The Corporate Parenting Panel of Lincolnshire Council was scheduled to review performance reports concerning children in care, discuss private fostering arrangements, and consider the annual report of the regional adoption agency. The panel was also set to review its work programme for the coming year.

Children in Care Performance Report Quarter 2

The panel was scheduled to receive a report detailing the performance information for Quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year relevant to the work of the Corporate Parenting Panel. This report, prepared by Tara Jones, Assistant Director – Children's Safeguarding, was intended to provide an overview of key performance indicators. The report indicated that out of 16 measures relevant to Children in Care (CiC), four had not met their targets, while six were ahead of target.

Areas that did not meet their target included:

• Care Leavers in suitable accommodation: While overall numbers were low, an increase in the use of emergency accommodation by District Councils was noted. Data cleansing efforts had also temporarily impacted figures.
• Fostering/adoption of Children in Care aged 10 to <16 years old: Performance had reduced due to an increase in young people entering care and more complex needs. The Children in Care Transformation programme aims to address this.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up-to-date health check: This was impacted by out-of-county placements and capacity issues within the Health service, including insufficient nursing capacity and long-term sickness.
• Number of Children in Care per 10,000 under 18s: A slight increase from the previous quarter was noted, but support systems were reported to be effectively caring for children within their networks.

Measures that were ahead of target included:

• Participation of Children in Care in reviews: Exceeding the target was attributed to the hard work in engaging young people.
• Children in care cases which were reviewed within required timescales: Performance reflected the commitment of Children's Services.
• Average time between a child entering care and moving in with its adoptive family: Performance continued to improve, with care proceedings concluding within an average of 32 weeks.
• Average time between the Local Authority receiving court authority to place to place a child and the Local Authority deciding on a match to an adoptive family: Despite a national shortage of adoptive parents, figures remained well under target.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up-to-date dental check: Improved performance was attributed to better tracking systems and management oversight, placing Lincolnshire in a strong position compared to statistical neighbours and national data.
• Stability of placements of Children in Care: Number of moves: Targeted support aimed to improve placement stability, though national shortages of foster carers presented ongoing challenges.
• Stability of placements of Children in Care: length of placement: Current performance met set targets, though a decline in foster carers impacted placement duration.
• Children in Care cases which were reviewed within required timescales: Performance consistently remained high, exceeding the target.
• Participation of Children in Care in reviews: Performance remained at 100%, exceeding the target.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up to date health check: Performance was marginally below the England figure and statistical neighbours, impacted by out-of-county placements and health service capacity issues.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up to date dental check: Performance showed significant improvement and was higher than regional and national data.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up to date routine immunisations: Current performance met the targets set.
• Children in Care Living within a Family Environment: Performance was recognised as good, with ongoing work to enhance local family care provision.
• Percentage of Children in Care with a Personal Education Plan: Current performance met the targets set.
• 16-17 year old Children in Care who are participating in Learning: Performance met the target, with efforts to support young people engaging in education and training.
• Care Leavers in Suitable Accommodation: Overall numbers in unsuitable accommodation remained low, with efforts to address data quality and emerging trends in emergency accommodation use.
• Care Leavers in Education, Employment or Training: Current performance met the target, with the transformation plan making a positive impact.

The panel was invited to consider and comment on this performance information and recommend any actions or changes to the Executive Councillor for Children's Services, Community Safety, Procurement and Migration.

Private Fostering Annual Report 2024-2025 and Statement of Purpose 2025-2026

The panel was scheduled to receive a report from Nicola Brangam, Head of Service – Fostering and Adoption, concerning private fostering. The report aimed to inform the panel about the work of the broader Children's and Fostering Service in relation to private fostering, as required by The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005 and the National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering.

The Private Fostering Annual Report 2024-25 and the Statement of Purpose 2025-26 were provided as appendices. The annual report highlighted that in 2024/2025, there were 20 notifications to the Council, with all Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Records and Regulation 7 visits completed within the 7-day timescale. 17 children ceased to be privately fostered, and 11 were recorded as privately fostered at the year-end. The report detailed the legal definition of a privately fostered child and the duties of the local authority under the Children Act 1989 and subsequent legislation. It also outlined the procedures for assessment, support, and monitoring, as well as activity and performance in relation to National Minimum Standards. The report noted no prohibitions or requirements made in the financial year and highlighted developments for the next twelve months, including further awareness-raising activities.

The panel was asked to review these documents and recommend their approval.

Family Adoption Links Annual Report 2024-2025

Deborah Crawford, Head of Service – Family Adoption Links, was scheduled to present the annual report for the Regional Adoption Agency, Family Adoption Links (FAL). The report covered the agency's activities for the year 2024-25.

The report detailed FAL's background as a regional adoption agency partnership formed in October 2020, comprising six partners. Its vision is to provide every child with a loving, stable, and permanent home and to ensure families receive support throughout their adoption journey. The report outlined the governance structure, including a strategic board and operational workstreams covering areas such as Marketing & Recruitment, Early Permanence, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), Post Adoption Support, and Training.

Key highlights from the year included increased website traffic, positive feedback on training sessions, and a successful mystery shop exercise. The report also detailed progress on actions from the previous year, including the development of a peer review process and improvements in communication and information sharing. Challenges identified included the national decline in prospective adopters, particularly for children with additional needs, and uncertainty surrounding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF).

The report provided a breakdown of Our Year in Numbers, detailing adopter activity, household approvals, children matched, placed, and waiting, as well as data on Placement Orders and Adoption Orders granted. It also highlighted the number of training sessions delivered and attendees. The national adoption landscape was discussed, noting challenges in adopter recruitment and the focus on the Maintaining Relationships agenda. Key workstream highlights were presented, covering Marketing & Recruitment, Recruitment, Assessment & Matching, Post Adoption Support, Training, Early Permanence, EDI, Staying in Touch, and Education. Regional projects and innovations, such as Discovery Events and the redesign of the Education Passport, were also detailed.

The panel was invited to review and endorse the content of the report.

Corporate Parenting Panel Work Programme

Emily Wilcox, Senior Democratic Services Officer, was scheduled to present the Corporate Parenting Panel's work programme. The purpose of this item was to allow the panel to consider and comment on its work programme for the coming year, ensuring that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The work programme is reviewed at each meeting to ensure its continued relevance and value.

The report outlined current items for the panel, including themes for thematic meetings such as 'Participation', 'Keeping Well', 'Where We Live', 'Our Aspirations for the Future', and 'My Challenges and How I Keep Safe'. Specific items scheduled for the 15 January 2026 meeting included the Children in Care Performance Report Quarter 2, the Private Fostering Annual Report, and the Family Adoption Links Annual Report. Future meetings were also outlined, including thematic meetings and regular panel meetings with various reports scheduled.

Items proposed for future programming included the Private Fostering Annual Report and Statement of Purpose 2025-26, the Lincolnshire Virtual School Annual Report, and the Corporate Parenting Panel Annual Report. Members of the panel were invited to note the work programme and highlight any additional activities they wished to be considered for inclusion.