ensure that the care leavers cohort is considered;

p)  Police Super Intendant Kathryn Craner is already an Aspiration Champion for care leavers, and would further welcome Police involvement with careers advisers, including routes into the Police Service and Police apprenticeships and further discussion on Supporting Corporate Parenting Board.

Any partners, appropriate bodies or individuals wishing to support the broadening of the Local Offer for Children in Care, as outlined, should contact Mary-Anne Cosgrove at mary-anne.cosgrove@nottinghamcity.gov.uk