Decision details

The Cabinet considered the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children's Services) Working Group which undertook a scrutiny inquiry into Corporate Parenting in the Borough.

Councillor Cummins, Lead Member of the Working Group outlined the key findings and recommendations of the scrutiny inquiry and responded to questions from Cabinet Members.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)            approval be given to the booklet "If This were my Child", attached as Appendix 3, to the report;

(2)       in order to raise awareness of the Council's responsibilities as Corporate Parent, all Elected Members and appointed officers receive the "If This were my Child" booklet outlining their responsibilities, to be distributed by the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families;

(3)       the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to brief, by way of a presentation, all Elected Members and all officers;

(4)       all newly Elected Members and appointed officers receive a briefing, from the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families and the booklet "If This were my Child" as part of their induction;

(5)       the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families be requested to draft a role Description for an Elected Member Champion for Corporate Parenting, to be agreed in consultation with the Corporate Parenting Board;

(6)       an Elected Member Champion for Corporate Parenting be nominated by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, once a Role Description has been agreed;

(7)       the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families, in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to deliver a presentation in relation to the Corporate Parenting Strategy to all of the Council's Area Committees at each first meeting of the Municipal Year, 2010;

(8)       the Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy, in consultation with the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families be requested to, when reporting any proposed budget cuts, determine their impact on the Council's Looked After Children;

(9)       in the future, Cabinet proposals/recommendations be considered, in relation to assessing the impact on the Council's Looked After Children, if appropriate;

(10)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to approach partner organisations to make a pledge in relation to what Looked After Children can expect from them and how they can contribute to Corporate Parenting;

(11)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to prepare a separate booklet specifically detailing the Council's expectations of partner organisations in delivering services for Looked After Children across Sefton;

(12)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families, in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to design a booklet specifically for school staff detailing schools responsibilities in their Corporate Parent Role;

(13)     the Strategic Director - Children Schools and Families be requested to ask those schools with Looked After Children attending, to nominate a Teacher and Governor to have special responsibilities for them, the names of the nominated persons to be held by the Strategic Director - Children Schools and Families;

(14)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families be authorised to approach other Authorities in order to reach an agreement to share information on Looked After Children transferred into another Authority (Out of Borough Placements);

(15)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families, the Children's Social Care Director and appropriate officers assigned by them, take a more individual interest in Looked After Children regarding a profile being set up for each child, including examinations, mentoring and advocacy;

(16)     the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) be requested to make a presentation in relation to Looked After Children to a future Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children's Services);

(17)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families, in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to approach an appropriate representative from NHS Sefton requesting them to take a more active role in Looked After Children's psychological welfare, and that the possibility of a dedicated psychologist for each children's home be explored.

(18)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families, in consultation with the Children's Social Care Director, be requested to explore the possibility of a multi-agency after care safety net approach to be adopted when children leave care;

(19)            Council Departments and partner organisations be encouraged to offer work placements to Looked After Children on finishing their education; and

(20)     the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families be requested to submit a progress report on the implementation of the above mentioned issues to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children's Services) in September 2010.