Agenda item

[Alison Hinds, Head of Looked After Children to present report]

Alison Hinds, Head of Looked After Children presented the report on the Impact of the New Belongings Project and the Outcomes of the Care Leavers Survey and highlighted key points.

Alison Hinds confirmed that 73 young people had completed the survey which was an increase of 10 compared to last year and the results overall had been positive.  It was hoped that next year it would be an interactive survey and that would encourage more young people to engage.

In respect of health, the 14% of young people having received the new leaving care health summary was good as it had only been implemented five months ago.  Of the 73 young people who had responded, some could have left care previously when the summary was not available. 

Fiona Brennan, Designated Nurse for Looked After Children confirmed that the priority was now to ensure that all care leavers leaving care received the summary.

Alison Hinds referred to the areas highlighted that required improvement, in particular around participation and entitlements and work the LAC Transition Service could do better.  She confirmed that a LAC Transitions Action Plan had been produced taking into consideration the survey results. 

In addition to the information contained within the report and in response to questions from Board Members, officers stated the following:

• An Assistant Corporate Parenting Officer had just started work and would be working proactively to encourage more participation through Facebook and other social media, together with improvement to the Care Leavers’ newsletter sent out every three months.
• Young people were encouraged to think about how they spent their savings and were offered advice and support.
• It was a concern that the percentage of young people who felt that they had a good relationship with their worker had decreased and that would be investigated.
• Care leavers were offered support and advice regarding financial matters and there were courses they could attend to help them manage their finances.  In respect of savings, different options were being researched and a report would be submitted to the Board in due course.
• If a young person was finding it difficult to progress with their Young Person’s Advisor, then that would be looked into.
• The questions related to health on the survey were generic and related to health in general rather than specific reference to mental health and wellbeing.
• In respect of employment and work experience, support was given through the Black Country IMPACT project.  Care leavers were offered mock interviews to improve techniques. There was also a Talent Match to help over 18s get back into work.
• The results from the survey regarding support from workers could refer to different types of support workers.

Councillor Waite requested that in future surveys the questions on health be more specific to allow more individual responses.

The Chair thanked officers for the comprehensive report and requested that future reports include comparative data covering a three-year period and to allow responders the option of saying why they had put a particular response.

Resolved:

That the report and comments raised be noted.