The Corporate Parenting Panel of Hull City Council met on Wednesday 23 September 2026 to discuss a range of important issues concerning children in care and care leavers. The meeting's agenda included updates on children's homes inspections, performance overviews, and plans for significant campaigns aimed at raising awareness and improving support for care-experienced young people.

Children's Homes Inspection Reports

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on recent Ofsted inspections of Hull City Council's children's homes. This discussion was intended to provide an overview of the inspection outcomes and any use of unregulated homes during the period of June to August 2026. The report pack included detailed findings from inspections of Wansbeck Road, which was judged as inadequate in overall experiences and progress of children and young people, and how well they are helped and protected, as well as the effectiveness of leaders and managers. A monitoring visit to Wansbeck also noted that while some improvements were at an early stage, a compliance notice under Regulation 12 regarding the protection of children remained in place. The report also detailed the oversight of four unregulated children's homes during the period, with two having closed and two remaining open, with plans for one to be registered with Ofsted.

Children in Care and Care Leavers – Performance Overview

A performance overview for children in care and care leavers as of 31st July 2026 was scheduled for discussion. This report aimed to provide panel members with an overview of performance, highlighting key strengths, risks, and areas requiring focus to ensure the council was meeting its responsibilities as corporate parents. The report indicated that Hull was caring for 750 Children Looked After and had 282 young people aged 17-21 eligible for Leaving Care Services. Strengths identified included strong performance in Personal Education Plans (PEPs) and a high rate of children returning to family care upon leaving the looked-after system. Areas requiring focus included placement stability, with a smaller cohort experiencing multiple placement moves.

Care Leavers: Education, Employment and Training Opportunities and the Family Business Model

The panel was set to receive an update on care leavers' access to employment, apprenticeship, and training opportunities, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Family Business Model. This discussion was prompted by feedback from care leavers who raised concerns about the number of young people not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET) and questioned the sufficiency of opportunities generated through the Council's Family Business approach. The report highlighted that 52% of care leavers aged 17 to 21 were engaged in Education, Employment or Training (EET), with 48% recorded as NEET. For care leavers aged 22 to 25, 49.4% were in EET, and 50.6% were NEET. The report also detailed a pilot scheme for financial support for care leavers undertaking external apprenticeships, which had not yet seen any beneficiaries due to eligibility criteria and programme commencement delays. Barriers to apprenticeships were also outlined, including financial costs, training requirements, and administrative complexities.

Corporate Parenting Week leading into Care Leavers Month 2026

The panel was asked to approve a proposal for a whole-council Corporate Parenting Week and Care Leavers Month campaign. This campaign, themed 'Trust Matters: Building Trust. Keeping Promises. Creating Opportunities', aimed to raise awareness of the Corporate Parenting Strategy and Local Offers, share the voices of children in care and care leavers, showcase positive practice, and promote fostering and Independent Visitor recruitment. The campaign was also intended to encourage directorate pledges and practical actions to increase employment, apprenticeship, and work experience opportunities for care-experienced young people.

YVIC (Young Voices in Care) Update

An update was scheduled on the work undertaken by Young Voices in Care (YVIC), a representative council for children in care. The report pack indicated that YVIC had been involved in showcasing their work through prints at the Ferens Youth Artists Open Exhibition and had participated in interviewing candidates for the Assistant Director role. They were also planning upcoming activities, including a Christmas Sing Along.

Care Leavers Forum

The panel was to be updated on the Care Leavers Forums held throughout the year and plans for future forums. These forums were described as dynamic and engaging events where young people could discuss issues affecting them, such as accommodation, health, and education, with senior leaders and elected members. The report detailed findings from a forum on protected characteristics, where care leavers reported experiences of differential treatment and strong support for recognising care experience as a protected characteristic. A separate forum for Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Team (RAST) young people focused on A Journey to Success, highlighting available support services and the importance of positive choices for immigration prospects.

Room 42 Update

An update on the activities and support provided by Room 42 for care leaver young people was scheduled. Room 42 was described as a key engagement and participation hub offering personalised support, promoting confidence and life skills, and assisting young people in accessing education, employment, and training. The report highlighted the role of Young People's Champions, the Care Leavers Link Up forum, drop-in sessions, and the Action 4 Us participation group. It also detailed various activities, including arts and crafts, cooking sessions, the Care to Dream programme, and cultural celebration events. Summer activities such as a Beach Day, wellbeing walks, go-karting, and a visit to Welton Waters were also mentioned.

Work Programme

Finally, the panel was scheduled to consider and agree its work programme for the upcoming period. This included reviewing the minutes of the previous meeting, outstanding actions, and agreeing on future agenda items and areas of focus. The work programme outlined planned discussions on topics such as children's homes inspection reports, performance reports, and updates on various services supporting children in care and care leavers.