The Corporate Parenting Committee of Southwark Council met on Wednesday 28 February 2024 to discuss the progress of care leavers, the immigration support pledge, and the committee's work plan. The committee resolved to note the outcomes of a focused visit on care leavers, which highlighted continued improvement in the service, and to sign the immigration support pledge, committing to better support children in care and care leavers with immigration and nationality issues.

Speakerbox Update and Annual Report

Dechaun Malcolm, Children's Rights and Participation Officer, presented an update on Speakerbox, a service that aims to ensure the views of looked-after children and care leavers influence decision-making. The presentation highlighted a 55% increase in engagement, the creation of a care free kitchen to build skills and confidence, and the production of a film addressing stigma. The committee discussed how they could further support this work, with a particular focus on engaging boys and young men. The potential for using the Speakerbox film in schools and as part of health and mental health services was also raised. Discussions also touched upon apprenticeships and NVQ qualifications for young people, with further details on London South Bank University apprenticeships to be provided.

Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2022-23

Alasdair Smith, Director of Children and Families, presented the Corporate Parenting Annual Report for 2022-23. The committee considered the report's contents and structure, advising on changes for its submission to the Cabinet on 17 January 2024. It was agreed that recommendations to the Cabinet would be set out in a cover report, and that a young person's version of the report should be produced if time allowed. Members were asked to submit any further comments by 14 December 2023.

Annual Virtual Headteacher's Report 2022-2023

Andrew Marling, Deputy Headteacher, presented the annual headteacher's report for Southwark's looked-after children. The committee noted the report and discussed comments regarding exclusions, particularly the reasons behind the 30% miscellaneous category. The issue of laptop access for care leavers applying for jobs was also raised. The report highlighted positive examples of care leavers progressing to university and apprenticeships, serving as role models. A vote of thanks was given to Andrew Marling, who was leaving Southwark Council.

Independent Reviewing Officers Annual Report 2022-23

Clare Ryan, Service Manager for Looked After Children, presented the Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) Annual Report. Councillor Jasmine Ali, Chair of the committee, inquired about how the committee could assist in raising the profile of this work. Ms. Ryan stated she would consider the role and assistance that committee members could provide. The committee resolved to note the report.

Southwark Adoption Performance in 2022-2023

Helen Woolgar, Assistant Director of Safeguarding and Care, introduced Audrey Bouazizi, Head of Service for the Adopt London Regional Adoption Agency, who presented the adoption performance report. Issues raised included housing needs for potential adopters of sibling groups, with it being noted that kinship carers receive increased priority for rehousing. Delays in the court process and systemic issues leading to longer adoption waits for Black children were also discussed, with ongoing work with partners to address these. The committee resolved to note the progress of children with adoption plans, the partnership with Adopt London South, and the Adopt London South Annual Report.

Immigration Support Pledge

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Brief Paper on the Immigration Pledge. The committee was presented with a report detailing the importance of supporting looked-after children and care leavers with immigration and nationality issues. The report highlighted the potential negative impacts of unresolved immigration status on young people's mental health, life opportunities, and access to essential services. It also outlined the financial benefits for the local authority of early intervention. The committee resolved to note the immigration support pledge, which includes commitments to identify children with immigration issues, connect them with legal support, take a proactive role in applications, and enable them to apply for permanent status and British citizenship. The committee also agreed to sign the pledge.

Update on Special Guardianship

It was agreed that the verbal update on Special Guardianship would be deferred to the next meeting.

Corporate Parenting Committee Work Plan

The committee noted the work plan for the Corporate Parenting Committee. The agenda for the next meeting will be determined in consultation with the chair and Alasdair Smith, Director of Children and Families.

Ofsted Focused Visit on Care Leavers

A report on the outcome of a focused visit by Ofsted on care leavers was presented. The report indicated continued improvement in the Care Leaver Service since the last inspection in September 2022, with most care leavers' needs being met well. Ofsted noted that care leavers are involved in service development and their voices are heard. Strengths identified included the quality of support from personal advisers, the provision of an independence hub for care leavers over 21, and mental health provision. Recommendations for improvement included enhancing access to health histories and ensuring accommodation is well maintained. The committee was asked to note the contents of the Ofsted letter and the evidence of continued improvement.

Report on Special Guardianship and Mental Health Support

A report from the working group on mental health provision for families with children subject to Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) was presented. The report highlighted that children on SGOs primarily receive mental health support through local CAMHS services. The working group has been exploring ways to improve timely access to mental health support, including incorporating a question about SGO status on referral forms and offering training to CAMHS colleagues. The report also proposed exploring the use of ASF funding to create an additional clinical post to deliver care for eligible children and developing a PowerBI dashboard for monitoring. The committee was asked to note the report.