The Corporate Parenting Board was scheduled to meet to discuss the annual reports on Children in Care, and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, as well as to receive an update on Hampshire's Care Councils. The board was also scheduled to discuss joint working arrangements to support children and young people with continuing and complex health needs.

Children in Care Annual Report

The board was scheduled to receive the Children in Care Annual Report 2024-2025. The report was intended to provide an overview of the activities of the Children in Care service between April 2024 and March 2025. The report includes data on the number of children in care, their age, gender, ethnicity and legal status, as well as information on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children¹ (UASC). As of May 2025, there were 1,739 children in care in Hampshire, including 161 UASC. The majority of these were 16 and 17 years old and from Sudan.

The report also covers several projects and developments, including:

• Reunification: A project reviewing processes and services to support the safe return of children to their families.
• Family Connections and Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs): A project to ensure wider family networks are identified and engaged to improve outcomes for children.
• Health needs of children in care: Covering health assessments, health promotion, health histories, immunisations and dental appointments.
• Emotional wellbeing and Mental Health: A project to identify and support the emotional wellbeing and mental health needs of all children in care and care leavers.
• Education: An overview of the work of the Virtual School and Personal Education Plans (PEPs).
• Participation: Highlighting the 'My Life My Future Month' and the SHOUT survey.
• Development and Impact of Care Councils/Corporate Parenting Board: Detailing how the board hears and responds to the voices of children in care.

The report also sets out actions taken in response to priorities identified by young people, including housing, reducing stigma in schools, increasing transparency and accountability, recognising individuality and achievements, preparation for independence, understanding life story, and improving communication.

Continuing and Complex Children's Care

The board was scheduled to receive a report on the joint working arrangements to support children and young people with continuing and complex health needs.

The report provides an overview of the current joint working arrangements between Hampshire County Council and the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB)%20are,health%20and%20care%20services%20together.), to support children and young people aged 0-18 with complex and continuing needs, including children in care.

The report highlights the integrated decision-making process for accessing support, including Continuing Care, Section 117 aftercare², Individual Funding Requests and Complex Lives. When a child's needs cannot be met by universal or specialist services, each organisation has specific responsibilities:

• Hampshire County Council Children's Services Department: Leads brokerage for children requiring a system-wide approach, including identifying suitable placements and conducting due diligence.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) Department: Responsible for assessing educational needs, developing and reviewing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and supporting access to education.
• All Age Continuing Care (AACC) – NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB: Supports joint commissioning by providing clinical oversight assurance and care planning.

The report also identifies challenges and opportunities related to placement commissioning, including placement availability and suitability. Joint actions to increase placement availability and suitability include completing tenders, developing local pathways for emotional and mental wellbeing, supporting clinical assessment of placement suitability, developing understanding of Mental Health Act sectioning, and the Complex Lives Programme.

CAMHS Annual Report for Children in Care 2024-25

The board was scheduled to receive the annual report from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for Children in Care (CIC) from NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

The report provides an overview of the CAMHS CIC Team's work during 2024-25, including the service model, delivery, and priorities. The CAMHS CIC Team aims to provide the best possible service to care experienced young people living in Hampshire, their carers, and extended network, to enhance their placement stability, promote good mental health, and support them in fulfilling their potential.

Priorities for 2024-25 included:

• Working with the Single Point of Access (SPA) to ensure the pathway for Children in Care referrals is being used and tighter timescales kept for return of information for assessment.
• Clarity and accountability for CIC service trauma informed provision in HIOWH with clear timescales for any additional funding (business plan) to plan ahead how this best used.
• Prioritizing the regular use of appropriate and meaningful outcome measures in all areas of Children in Care work.
• Having an established and commissioned support and training for Hampshire residential homes that is clear, transparent, and agreed by stakeholders.
• DDP interventions: Set up framework for DDP peer supervision groups and implement as intervention county wide for those who have trained.
• Hockley House: to continue to work with the local authority and HIOWH trust in the development of a new Hampshire residential service.
• Trauma informed workforce: Deliver Trauma training through PACE events and 2 virtual 3 hr trainings on Trauma assessment to mainstream CAMHS.
• To increase the recognition and monitoring of Special Guardianship and Adoption cases in the team.
• To continue to work proactively with complex cases and their network, to best understand what is behind the young person's presentation.

The report also details the clinical approach used by the CAMHS CIC Team, which is based on a trauma-informed, stepped care model using Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP). This involves a range of interventions, including consultation, training, assessment, and direct work.

The report includes statistical data on referrals, waiting times, and outcomes, as well as case vignettes illustrating the team's work.

Motiv8 Care Councils Update

The board was scheduled to receive an update report from Motiv8 detailing recent activity by the Hampshire Care Council.

Motiv8 is a youth charity that works with young people in Hampshire to provide opportunities for personal development and social action.

The report includes information on:

• Promotion of Care Councils
• Council Meetings
• Member Updates
• Priorities: Reducing Stigma, Housing, Communication, Life Story Work, Preparation for Independence
• Events & Activities
• Social Media
• Timetable & Contact Us

Since the end of April 2025, Motiv8 has had 2 Care Council meetings. In May's meeting, Councillor Roz Chadd attended and the process of the challenge cards was discussed. In July's meeting, Hollie Ryan showed the 'Support for Care Leaver's' website.