The Corporate Parenting Board meeting scheduled for 6 October 2026 was set to review annual reports on care leavers, supported accommodation, and youth voice initiatives. The board was also scheduled to discuss children's feedback through complaints and review its future work plan.

Care Leavers Annual Report 2025-26

The board was scheduled to consider the Care Leavers Annual Report for 2025-26, which details the support provided to young people aged 17 to 25. The report outlines the team's work in housing, aiming to increase Staying Put arrangements where young people remain with foster carers, and developing partnerships for accommodation. It also highlights efforts in education, employment, and training, noting that rates have been maintained above regional and national averages. The report details how care leavers have influenced services through participation in board meetings and the Wishlist project, which has led to discussions on council tax, travel, health support, and housing deposits. Health and wellbeing support, including improved access to emotional wellbeing services and increased leisure opportunities, was also a focus. The report expressed pride in increased engagement with Personal Advisers, suitable accommodation, and performance above national averages, as well as the first Care Leavers Celebration Event. Future plans include launching a new Local Offer, expanding housing opportunities, and increasing employment and apprenticeship opportunities.

The report also detailed the structure of the Care Leaver Team, which supports young people from 17 to 25, with Personal Advisers (PAs) coordinating Pathway Plans and supporting transitions. The team comprises four managers, 24 PAs, a Senior Housing PA, two Housing PAs, and two Business Support Officers. The report noted an increase in the overall number of former relevant care leavers in Worcestershire to 850, with 522 actively engaged with a PA. It also highlighted an increase in adults aged over 21 accessing the dedicated duty team. The report outlined Worcestershire County Council's eight Corporate Parenting Pledges to Care Leavers, focusing on housing, learning and development, employment, education, training, listening to their voice, and supporting involvement in decisions. Specific housing initiatives included a Joint Housing Protocol with Local Housing Authorities, an embedded housing team, monthly housing panels, commissioned supported accommodation providers, and innovative schemes like the Connexions Pilot. The report also detailed efforts to improve employment outcomes, including a guaranteed interview for life for eligible care leavers within the County Council, a volunteering offer with Family Hubs, and dedicated support from Careers Worcestershire. The report also covered the Your Voice Matters section, detailing how care leavers have influenced policy and practice through participation, including the creation of a Care Leavers Wishlist and a new Local Offer. It also presented statistics from the Annual Complaints Report, showing that while care leavers had a lower overall number of complaints, a higher percentage were upheld.

Outreach Supported Accommodation Service - Annual Report 2025-26

The Outreach Supported Accommodation Service's annual report for 2025-26 was scheduled for review. This service provides practical, independent living support to young people aged 16-18 who are Looked After, operating from 26 Ofsted-registered properties across Worcestershire and the wider Birmingham area. The report details the team's aim to equip young people with skills for a successful transition into their own accommodation, covering independent living, budgeting, cooking, self-care, and tenancy management. The service supports 104 children in care in preparation for their transition at 18. The report outlines the accommodation provided, including solo flats, apartments, and shared homes, as well as specialist provision for separated children seeking asylum in Malvern. It also details the provision of household items, Wi-Fi, clothing allowances, and support for travel and gym memberships. The report highlighted significant cost avoidance for the Local Authority by utilising internal properties and support packages compared to external residential care or supported accommodation. It also described the support provided by Outreach Personal Advisers, including bespoke move-in plans, registration with health services, and budgeting support. The report noted that the Outreach Team was fully registered by Ofsted in September 2025 and was preparing for its first full service inspection. The report included feedback from young people, which was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting feelings of safety, positive relationships with staff, and increased independence.

Youth Voice Annual Report

The Youth Voice Annual Report for April 2025–April 2026 was also on the agenda. This report details how young people across Worcestershire have influenced services, challenged systems, and shaped decisions. The report celebrated the Youth Voice Team's recognition with a Team Excellence Award at the West Midlands ADCS Awards for their work in ensuring care-experienced children and young people's voices were heard. The team's activities included creating safe spaces for young people, supporting them to take the lead on projects, shaping social work practice, and coaching young people to participate in interview panels and the Corporate Parenting Board. The report highlighted collaborations with Madlug Foundation, providing travel bags for looked-after children, and a dedicated page in the Worcestershire Fostering newsletter. It also detailed the Seedlings Project at Top Barn Farm and a new allotment site at Pitchcroft Lane, in collaboration with Worcester City Council. The report mentioned the Going Places art project, a collaboration with Museums Worcestershire, which involved care-experienced young people from Worcester, Penzance, and Fife. Partnerships with Worcester City Football Club were also noted, offering free tickets and coaching sessions. The report detailed activities during Care Leavers Month, including a careers fayre and a bowling night. It also highlighted collaborations with Malvern Theatres, providing free tickets and behind-the-scenes tours, and the delivery of over 400 Christmas stockings to care leavers. The report described the participation groups, Who Cares We Care (Children in Care Council) and Action Speak (for care-experienced young people), and their achievements. It also detailed the Youth Interview Panel, where young people participate in staff recruitment, and the Youth Cabinet's campaigning on local and national issues. The report concluded by outlining how young people's feedback is shaping services, with a focus on timely updates, strengthened engagement, and reflecting on the impact of their contributions.

Children's Voice Through Complaints

The report on Children's Voice Through Complaints was scheduled to be discussed. This report analyses Stage 1 complaints made by children and young people, examining the nature of these complaints and the actions taken to improve practice and service delivery. It noted that Onside Advocacy submitted six complaints on behalf of children and young people, with 57% being upheld. Recurring themes identified included communication, responsiveness, feeling heard, delays in service delivery, professional accountability, and support during care transitions. The report highlighted that a significant and consistent theme was the perception of delayed actions and insufficient communication, with frustration expressed over unprogressed agreed actions and limited updates. Concerns were also raised about feeling listened to and fully involved in decisions, particularly during transitions. The report detailed learning and practice improvement measures, including face-to-face discussions with children about complaint outcomes, using age-appropriate language, and a forthcoming refresh of the Children and Young People's Complaints Pledge. Future actions include sharing the document with managers, quarterly briefings to the workforce, reminding staff about explaining processes in accessible language, and monitoring the consistency and timeliness of statutory visits and assessments.

Work Plan

Finally, the Board was scheduled to review its Work Plan. The plan included future agenda items such as arrangements for unregulated care, fostering and transformation plans, housing provision, the findings of a working party on Life Story Work, and the Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report. Specific dates were set for discussions on these topics throughout 2026 and 2027, with items like care leavers' careers opportunities and local government reorganisation to be timetabled.