Agenda item

To consider an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the

scrutiny review of Support to Children from Refugee Families. 

Beverley Hendricks, Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Social Care stated that the report covered progress with the implementation of the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review on Support to Children from Refugee Families and, in addition, provided additional information on the context within which the Council was currently working.  Appendix 1 of the report indicated whether the recommendations had been either agreed or partially agreed. 

There were only two recommendations where further work was still required.  One of these related to the implementation of the recommendations a practice audit that was undertaken of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) team where a progress report to the Panel was requested.  This could be placed on the work plan as an item for a future meeting of the Panel. The other outstanding issue related to a report on the provision of good quality immigration advice to families with NRPF.   She reported that there was currently much work being undertaken within the service. Examples included the settlement status of unaccompanied children from the EU.   Consideration also needed to be given to the citizenship of looked after children and care leavers.  The Council was a member of NRPF Connect, which provided local authorities access to a database with a wide range of information, including details on immigration status.  It also provided access to relevant teams within the Home Office and this provided the opportunity for the Council to encourage them to regularise the immigration status of relevant families.

In answer to a question, Ms Hendricks stated that she could confirm that there was currently no officer from the Home Office embedded within the NRPF Team.   She reported that the Department for Education had recently written to the local authorities asking if reassurance could be given that looked after children were being supported to secure citizenship.  A briefing could be submitted to a future meeting of the Panel regarding this if members deemed this useful.

Panel Members felt that resolving the immigration status of families needed to be given a high priority and that referral for good quality immigration advice was essential for this.  Ms Hendricks reported that the Council worked closely with the Coram centre, who could assist with legal advice.  She stated that NRPF Connect produced quarterly statistical reports and she was happy to report in detail on the findings of these.  Amongst other matters, they showed the importance of the granting of leave to remain in ending the need for local authority involvement in cases.

The Cabinet Member reported that the High Court had just ruled that the £1012 fee charged for citizenship was unlawful. Whilst this was good news, the decision was likely to be appealed.

In answer to a question regarding Border Security Force raids, Ms Hendricks reported that there was an obligation on the part of the Police to inform children’s social care services when a raid likely to impact on children was planned so that its impact could be mitigated.

In answer to another question, she stated that there was currently no local intelligence on any children returning to the borough from Syria.  However, she reported that London Councils and boroughs in close proximity to access points had undertaken some work on this issue and a paper could be submitted to a future meeting on this for information.

She reported that it was proposed that the rates that were set for subsistence for families with NRPF use the NASS rates, which was a national benchmark that was used by other local authorities.

AGREED:

1.    That an update on progress with implementing improvements identified as required by the practice audit undertaken on the work of the NRPF team in 2017 be submitted to a future Panel meeting; and

2.    That a report be made  to a future meeting of the Panel on how families with NRPF are assisted in accessing good quality immigration advice so that they are better able to resolve their status quickly.