The Corporate Parenting Panel met on Wednesday, 24 January 2024, to discuss performance reports, updates from various sub-groups, and the progress of key initiatives. Decisions were made regarding the communication of the Local Offer and the need for improved clarity and accessibility of support for young people.

Performance Report

The Panel reviewed the performance report for January 2024, noting a steady improvement in pathway plans for care-experienced young people since September 2023. However, a decline in performance for looked-after children's care plans and care-experienced adults was observed during the Christmas period. This was attributed to staff sickness and the holiday period. Officers assured the Panel that children were still being seen and that care plans did not take priority over direct contact with young people. The Panel expressed concern about the number of out-of-date care and pathway plans, which are legal documents. Senior management is holding monthly discussions to improve practice and data performance for these plans. An update on care and pathway plans is to be provided at the next meeting.

The Panel also discussed specific performance indicators:

• CLA7 and CLA8: The significant difference in the rates of adolescents entering and leaving care in April 2023 requires further explanation, which officers will provide at a future meeting.
• AD7 (Average time between a child entering care and moving in with adoptive family): The highest number of days over the last twelve months was noted, which officers explained was due to a very small number of children with complex needs requiring longer adoption times.
• F4 (Percentage of Foster Carers' announced visits within timescales): The red indicator was attributed to the time of year and sickness.
• Health assessments completed within 20 days: This figure had fallen to 25%, although officers noted that October had shown better performance at 73%. The health team's work with children placed in Croydon by other boroughs and the prioritisation of Croydon children were also discussed.
• CLA12 (Percentage of CLA who have participated in Reviews): This performance score was noted as being very good at 98%.

Health & Adult Transitions Sub-Group Discussion

A verbal update was provided on the Health & Adult Transitions Sub-Group. Key themes included understanding what transitions mean for young people using services, the critical interdependencies with housing and education, and improving access to health-related activities and signposting for GPs and dentistry. The sub-group also focused on meeting the range of mental health needs and neurodiversity, and the provision of 24/7 or extended support. Three key takeaways were identified: the interpretation of health and transition for care-experienced young people, developing better responses, and making existing resources more accessible.

An ambassador shared that transitions should begin before the age of 16, as it takes time to process independence. The Panel inquired about 24/7 support and out-of-hours contact, with officers acknowledging the need to improve crisis response. Feedback from an exercise on extended support highlighted the need for collaboration with other boroughs, preparation groups, toolkits for basic maintenance, and a transition team. The importance of simulating a village support network and identifying the borough's assets was also stressed. Existing community resources such as mentoring, starter flats, and peer support groups were discussed.

Update from Children's Participation Team & Children in Care Council

The Children's Participation Team and the Children in Care Council (CICC) reported that their service would soon be at full capacity, enabling greater reach to young people. A new team of ambassadors has joined, and progress on the House Project, which young people contribute to, continues. It was noted that understanding communication and nuances should extend beyond social care. An ambassador shared their positive experience as a benchmarking forum champion, networking with other boroughs to identify areas where Croydon could improve.

Update on Protected Characteristic Working Group

The Protected Characteristic Working Group has met twice. Following the last meeting, a team survey is being developed to cover the diversity of young people and older children, with internal focus groups being set up. The group has reviewed national approaches and emphasised the importance of understanding what a protected characteristic means to a young person and their access to support. Wider council work will also be included in the survey. The Chair requested a feedback update on the survey once it is live.

The App

The local offer app is in the process of being set up with a contract. The ambassador's team has met with the app designers for a preview to assist with co-design. A timeline for completion is not yet available.

Communication and Support for Young People

Discussions highlighted a need for greater transparency regarding social workers' annual leave, ensuring young people know when their social worker is unavailable. While a duty team is available, communication about this has been poor. The Care Experienced Ambassador noted previous poor communication regarding support. Officers confirmed the existence of an emergency duty team (EDT) for children's social care, separate from divisional duty teams, and that the activation of these teams would be revisited. Improvements have been made in the last twelve months regarding continuity of care when social workers or personal advisors are off sick long-term, with young people being allocated new social workers and provided with emergency contact numbers. An update on communication with young people will be provided at the next meeting.

The Panel also discussed the importance of compensating annual leave to ensure staff availability during busy periods like holidays, particularly for foster carers and care-experienced young adults. The Chair challenged what it means when plans are not written up and how it affects young people, with officers explaining that while the work may have been done, the lack of a written plan means actions are not completed, impacting the child's life story record. Professional responsibility to address each young person's plan before staff leave was emphasised.