Archived decisions
Development and Delivery of a Corporate Pledge for Children in Care | ||
Gill Horrobin, 01962 847263, [email protected]
1. In November 2007, Hampshire's Corporate Parents, represented by a group of officers and Members, had a formal meeting in Council Chambers within which the Care Council, supported by Hampshire's Youth Council, discussed the issues for children in Hampshire's care. The meeting was named as Takeover Day in which children in care and members of the Youth Council shadowed senior officers and Members in their daily duties.
2. At the above meeting, the Care Council presented their wishes and feelings about some of the things they would like addressed within a pledge for Hampshire's population of children in care.
3. At the meeting of the CYPSC and subsequent Executive Member Decision Day in January, a Corporate Pledge for Children in Care was approved. The Pledge responds to requirements in the White Paper: Care Matters, and is a culmination of those requirements and the specific needs identified by Hampshire's Care Council during Takeover Day. The Pledge responds to the needs of all children in care, regardless of their placement. It therefore targets those in custody, in addition to those placed with families, in residential care and lodgings. It also targets disabled children. Involving disabled children in service development/care planning is central to `Aiming High', including how they want to be consulted in the future. A multi-disciplinary participation group meets and is developing a tool kit for young people in our short break units; this provides minimum standards of participation that are expected wherever a disabled child is placed for short breaks.
4. There are many elements to the Pledge, ranging from education improvements to health, stability in placement to consistent adult, but also, it addresses an agenda around meaningful participation regarding plans that affect children in care on a daily basis.
5. An agreed part of the Corporate Parenting agenda is for the Corporate Parenting group to meet regularly with the Care Council to discuss the Pledge and feed back on progress of implementation. Plans are underway to schedule and prepare another formal meeting to carry out this responsibility and to feed back to the Care Council in a way that demonstrates progress is being made, despite the fact that the agenda is vast and some elements will take some time to address.
6. This following provides a brief summary of some of the key mechanisms/forums currently in place to progress the developments required within the Pledge.
7. A Project Board has recently been established, chaired by the Director, which has four work streams. These are as follows:
· Placement Stability (chaired by the Deputy Director, C & F)
· Educational attendance and achievement (chaired by the Deputy Director, E & I)
· Children's Voice (chaired by the head of Performance and Planning)
· Health and Wellbeing (chaired jointly by health and the CAMH Trust Manager)
8. Each of the four work streams will drive forward an agenda for improvements in service delivery, which will address key elements of the Pledge.
9. An implementation plan has been established to take forward the Care Matters agenda. A Project Manager will be appointed to lead on the programme, ensuring that progress is made in respect of all elements of the Pledge.
10. Appointments have been made to the vacant children in care nurses posts. Joint work continues areas for development which will improve health services.
11. A Business Case has been approved which has led to a major investment into the fostering service. This will address the placement stability issue (amongst other issues) and in turn, enable children and young people in care to access an improved choice of placement, matching their needs with the skills of carers.
12. An internal re-structuring of the social care side of Children and Families is underway. This will result in Children in Care teams and help to address many of the issues within the Pledge, e.g. increased focus on care planning and reviewing, participation issues and their needs around a consistent (professional) adult.
13. Appointments have been made in the Complaints Team to drive forward an improved programme for responding to complaints.
14. The planned meeting with the Corporate Parenting Group and Care Council will be the forum for sharing the above, which will demonstrate that progress is being made. Further information about future activities of the Care Council and the Corporate Parenting Group are attached at Annexe A.
Annexe A
Care Council's proposed workshop with the Corporate Parenting Group
The Care Council last met with the Corporate Parenting group in November 07 at the Take Over day event. The young people from the Care Council presented the six items on the young people's Pledge that they wished the Corporate Parenting Group to take forward on their behalf.
Since November, the Executive Member for Children and Families has considered how work will continue with this agenda.
It has been decided, due to the young people's exams, the summer break from school and Executive Members' summer recess, the next joint meeting of the Care Council and the Corporate Parenting group will take place on Tuesday 9 September. This date was decided on the basis that it coincides with the Care Council's regular monthly meeting.
The purpose of the joint meeting is for both groups to discuss the outcomes from their last meeting and explore how things are taken forward. The young people have requested that an agreement is drawn up outlining how the two groups can communicate better with each other, especially outside the scheduled group meetings held every 6 months. A Care Council member has suggested a Corporate Parent Post box where postcards with topics for discussion can be posted at the regular Care Council meetings and raised at the joint meetings.
Care Council's achievements so far this year
Headlines:
· Successful Spring School at University of Winchester. Two Care Council members were peer mentors to the group.
· The buddy Pilot at the Green House has worked well (this is currently being evaluated by the University of Winchester) we hope to take this idea into more units.
· Care Council members are making a DVD in the autumn about the positive image of being fostered to help get more placements for teenagers. (A residential weekend for Care Council members at one of Hampshire's outdoor centres, possibly Calshot is being arranged for the autumn, sponsored by Recreation and Heritage and the Youth Arts Officer).
· Care Council members are attending a recruitment evening for new foster carers.
· Care Council members have taken part in interviews for staff including tier 3 managers.
· Care Council members have been invited to train Social Workers on what the Care Council does and what participation means to its members.
· Care Council members did a presentation about the Care Council for the Hampshire County Youth Council. In return, the HCYC provided an introduction to democracy. HCYC members have agreed to become peer mentors for the Care Council. A training course is being arranged.
· Some Young people from Godbey House took part in a drama project with University of Winchester Drama Students.
· Two Care Council members are going to the House of Commons on 17th July 2008 to the 10 year Anniversary of the Children in Care Parliamentary Group. Care Council members took part on an advocacy debate at one of the Group's meetings this year.
· Care Council members took part in a focus group with the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE ) Going to Geneva project.
· Care Council Members took part in the Ofsted consultation event about what the issues are for us being in Care.
· Care Council Members gave their views about the Education Team for Children in Care.
Forthcoming Care Council Activities
Meetings:
Tues 17th June - workshop @ Wells Place, Eastleigh
Tues 15th July - Visit to the Rock School Band event @ the Theatre Royal Winchester
Tuesday 5th August - half-day workshop with the Youth Arts Officer to work on images for the Pledge Banner (arts venue to be confirmed)
Tuesday 9th September 08 - Joint meeting Care Council and Corporate Parenting Group
Workshop Venue - Wells Place, Eastleigh
Time - 5-7pm
Activity - Develop the Pledge Banner
Care Council - Areas for Development
· Increase our membership, to make it more representative.
· Learn more about democratic process, become more affiliated to Hampshire County Youth Council.
· Increase our access to leisure activities.
· Develop our own newsletter/website .
· Publicise and communicate what the group does more.
· Have more team building events.
· Have a regular venue to meet of our own.
· Support with transport to get to the Care Council meetings.