Corporate Parenting Working Group

Borough of Poole – Corporate Parenting Working Group – 7 January 2014

BOROUGH OF POOLE

CORPORATE PARENTING WORKING GROUP

7 JANUARY 2014

The Meeting commenced at 4:35pm and concluded at 6:10pm.

Present:

Councillor Brown – Chairman Councillor Mrs Le Poidevin – Vice Chairman Councillors Mrs Evans, Mrs Moore and Mrs Walton

Also Present:

Michelle Cutler – Democratic Support Officer, Legal and Democratic Services Lynne Giles – Service Manager, Dorset Children’s Rights Service Gerry Moore – Head of Children and Young People’s Social Care (CYPSC) Steve Murray – Principal Manager (CYPSC) Tammie Lewis – Head of Poole Virtual School for Children in Care, Children, Young People and Learning (CYPL) Aldina Taylor – Participation Worker, Action for Children Jan Thurgood – Strategic Director - People Alison Vokins – Health Adviser, CYPSC Vicky Wales – Head of CYPL

1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

The Chairman welcomed Tammie Lewis, the new Head of Poole Virtual School for Children in Care, to her first Meeting.

The Vice-Chairman took this opportunity to express concern that only one report had been sent out with the Agenda and that the rest had been tabled.

The Chairman agreed that this was unacceptable and that it was vital that Members had sight of all reports five clear working days in advance of the Meeting as this allowed Members time to read the reports in advance.

The Vice-Chairman suggested that if reports were not ready to go out with the Agenda then the item should be postponed until such time that the report was available.

Post Meeting Note:

The Clerk agreed to notify the Chairman of any future reports not received on time so that a decision could be made on whether or not to withdraw the item for consideration at a later date.

1 Borough of Poole – Corporate Parenting Working Group – 7 January 2014

2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Wilkins.

3. DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

4. MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes held on 7 October 2013, as previously circulated, be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

5. POOLE KIDZ IN CARE (PKIC) UPDATE AND DRAFT CARE LEAVERS CHARTER

The Participation Worker, Action for Children, presented the ‘PKIC Report August – December 2013’, which outlined the various activities that PKIC had participated in.

It was noted that PKIC and four Care Leavers had worked with the Participation Worker and staff from the Child in Care (CIC) Team to produce a film entitled ‘The Voice’. The Film gave an account of how young people felt regarding the service they received from Children and Young People’s Social Care (CYPSC) and how the transition for children from the CIC Team to Pathways could be improved.

The Vice-Chairman asked when the Film would be shown to Council? It was highlighted that the Council Agenda had been very busy, however, it was possible that the DVD could be shown to all Members prior to the start of a future Council Meeting.

A Member of the Working Group confirmed that Cabinet had viewed part of the DVD and had recommended that the DVD be made available to full Council. The Clerk advised that she would liaise with the Democratic Services Manager with regard to full Council viewing ‘The Voice’.

The Participation Worker advised that the Foster Carer DVD entitled ‘The Journey into Care’ was now available to view on the Borough of Poole (BoP) Website (a link would be emailed to the Clerk to forward to all Members of the Council). Copies of ‘The Voice’ were available should full Council wish to view it.

The Participation Worker confirmed that she was liaising with the Fostering Team Manager, CYPSC, with regard to showing ‘The Voice’ to both the Adoption and Fostering Panels.

The Participation Worker, Councillor Mrs Evans and two members of PKIC had recently attended a London Conference entitled ‘Taking it to the Next Level’. The Conference provided an opportunity for Corporate Parents to work with young people directly and to share ideas with other Local Authorities. The Participation Worker thanked Councillor Mrs Evans for providing a direct link between PKIC and the Corporate Parenting Working Group.

Members were informed of the work of the Young Inspectors Pilot Programme, a small group of young people who had been appointed as inspectors to look at the various services available to Children in Care (CIC). The Young Inspectors also looked at how each service met the needs of young people and highlighted any emerging issues for Children and Young People in Care.

Draft ‘Care Leavers Charter’

The Clerk circulated a leaflet entitled ‘What Happens Next? Our Promise to Care Leavers’, which contained the draft ‘Care Leavers Charter’.

The Leaflet had been designed to explain to Care Leavers why a ‘Charter’ was necessary and what they could do if promises made by the BoP had not been fulfilled. The Leaflet also provided a useful list of contacts.

It was highlighted that the Leaflet had been designed by young people and was based on the Governments ‘Charter’.

The Participation Worker asked Members of the Working Group to notify her of any amendments/suggestions to the Leaflet so that they could be considered by the Principal Manager, CYPSC, as a final draft before going to print.

The Head of Children, Young People and Learning advised that it was important for young people to understand that the BoP had a duty to provide them with support and advice with regard to education and training.

In response to a question raised by the Chairman, the Principal Manager explained that the Pathways Team also provided provisions for Looked After Children through the Child Disability Team (provided that the child in question met the criteria for entitlement) and that specialist support would be provided for their disabilities.

The Strategic Director asked if an ‘easy read’ version of the ‘Charter’ would be made available? The Principal Manager explained that this was something the young people could look into as well as the ‘Charter’ being made available in other languages.

RESOLVED that

i) The Clerk liaise with the Manager of Democratic Services with regard to showing the DVD entitled ‘The Voice’ to full Council; and

ii) The Participation Worker would email the Clerk a link to the DVD entitled ‘The Journey into Care’, which would then be forwarded to all Members of the Council.

6. ANNUAL CHILDREN IN CARE HEALTH REPORT

The Health Adviser, Children and Young People’s Social Care (CYPSC), presented a Report entitled ‘Health of Children in Care (CIC) In Poole, Annual Report, April 2012 – March 2013’, which brought together the work taking place regarding the health of CIC in Poole.

The Health Adviser advised that, in future, she would like to attend meetings of the Working Group at an earlier opportunity in order to present the ‘Annual CIC Health Report’ as soon as it was available. The Head of CYPSC confirmed that the 2013/14 Health Report would be considered at the July meeting.

The Report covered the following areas:

 The number of CIC  Destination of Children and Young People Leaving Care  Adoption  Initial Health Assessment for CIC (new into care)  Key Performance Indicators (including Service Level Agreements, Dental Health and Immunisations)  Supporting Children and Young People with disabilities  Diet and obesity  Reducing sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy  Alcohol/substance misuse, including smoking  Referrals  Mental health/emotional well being  Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire  Listening to Young People  Summary of key areas of development during 2011/12  Key areas for development during 2013/14

Attention was drawn to the following areas:

Initial Health Assessment for CIC

The Initial Health Care Assessment had been taken over and commissioned by the Hospital Trust. Initially, GPs had carried out Assessments, however, a lot of information was unavailable. It was now easy to access GP records for all CIC either with the consent of parents or of the Local Authority (LA).

The health history for young people was more developed and more birth parents were attending the initial appointment for Assessment.

Service Level Agreements

There was a nationwide Service Level Agreement in place for Health Assessments.

Dental Health

92% of Poole CIC had had a dental check up during the year.

Immunisations

93% of CIC were reported as being up to date with their immunisations.

The Chairman asked if CIC had a ‘red health care book’? The Health Adviser explained that all children should have one; however, some parents had either mislaid them or refused to part with them. School aged children used a ‘red passport book’ and it was noted that CIC in Bournemouth had designed their own books, which the Health Adviser advised that she would bring to the July meeting to pass around.

In response to a question raised by the Chairman, the Working Group was advised that BCG immunisations were no longer carried out in schools, however, young people entering the UK from abroad had their immunisation histories checked.

Supporting Children and Young People with disabilities

The Children in Care Health Team (CICHT) worked closely with the Poole Child Health and Disability (CHAD) Team. The Team had 12 children and young people in care and the level of involvement from the CICHT was dependent on where the CIC were placed and the reasons why they were in care.

Diet and Obesity

The CIC Team continued to offer ‘Junior Chefs’ to young people in order to provide a fun cooking experience where young people could learn new skills and boost their social skills.

Reducing Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Teenage Pregnancy

Promoting sexual health and the enjoyment of healthy relationships continued to be a priority for the Poole CICHT.

Alcohol/Substance Misuse Including Smoking

The CICHT worked closely with the Young Adults Drug and Alcohol Service (YADAS). Carers and Workers had access to a wide range of specialist training to enable them to offer an understanding and basic knowledge of the issues involved.

Mental Health/Emotional Wellbeing

The CICHT had been proactive in advocating for the best health support for both CIC and their Carers. This had helped to improve the holistic health outcomes and in some cases, it had improved the stability of placements.

The CICHT also worked closely with the Children and Adult Mental Health Service (CAMHS),

In response to a question raised by a Member of the Working Group, the Health Adviser explained that many young people entering the Care System had emotional difficulties. It was noted that a huge amount of team work took place to prevent young people from being placed in Care.

RESOLVED that the Report be noted.

7. CHILDREN IN CARE PERFORMANCE REPORT

The Head of Children and Young People’s Social Care (CYPSC) presented the ‘Children in Care – Half Year Performance Report’, which advised the Working Group of half year key performance data and trends for children in Poole.

It was highlighted that the Report did not contain performance data for education, as this would be included in a specific annual report at the next Meeting.

Key points were summarised as follows:

 The total number of Children in Care (CIC) remained stable and below the national average.  There had been an increase in the use of Independent Fostering Agency placements during 2013.  The number of CIC placed more than 20 miles away from home (Government Indicator), short term placement stability and CIC going missing between April – September 2013 had indicated good performance. Further analysis was being undertaken around long term placement stability, as performance had dipped slightly.  Adoption performance was predicted to remain strong for 2013/14 with 11 children placed for adoption by September 2013.  Performance on statutory reviews completed within timescales remained stable. Further actions were underway to secure further improvement.

The Strategic Director noted that the Report contained a great deal of statistical information and asked if the next report could include an update on the issues raised by young people e.g. sibling placements, and the action being taken to address the various issues raised. The Working Group agreed that it was important not to lose sight of the key issues raised by young people.

A Member asked if future reports could include an indication of the numbers of children entering or leaving Care? The Head of CYPSC advised that she would include this information prior to the Report being submitted to the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

It was noted that during the first half of 2013/14, two CIC were reported as missing on three occasions. A Member of the Working Group asked if this was deemed a high number? The Head of CYPSC explained that two was considered to be a low number and added that there was a difference between children being ‘missing’ or ‘absent’. It was noted that the Borough of Poole was working alongside Dorset Police regarding the definition of ‘missing’ and that Dorset Police had a dedicated Team of Officers that worked with missing children.

The Chairman thanked the Head of CYPSC for an informative report.

RESOLVED that the Report be noted.

8. FORWARD PLAN

The Chairman asked for notification of future items to be considered by the Working Group.

The Head of Children and Young People’s Social Care (CYPSC) advised that she was working on a Forward Plan, which would be forwarded to the Clerk for distribution when available.

April 2014

 Annual Report of the Virtual School Head – Tammie Lewis  Corporate Parenting Working Group Action Plan – Gerry Moore  Placement Commissioning/Efficiency Strategy – Gerry Moore  Children in Care Council Annual Report (Members of the Working Group would be invited to attend the CIC Council and consider the CIC Annual Report in the form of a DVD).

July 2014

 Annual Health Report – Alison Vokins  Annual Children in Care (CIC) Performance Report – Gerry Moore  An invitation to members of the CIC Team to talk about their work and how it linked in with the ‘Pledge’.

October 2014

 Report on the Advocacy Service for CIC in Poole (commissioned by Action for Children) – Lynne Giles  Care Leavers Charter and Review of ‘Pledge’ – Gerry Moore

 Review of Adoption Services (to include new legislation on Court processes and the implications)

January 2015

 Session around Care Leavers and their experiences

The Chairman thanked the Head of CYPSC and asked that the Forward Plan be circulated at the earliest opportunity.

In addition to the items on the Forward Plan, the Working Group asked if consideration could be given to adding the following items:

 The Working Group to meet with Foster Carers to discuss whether the needs of CIC were being adequately met and whether they felt key issues were being addressed,  Shared Carers and Supported Lodgings,  Ofsted inspection of CIC; and  The proposals and impact of children remaining in Foster Care until the age of 21 (how would this impact on service provision and corporate parenting?).

9. URGENT ITEMS OF BUSINESS

No items were raised.

10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next Meeting of the Corporate Parenting Working Group would take place on 8 April 2014 at 4:30pm in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Poole.

CHAIRMAN