Corporate Parenting Board
This section contains the following information about the Corporate Parenting Board:
Purpose
a) The Corporate Parenting Board is an advisory body. It has two main functions:
(i) To support and make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills on matters related to corporate parenting.
(ii) To advise, guide and provide leadership to the County Council on issues relating to looked after children, care leavers and its corporate parenting responsibility.
b) To meet this purpose, the Corporate Parenting Board has the following aims and objectives:
(i) To make sure that the whole Council and relevant partner agencies commit to excellent standards of corporate parenting.
(ii) To set high expectations and stable relationships for all children in care and care leavers.
(iii) To seek improved long-term outcomes for children in care, care leavers and their families – for their happiness, well-being, educational success, pathway into adulthood and future prospects.
(iv) To make sure that the voice of the child and young person in care and leaving care influences both policy and the services that they receive, and that young people are engaged with any action intended to develop and improve services or to recruit key staff members.
(v) To oversee and monitor the key performance indicators for the placement and housing provisions, health, well-being and education of looked after children and care leavers.
(vi) To consider the outcomes of regulatory visits and inspection reports on provision for children in care and care leavers and to receive regular reports on the work of the adoption and fostering services; the education of children in care; the provision for children and young people leaving care, housing and education, employment and training for care leavers; and work with those in the Secure Estate.
(vii) To ensure that relevant key plans, strategies and associated resources identify and make explicit the contribution that they make to targets agreed for improvement.
(viii) To celebrate the achievements of looked after children, their carers and care leavers.
(ix) To develop an informed view of Council provision and services through a programme of well-planned visits and feedback from Board members.
(x) To ensure that children looked after by the local authority are offered the protection of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2 September 1990.
(xi) To establish and maintain specific task groups as necessary to make recommendations to it.
(xii) To oversee the Council's adoption and implementation of the Care Leavers Covenant 'whole Council approach'.
Composition
c) All members of the Board and the Chair of the Board shall be appointed by the Leader who shall determine their period of office.
d) The Board shall comprise at least the following members, but the Leader may appoint additional members at their discretion:
(i) One or more members of the largest political group;
(ii) Opposition groups member nominee(s);
(iii) Family/carer representatives; and
(iv) Children and young people in care and care leavers representing young people from across the county.
e) All Board members will be entitled to vote and the Chair will have a second or casting vote.
f) The Leader can make changes to the above appointments at any time. No Cabinet Members will serve on the Board.
g) The Board may co-opt representatives, without voting rights, from significant services involved in corporate parenting, including:
(i) Health provision – including CAMHS;
(ii) Children and Family Wellbeing Service;
(iii) Schools;
(iv) Colleges;
(v) Police;
(vi) Youth Justice;
(vii) Private sector provision;
(viii) Voluntary sector provision;
(ix) Safeguarding Board;
(x) Department for Work and Pensions;
(xi) Housing Authorities; and
(xii) The Council's Executive Management Team.
h) The Board can make changes to the co-opted representation at any time.
i) The Lead Officer and/or Director of Children's Social Care will also attend all meetings to advise and support the Board.
Terms of Reference
j) The Board does not have decision-making powers and is not a formal committee of the County Council.
k) The Board will meet every two months or as otherwise agreed. The frequency of meetings can be changed by resolution of the Board or by the Chair in consultation with the Lead Officer.
l) The Board’s Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually at the first Board meeting following the Annual Meeting of Full Council.
m) The Board will receive advice and reports from the following:
(i) The Headteacher for Children Looked After, School Improvement;
(ii) Lancashire's Children in Care Council (CiCC);
(iii) Children and Young People’s Champions representing the elected members of Lancashire County Council and representing the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership; and
(iv) Children's Rights Service.