The Corporate Parenting Committee was scheduled to discuss a range of important issues concerning children in care and care leavers. Key topics included updates on the Corporate Parenting Strategy, developments in the Kinship Local Offer, and a detailed report on school suspensions and exclusions affecting children in care. The committee was also set to review its work plan for the upcoming year.

Virtual School Suspension, Exclusion, and Persistent Absence of Girls Report

A significant focus of the meeting was scheduled to be a report on school suspensions, exclusions, and persistent absence among girls who are children looked after (CLA) by the council. The report, authored by Usha Singh, the Virtual School Headteacher, detailed trends in these areas for the academic years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.

The report indicated a downward trend in suspension rates for Southwark CLA, with a current year-to-date figure of 9%, which is lower than the London and national averages. There were no permanent exclusions recorded for Southwark CLA in 2024-2025 or in the current year to date. However, the report highlighted that boys continue to be more likely to be suspended than girls, although the gender gap has narrowed. A concerning trend noted was the rise in suspensions among girls in previous years, with a reversing trend evident in the current year.

The report also identified disproportionality in suspensions based on ethnicity, with Black and Mixed-heritage CLA over-represented. Furthermore, children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) were found to be disproportionately affected by suspensions. The data suggested that suspensions peaked in Key Stage 4, indicating a need for targeted interventions during this period. The report also detailed the reasons for suspensions, noting an increase in incidents involving physical assault.

Regarding permanent exclusions, the report stated that all notifications of intention to permanently exclude were successfully overturned or avoided through early intervention and multi-agency reviews. The report outlined the Southwark Virtual School's response to potential permanent exclusions, which includes communication and advocacy, advice and education planning, and support with the appeal process.

Persistent absenteeism was also a key concern, with Southwark reporting a reduction from 33% to 23% in the current year. However, the report highlighted a concerning longer-term trend of rising persistent absence among girls, despite improvements in the current year. This trend was linked to national patterns showing increasing Emotionally Based Non-School Attendance (EBSNA) and trauma-linked absence in girls. The report detailed the Southwark Virtual School's response to this, including trauma-informed attendance strategies, gender-sensitive EBSNA identification, and multi-agency collaboration.

The report recommended that the Care Senior Leadership Team note the findings and provide any comments for consideration by the Virtual School Headteacher. The report also referenced the council's Borough Plan, which commits to give young people the best opportunities in life, and the council's commitment to addressing inequality.

Kinship Local Offer Developments and Implementation Plan

Elaine Reid, Head of Care, Care Leavers and Fostering, presented an update on the Kinship Local Offer, which was launched in September 2025. The offer aims to provide a transparent, accessible, and co-produced framework of needs-led support for all kinship carers, regardless of their legal status. The report detailed developments and an implementation plan across seven themes: Therapeutic, Training and Support, Financial, Education, Family Group Conference (FGC) Contact, Legal, and Children in Care Council.

Key developments included enhancing one-to-one clinical interactions for kinship carers, expanding training courses, clarifying financial entitlements, and strengthening partnership work between the Special Guardianship and Connected Carer Team and the Virtual School. The plan also aimed to embed FGC kinship champions and ensure all appropriate kinship carers are offered and receive an FGC at the pre-proceedings stage. The report highlighted the importance of communication and engagement, with plans to develop clear messaging across multiple channels and improve signposting. The Kinship Local Offer is described as a live document that is regularly reviewed and updated.

The report noted that Southwark is committed to enabling children to remain safely within their extended family and that kinship carers reflect the diversity of the borough. It also mentioned the council's commitment to challenging discrimination and anti-racist practice.

Corporate Parenting Strategy 2026-2030 – Update

Helen Woolgar, Deputy Director of Children's Services – Safeguarding and Care, provided an update on the development of the new Corporate Parenting Strategy for 2026-2030. Building on the foundations of the 2021-2025 strategy, the new strategy aims to be bold and ambitious, developed in full collaboration with care-experienced children and young people.

Progress towards the new strategy has included the delivery of the Bright Spots Survey, which gathered views from 246 children in care and care leavers. The findings from this survey have directly informed the strategy's development. The report also highlighted the eight pillars developed by Speakerbox, Southwark's Children in Care Council, which will be integral to the new strategy: Education and Employment, Non-discrimination, Safety and Support Services, Freedom of Expression, Standards and Treatment in Care, Voice of the Child, Knowledge of Rights, and Health Services.

A delivery timeline was presented, outlining key dates for the completion of the draft strategy by July 2026, including workshops with young people and cross-council leadership, further engagement with young people, and presentations at relevant governance boards. The strategy development is aligned with the council's Southwark 2030 Strategy and aims to build capacity across the local public sector system to deliver improved outcomes for children in care and care leavers.

Corporate Parenting Committee Workplan 2026-27

The committee was scheduled to review and agree its work plan for the municipal year 2026-27. The work plan outlined indicative items for future meetings, including updates from Speakerbox, annual reports on health, fostering, adoption, and the Virtual School, as well as reports on the Southwark Homes for Southwark Children programme and the commissioning of higher-cost placements. The development of the new Corporate Parenting Strategy 2026-30 was also a key item.

The role and functions of the Corporate Parenting Committee were reiterated, emphasizing its responsibility to secure improvements in the life chances of looked after children and care leavers, develop and monitor the Corporate Parenting Strategy, and ensure integrated services and the active involvement of children and young people in service planning. The work plan also highlighted the importance of addressing exploitation, risk, and harm measures to break the cycle.

The report detailed the role of Speakerbox, Southwark's Children in Care Council, in ensuring children and young people can share their views and influence council decision-making, in line with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people was identified as a key priority in the work plan.