Corporate Parenting Update
Perth and Kinross Council · 15 March 2023
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 15 March 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL LEARNING AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE 15 MARCH 2023 CORPORATE PARENTING UPDATE Report by Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services) (Report No. 23/88) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides an update to Committee regarding the progress of the actions contained within the Corporate Parenting Plan 2021-2024. The Corporate Parenting Plan (Appendix 1) and the Action Plan Update 2021- 2024 (Appendix 2) are included as agreed at Full Council on 9 March 2022. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Notes the progress made in relation to the Corporate Parenting Plan actions; and • Requests a further update in one year’s time. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Proposals • Section 6: Further Considerations • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced the statutory duties and responsibilities for the Council 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". 4.2 Part of those responsibilities is that each corporate parenting body produce a plan which indicates their contribution to meeting the needs of their population of care experienced children and young people. 4.3 The independent Care Review was commissioned by the First Minister of Scotland in 2016 to carry out an in depth look at the care system in Scotland and to make recommendations about how the system could be improved.
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The review was carried out between 2017 and 2020, with the voice of care experienced children and young people at its heart. 4.4 The resulting recommendations are contained within The Promise which was endorsed by Scottish Parliament on 5 February 2020. The Promise contains recommendations which are built on five foundations – Family, Voice, Care, People and Scaffolding. The Promise Plan 21-24 provides the first set of recommendations which need to be implemented in order that Scotland “#KeepsThePromise” by 2030. 4.5 Perth and Kinross Council is committed to supporting our care experienced children and young people. Our Corporate Parenting Plan is based on the priorities laid out in The Promise Plan 21-24 and the voice of our own care experienced young people. This plan is monitored to ensure actions are achieved on a regular basis by the Corporate Parenting Sub-group and for all to work together to ensure that priorities become actions making an explicit pledge to continue to support all our care experienced children and young people by showing support in tangible ways through all 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 to 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; and • Our children and young people are safe from harm. 4.6 The Perth and Kinross Corporate Parenting Plan 2021-24 (Appendix 1) reflects the ambition and the priorities within The Promise and details the actions which will be taken locally to keep the Promise to our care experienced population. 4.7 The update to the action plan is reported to the Corporate Parenting Sub- group of the Children, Young People and Families Partnership on a bi-monthly basis. The latest update, as of November 2022, is detailed in Appendix 2. 4.8 The achievements of note during the past year include: • A reduction in the number of care experienced children and young people being excluded from school; • An additional post provided to deliver lifelong links for our care experienced population and enable more children and young people to understand their experience of care and to help reconnect with significant people;
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• A baseline has been created to measure the number of children and young people who are accommodated and who are living with a brother and sister. This will ensure improvement in line with the implementation of Part 13 of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 and the Looked After Children (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021, which protects sibling relationships for children in care; • An additional post created to provide community-based alternatives to custody for young people; • Strengthening the opportunity for Independent Advocacy for children and young people involved with Services for Children, Young People and Families through the awarding of a contract to Independent Advocacy Perth and Kinross (IAPK); and • The development of flexible approaches to support care experienced young people after leaving school has seen all 12 young people, last year, move into a positive destination. 4.9 It should be noted that additional focus in the forthcoming year will be: • The development of Whole Family Support using funding from Scottish Government for the next 2 years as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing universal holistic support services which are available in communities giving families access to the help they need, where and when they need it. The purpose of the funding is to help families overcome challenges before they reach crisis point, with the aim of reducing the number of children and young people who require to be accommodated. The funding will be distributed locally through third sector organisations as well as Council services. The project is being led by the Head of Services for Children, Young People and Families; • The rollout of the Corporate Commitment to deliver trauma informed practice to all staff and carers; and • Involvement in the national campaign for the recruitment of foster carers. 5. PROPOSALS 5.1 Please note progress against all actions in Appendix 2. 6. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS 6.1 Information in relation to the academic achievement of care experienced young people will be published in February 2023, which at the time of creating this report, the information is not available, but a verbal update can be given to the Learning and Families Committee on 15 March 2023.
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Author Name Designation Contact Details Linda Richards Service Manager, Services for Children, Young People & Families ECSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services) 25 February 2023
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement None Corporate Plan None Resource Implications Financial None Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment Yes Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal None External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i) (ii) and (iv). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (i) (ii) and (iv).
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1.3 The report also links to the Education & Children’s Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority area: • Care and Equity. 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 N/A Workforce 2.2 N/A Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 N/A 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. The Equality Impact Assessment undertaken in relation to this report can be viewed by clicking here. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as relevant and the following positive outcomes expected following implementation: • Support being offered to our care experienced children and young people as detailed in the Plan will reduce the inequality that they can face, help them to achieve and support their transition into adulthood. Perth and Kinross Council’s commitment to our care experienced population will ensure that we continue to #KeepThePromise. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act, however, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the
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report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 These proposals have been considered against the Council’s Principles for Sustainable Development; however, they are not applicable to this report. Legal and Governance 3.4 N/A 3.5 N/A Risk 3.6 N/A 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 N/A External 4.2 N/A 5. Communication 5.1 N/A 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 The following background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report: • The Promise Plan 2021-2024
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3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1 – Perth and Kinross Corporate Parenting Plan 21-24 Appendix 2 – Our Action Plan 21-24 (Update as of 28 November 2022)