Issue - meetings

[To approve the refreshed Terms of Reference for the Corporate Parenting Board.]

Jazmine Walker, Head of Children and Young People in Care presented the Refreshed Terms of Reference and highlighted salient points. The report outlined that the Terms of Reference had been reviewed and updated to ensure the information remained current and the Board was effective.

A slight amendment was added to section 3.3 of Appendix 1 to read:

The Vice Chair will be appointed from the membership and agreed at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

In respect of paragraph 2.13, it was asked whether many care leavers kept in touch with the authority or if contact was lost once leaving the system. It was noted that the service made an effort to engage with care leavers post-18 especially since the care leaver local offer was extended to young people up to the age of 25. It was reported that many were happy to keep in touch with their Young Person’s Advisor.

A query was raised around paragraph 2.11 and who collated information on corporate parenting in other authorities. It was noted that the Corporate Parenting Officer normally kept in touch with their counterparts in other authorities and attended a forum to share best practice.

A query was raised around the number of independent fostering residential homes across the City and if these figures could be provided. Upper Pendeford Farm was the only Authority managed residential home however there were privately owned homes in Wolverhampton as well. It was confirmed that numbers of Wolverhampton children placed in independent residential homes were included as part of the Performance Monitoring Information Report.

In response to a query around how many young people were in apprenticeships, it was noted that five apprentice positions had been filled by young people in care or leaving care within the Authority. It was noted that the sub-group of Corporate Parenting Board, Corporate Parenting Partnership Board, also collaborated to identify opportunities, including apprenticeships in external organisations. Information on apprenticeships for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) would be collated and provided at the next meeting of Corporate Parenting Board.

Resolved:

1. That the Refreshed Terms of Reference be approved subject to the verbal addendum.

2.    That information on apprenticeships for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) would be collated and provided at the next meeting of Corporate Parenting Board.

3.    That the number of independent fostering residential homes across the City be provided.