The Corporate Parenting Panel is scheduled to meet to discuss its work programme for the coming year. The proposed work programme is aligned with the Children Looked After and Care Leavers Plan 2026-2028. The panel will also consider delegating responsibility for delivering the work programme to the Corporate Parenting Board.

Corporate Parenting Work Programme 2025-2026

The Corporate Parenting Panel is expected to discuss and endorse the proposed Corporate Parenting Work Programme 2025-2026, which is outlined in a report from the Director of Children, Families and Education. The panel is also expected to consider delegating responsibility for delivering the work programme to the Corporate Parenting Board, which is scheduled to meet four times between October 2025 and March 2026.

The report states that the work programme will focus on listening to the voices of children looked after¹ and care leavers², and will be shaped by their priorities.

The work programme will focus on listening to the voice of children looked after and care leavers. It will dedicate time to hear their views and will be shaped by their emerging priorities. This means it will be flexible to ensure that the voice of children looked after is heard.

The work programme is scheduled to focus on the priorities outlined in the Children Looked After and Care Leavers Plan 2026-2028, which are:

• My health and wellbeing
• My Friends, Family and Home
• My Future
• My Education and Employment

The panel is expected to consider performance data, feedback from children looked after and care leavers, and the annual report of the Head of the Virtual School, Sarah Dacey.

The agenda items to be scheduled are:

• Theme 1: My Health and Wellbeing, with lead officers Steve Smith, Head of Permanence, and Louise Evans, Designated Nurse for Safeguarding.
• Theme 2: My Friends, Family and Home, with lead officers Steve Smith, Head of Permanence, and Sheila Jacobs from Housing Services.
• Theme 3: My Future, with lead officers Paul Smith, Head of Service, Learning Skills and Employment, and Gareth Jones, Senior Manager, Learning Skills and Employment.
• Theme 4: My Learning and Skills, with lead officers Sarah Dacey, Head of Virtual School, and Kerry Bull, Operations Lead, Leaving Care Service.

Public and Members Questions

The agenda allows for questions from the public and from members of the council. Members of the public can submit questions in writing or by email to the Council's Monitoring Officer by midday on Thursday 2nd October 2025. Members of the public can also submit statements and petitions.