Previous reference: Minutes 7, 12 and 33 (2017/18)

The Deputy Director (Children's Social Care) will present a report from the Through Care Service, further to the report considered by the Panel at its meeting in March (Document “H”).

The report includes information on particular issues, as requested by Members, as follows:

·         Bradford’s Local Offer for Care Leavers.

·         An update on progress in relation to apprenticeships.

·         An update in relation to the national challenge from Ofsted regarding 16+ supported accommodation being a regulated care setting.

·         The impact on the Service’s resources as a result of the requirement, under the provisions of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, that a service is provided to care leavers up to the age of 25.

Member’s comments are sought  in respect of the Local Offer to Care Leavers 2018 (Appendix 1 to Document “H”).

Recommended –

That the report be noted.

                                                            (Emma Collingwood – 01274 437123)

Previous reference:Minutes 7, 12 and 33 (2017/18)

The Deputy Director (Children's Social Care) presented a report from the Through Care Service (TCS), further to the report considered by the Panel at its meeting in March 2018 (Document “H”).

The report included information on particular issues, as requested by Members, as follows:

·         Bradford’s Local Offer for Care Leavers.

·         An update on progress in relation to apprenticeships.

·         An update in relation to the national challenge from Ofsted regarding 16+ supported accommodation being a regulated care setting.

·         The impact on the Service’s resources as a result of the requirement, under the provisions of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, that a service is provided to care leavers up to the age of 25.

The Local Offer to Care Leavers 2018 was attached as Appendix 1 to Document “H” and Members’ comments were invited. It was noted that the format lent itself better to being read on screen than on paper. The principle behind this document was to empower young people to know their rights and entitlements and to hold the local authority to account. It was vital that care leavers felt like they were citizens of Bradford first and foremost.

Members’ questions were answered as follows:

·         A young person had the right to refuse a service from the local authority post 18 and some did so. It was possible for Housing Options to make a decision that someone was ‘deliberately homeless’ or that their duty had been discharged. Where it was possible to do so, the TCS would identify a young person to Housing Options as a care leaver but if the individual did not want to identify as such this could present a problem.

·         The Service would never want to turn a young person away and this was one of the reasons why the ‘crash pad’ facility was so important.

·         If a young person had said that they didn’t want a service post 18 but then changed their mind they could do so up to the age of 25.

·         The taster flat enabled young people to be independent whilst helping to keep them in care for as long as possible. There were also partnerships in place that could facilitate independent living as part of a group.

·         A high percentage of post 18s did return to the service for support.

·         ‘Suitable’ accommodation was specifically defined by the Department for Education (DfE). Being in custody, bed and breakfast accommodation or ‘sofa surfing’ was not classed as suitable. The TCS undertook a robust assessment of accommodation to ensure that it was of a suitable quality; this was very important as it was believed that poor accommodation contributed to poor behaviour.

·         The potential for a co-op model had been discussed with Housing Options and the TCS had a relationship with Intensive Housing Management who provided a brokerage service to match up landlords and social housing with young people and to aid integration. There could be a delay in finding the right accommodation dependent on the area in which it was required. The TCS worked with young people to secure the right accommodation for them.

·         There were also a supported lodgings scheme ‘stepping stones’ and the ‘staying close’ scheme where a young person would live in their own property located close to a carer’s property and maintaining strong links and support.  There were 5 properties with groups of young people living independently but with a ‘leader’ taking responsibility for bills etc; this was working very well.

·         Young people were visited every 6 weeks in the accommodation where they were living.

·         If possible and if it was appropriate to do so young people who had been placed outside the district were brought back unless they preferred not to. There was a national agreement in place that the local authority where a young person was living would care for that individual with the parent local authority paying for the resource. The accommodation would still be monitored/assessed in such cases.

·         A ‘takeover day’ was being held on 23 November; these gave young people an opportunity to take on senior roles within the Council and its partners for a day.

·         The TCS was working towards a guarantee of an interview for Council apprenticeships for looked after children.

·         There was a worker with responsibility for looking at employability and quite a good take up from young people of this support.

Members made the following comments:

·         Page 3 of the Local Offer should include electoral registration as a basic need.

·         A presentation by the ICE (Industrial Centres of Excellence) Programme, to the Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in respect of the pathways to certain careers  had been very useful and should be accessed for looked after children.

·         It may be useful to have a section in the Local Offer in respect of responsibilities.

·         It was very important that a positive approach was taken in relation to the interview process for looked after children and that if they were not successful that they still received meaningful feedback to ensure that the process was a constructive one. Coaching should also be provided to assist them in making the best of the opportunity.

Resolved –

(1)       That the Chair write to the Chief Executive, on behalf of the Panel, to support the principle of a guaranteed interview for Looked After Children in respect of Council Apprenticeships and the provision of work experience opportunities within the Council for its Looked After Children.

(2)       That the Deputy Director (Children's Social Care) be requested to explore the possibilities in respect of coaching/support for Looked After Children associated with the interviewing process and the inclusion of this commitment within the Local Offer to Care Leavers.

(3)       That the Deputy Director (Children's Social Care) be requested to approach the Industrial Centres of Excellence (ICE) to facilitate their engagement with Looked After Children of the appropriate age.

ACTION:       Deputy Director (Children's Social Care)

                        Chair of the Corporate Parenting Panel