Corporate Parenting Plan 2025-2030 Annual Update
Perth and Kinross Council · 27 May 2026
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 27 May 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality ___________________________________________________________________ Committee or Board: Learning and Families Committee Date of Meeting: 27 May 2026 Report Title: Corporate Parenting Plan 2025 - 2030 Annual Update Report Number: 26/136 Report Author: Linda Richards, Service Manager (FBSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk) Organisational Lead: Arun Singh, Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to update Committee on the progress made in the past year in relation to the actions outlined in the Corporate Parenting Plan 2025 - 2030 (the Plan). The Plan was approved by the Learning and Families Committee on 2 April 2025 (Report No. 25/71 refers). 1.2 The Plan reflects The Promise Plan 2024 - 2030 and details how Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) and partners are working towards meeting The Promise by 2030. This first annual update of the Plan shows progress on the agreed actions. 1.3 Sections 1. Purpose 2. Recommendation 3. Background/Context 4. Main Issues 5. Conclusion 6. Impact Value Assessment 7. Appendices 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Committee: 2.1 Notes the progress of the actions contained in Appendix 1.
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2.2 Requests that the Strategic Lead – Children, Families and Justice bring back an annual update report to the Learning and Families Committee and the Children, Young People and Families Partnership on the progress of actions. 3. Background/Context 3.1 Historic Information/Context 3.1.1 The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: National Guidance on Part 12: Services in relation to Children at Risk of Becoming Looked After, etc introduced statutory duties and responsibilities for public bodies, including PKC, in their role as corporate parents. The Act defines corporate parenting as “the formal and local partnerships between all services responsible for working together to meet the needs of Looked After children, young people and care leavers”. 3.1.2 Part of those responsibilities requires each corporate parenting body to produce a plan which indicates their contribution to meeting the needs of their population of care experienced children and young people. 3.1.3 The Independent Care Review, which was commissioned by the then First Minister of Scotland in 2016, carried out an in-depth look at the care system in Scotland. The review was carried out between 2017 and 2020, with the voice of care experienced children and young people at its heart. 3.1.4 The resulting recommendations are contained within ‘The Promise’ which was endorsed by the Scottish Parliament on 5 February 2020. The Promise contains recommendations which are built on five foundations: Family, Voice, Care, People, and Scaffolding. The initial Promise Plan 21-24 provided the first set of recommendations to enable Scotland to “#KeepThePromise” by 2030. The subsequent Promise Plan 24-30 was published in Summer 2024. 3.1.5 PKC is committed to supporting our care experienced children and young people. Our Plan is based on the priorities laid out in The Promise Plan 24-30, and the voice of our own care experienced young people. 3.1.6 The Plan makes an explicit pledge to continue to support all of our care experienced children and young people by showing support in visible ways, through various means, to ensure that: • Our children will have the best start in life in a nurturing environment. • Our children and young people will be meaningfully engaged with high quality learning experiences to extend their potential. • Our children will grow up healthy, confident, and resilient with improved mental and physical health and strengthened emotional wellbeing. • Our children, young people, and families at risk, who face significant inequalities and disadvantage, will have improved life chances. • Our children and young people are safe from harm.
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3.1.7 The Corporate Parenting Plan Action Plan 25-30 (Appendix 2 within the 2025 - 2030 Plan) is focused on the five foundations of The Promise. 3.1.8 The Plan is monitored by the Corporate Parenting Sub-group to ensure that actions are progressing. The Promise Delivery group consists of multi-agency operational partners who take forward the actions and report to the Corporate Parenting Sub-Group. 4. Main Issues 4.1 The policy and legislative landscape surrounding care experienced children and young people is developing in line with recommendations from The Independent Care Review. 4.2 In January 2026, the Cross-border Placement of Children (Requirements Effect and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 came into place. These regulations strengthen the notification process for those placed in residential and foster care in a local authority which is different to the placing authority. 4.3 The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 has already been introduced in part but, by the end of 2026, further parts will be introduced. This will mean that in relation to court and welfare proceedings, a child will be referred to as someone under the age of 18 years of age. This Act strengthens children’s rights when they appear in court and offers greater alternative by referral to Reporter to Children’s Hearing. This Act will also mean that young people under 18 years of age, who are not currently known and who are referred for either care or justice reasons, will be allocated within Children’s Services. In order to meet these demands, a new team will be established at Scott Street, Perth, using existing resources. 4.4 The Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 17 June 2025 and is currently at Stage 3 (final changes and vote). At Stage 3, MSPs can propose further amendments (changes) to the Bill. These are debated and decided on in the Debating Chamber. At this stage, all MSPs can vote on them. There is then a debate on whether to pass the Bill. If the Bill is not passed, it ‘falls’ and can't become law. The Bill proposes the extension to the criteria for young people to receive aftercare to include those young people who have had any experience of care prior to their 16th birthday. Currently, this is only eligible to young people who are Looked After on their 16th birthday. The implications are that this will mean an increase in the number of young people allocated within our Throughcare and Aftercare service.
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4.5 The Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 provide a one off £2,000 payment to support young people transitioning from care into independent living. This legislation will come into force from April 2026. 4.6 In December 2025, The Promise Scotland published The Route Maps: Plan 24-30 to support local authorities to achieve The Promise by 2030. The route maps are broken down by the five foundations and by theme, e.g. whole family support. We are currently working through the route maps to ensure that we are compliant with the new guidance. 5. Conclusion 5.1 This is the first annual update of the Corporate Parenting Plan 2025 - 2030. The Action Plan 2025 - 2030 Annual Update (Appendix 1) will be updated again following implementation of the legislation detailed above and work is currently being undertaken to look at the Action Plan against the route maps published by The Promise Scotland. 5.2 PKC and partners remain committed to meeting the needs and aspirations of our care experienced population. The work detailed in Appendix 1 is evidence of how we are doing this. 6. Impact and Value Assessment 6.1 The Impact and Value Assessment (IVA) undertaken in relation to this report can be viewed on the Perth and Kinross Council website via the link: Corporate Parenting Plan 2025-30. 6.2 The Equality and Fairness Impact Assessment (EFIA) undertaken in relation to this report can be viewed in the Equality and Fairness Impact Assessments area of the Perth and Kinross Council website. 7. Appendices 7.1 Appendix 1 - Corporate Parenting Plan 2025 – 2030: Action Plan Annual Update