Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing note updating the Committee on progress being made with respect to improving the support offered to young people leaving Care.

An update was provided on the work underway to address potential issues of isolation facing young people leaving care, particularly those for whom established support networks were not in place. This was following on from a request made at a previous meeting that consideration be given to extending peer mentoring and independent visitors schemes.

A pilot exercise was planned with a third sector organisation to provide adult mentors for an initial group of 10 young people leaving care and also to develop peer mentors for young people under the age of 17. A local organisation Embrace had been identified to run and also fund the pilot which would be focussed on those individuals particularly at risk of isolation such as those entering care via the Southwark judgement. A funding application would then be submitted to roll out the pilot if successful.

A second organisation, KIS, which aimed to help people into employment, enterprise and education had offered to run independent living training for young people leaving care through tailored workshops covering employment, housing, budgeting etc. The training would also offer the opportunity for the young person to gain accreditation. Again, this would require additional funding for wider roll out in the future. Work was also underway to develop a checklist of areas foster carers should be covering with their charges as part of preparation for leaving care. 

The Committee sought reassurance on the process and quality assurance arrangements in place for selecting third sector organisations to work with. It was requested that details of the process and safeguards in place be circulated to the Committee. It was also agreed that the Committee would receive a progress report back on the mentoring scheme in due course in line with the organisation’s evaluation process.

An update was provided on the independent visitor scheme which had now been transferred and incorporated into the existing advocacy contract held with Barnado’s. Initially this would consist of work with 10 Independent Visitors with an additional funding bid required to expand the scheme in the future.

The report was noted.