The Corporate Parenting Panel of Harrow Council met to discuss several key issues affecting children in care and care leavers, including updates on missing children, care leavers in custody, the leaving care service, and the virtual school's performance. The panel also reviewed activity and performance data and received a verbal update on the outcome of Mark Riddell's visits.

Children Missing From Care

Diana Saunders, Service Manager Children and Communities, presented an update on children missing from care, covering data from the third and fourth quarters of the year. Of 223 children looked after, 25 had missing episodes, with 11% of children looked after having missing episodes, which is down from 12% last year and on par with the national average.

When a child is absent, immediate interventions include notifying the police and working with various agencies to locate the child. Strategy meetings are held within three working days, and support is offered to foster carers. Disruption techniques include national alerts and involving various agencies. Return home interviews were offered to all young people, with 86% accepting, a high percentage compared to other boroughs.

Councillor Aneka Shah-Levy asked for clarification on the reasons children might be missing, and if those at higher risk were prioritised. Diana Saunders confirmed that every missing child was a worry, and that immediate action would be taken in high risk cases.

Councillor Aneka Shah-Levy also asked about the risk factors identified, and whether there was a pattern emerging in terms of county line risks¹ or other related issues. Diana Saunders said that she would touch base with the data team to see how that information could be pulled going forward.

Children Looked After and Care Leavers in Custody

Deborah Harewood, Service Manager, Leaving Care, presented an update on children looked after and care leavers in custody. There were nine care leavers in custody, with one under 18 in a youth offending institution. Some care leavers were recalled, and the council is looking into why this is happening. All young people in custody have an allocated personal advisor or social worker who visits them regularly. Young people in custody receive a weekly allowance of £10 for personal items. The council works to ensure that young people have identified accommodation upon release to avoid them spending longer in prison.

Councillor Aneka Shah-Levy asked about the kinds of things young people might be going into custody for, to raise awareness and understanding of any themes. Deborah Harewood said that it varied from substance misuse to violent crime.

Councillor Simon Brown noted that two young people had been recalled for not adhering to their bail conditions, and asked whether there had been a lapse in interaction with them. Deborah Harewood said that the pull from their old lives was quite strong, and that the council needed to make what they were offering more attractive than that lure.

Leaving Care Service

Fize Ahmed, who had recently joined Harrow, gave an update on the leaving care service. The service had gone through a significant transformation following an inspection, and the vision is to create an accessible, welcoming, and responsive service for all care leavers. A new leaving care service was launched on 31 March.

Key activities include recruitment to reduce caseloads for personal advisors, a comprehensive training offer for staff, and innovative ways of engaging with care leavers. The council is working on a care leaver app, aiming to launch it during National Care Leavers Week in October. The local offer for care leavers is being refreshed in consultation with young people.

Councillor Hitesh Karia, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, welcomed the progress, particularly with pathway plans², but asked to see statistics on the rollout of training and feedback on its meaningfulness. He also requested more detail on the quality assurance framework and what data would be brought to the panel.

Palmjit Chahal, Director of Children Services, added that previously, care leavers were closed down at 21, but now every care leaver under 25 was opened up and reviewed. The council has recruited 14 personal advisors, three team managers, and two service managers. A virtual leaving care folder has been created, and young people are contacted regularly. Jointly allocated personal advisors will be in place for young people in care from the age of 15 and a half.

Outcome of Mark Riddell's Visits

Palmjit Chahal provided a verbal update on the outcome of Mark Riddell's visits. Mark Riddell, the national lead for care leavers, conducted a two-day diagnostic, meeting with 24 care leavers. His recommendations will be included in the improvement plan for leaving care. A smaller group of corporate parenting members will meet to go through the recommendations and action plan before the next corporate parenting panel.

Information Report Activity and Performance

Dipika Patel, Business Intelligence Partner, presented an information report on activity and performance. Areas needing improvement included the timeliness of looked after reviews and placement stability. Good performance was noted in health checks and care leavers in suitable accommodation.

Councillor Hitesh Karia suggested that panel members reflect on the usefulness of the data and provide feedback at the next meeting. He also highlighted the complex issues around unaccompanied asylum seekers and the need to improve the process of contacting them.

Councillor Chetna Halai requested information on how to improve the timeliness of CLA reviews and suggested adding a column to the report outlining actions being taken.

Virtual School Summer Term Report

Melina Williamson-Taylor, Headteacher, Harrow Virtual School, presented the virtual school summer term report. She noted the ongoing performance of children looked after at the end of key stage four. Paula Ariazu, counselling psychologist, presented a summary of her work with children looked after, including individual therapy sessions, carer sessions, and foster care forums.

Melina Williamson-Taylor noted that suspensions were a struggle, with 13 children having at least one suspension. The council is working with the Attachment Research Community to support schools in being more trauma-informed.