Issue - meetings

[Report of the Interim Deputy Chief Executive. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families.] Report outlining the future design of services for young people leaving care in Haringey and the Care Leavers Strategy agreed with local partners.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families was pleased to introduce the report, which sought approval of an outline Local Offer for improving support to care leavers in line with requirements of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

The Council was required to consult with stakeholders in developing the Local Offer to ensure all services that may support care leavers in moving to and sustaining independent living were reflected and that the Local Offer was presented in a way that supports access to information and advice and relevant services for care leavers. Final statutory guidance on the Local Offer was still pending, but the approval of Cabinet to consult was being sought in advance of this to ensure that officers are able to finalise a Local Offer as soon as possible after the Children and Social Work Act comes into force.

RESOLVED

1.    To approve for consultation with stakeholders, including children in care and care leavers, a draft Local Offer and Care Leavers Strategy in line with the outline versions in Appendices 1 and 2;

2.    To delegate to the Director of Children Services in consultation with the Lead Member for Children Services authority to finalise the draft Local Offer and Care Leavers Strategy for consultation with stakeholders;

3.    To agree that a report on the outcome of the consultation be brought back to Cabinet for a final decision on the Local Offer and Care Leavers Strategy.

Reasons for decision

New statutory duties

The Children & Social Work Act 2017 is the first major change to the existing statutory duties set out in the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. The focus on care leavers also reflects recent central government policy and is expected to be reflected in the future Ofsted inspection framework for Children’s Services. The majority of leaving care duties from the original legislation remain, but in addition, the Act introduces the following:

·                Corporate Parenting Principles – codifying for the first time the ways in which all-local authority departments, not just Children’s Social Care, must have regard for the wellbeing and development of Looked After Children and Care Leavers. These are intended to act as a set of tests for helping the council as a whole to deliver services to looked after children and care leavers in a way that mirrors as far as possible the way a good parent would support their child. In Haringey, this has already been given consideration through the Corporate Parenting Pledge that was adopted by Haringey’s Full Council on 24^th July 2017 and further work to reinforce the Pledge across the local authority will be part of the proposed Care Leavers Strategy.

·                Extension of leaving care duty to 25 – amending the previous upper limit for providing support to the age of 25 for all care leavers, where before it had been 21 unless they were in full-time education; this entitles former relevant care leavers to have an allocated Personal Adviser and support to develop and achieve a Pathway Plan until  ...  view the full minutes text for item 172