The Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, to discuss corporate parenting, the Lancashire House Project, and the Where Our Children Live programme. The committee considered the current performance, priorities, and challenges of the council's corporate parenting role. Jennifer Robertshaw, Head of Service for Children in Our Care and Care Leavers, presented the report, highlighting the council's commitment to supporting children in care and care leavers. The Corporate Parenting Strategy 2022–2026 aims to ensure children have what they need for a happy and fulfilling life, underpinned by statutory principles. Key priorities include achieving permanence, improving the sufficiency of homes, enhancing health and well-being, and improving education, employment, and training outcomes.

Significant progress has been made in reducing the number of children in care, with 1741 children currently looked after, a decrease from 2127 in March 2019. Foster care remains the most common placement type, with 66.5% of children placed with foster carers. The report noted that 73.6% of children in fostering, kinship, or placed at home with parents are in a confirmed lasting home, and 74.3% of children under 16 have lived in the same home for two or more years. The Virtual School is working to improve educational outcomes, and the Leaving Care service supports young people up to the age of 25. The committee was asked to consider adding the Corporate Parenting Strategy review in 2026 to its work programme.

Lancashire House Project

The committee reviewed the progress and achievements of the Lancashire House Project, launched in 2022 to support care leavers aged 16–17 in moving to independent living. Jennifer Robertshaw explained that the project, part of the National House Project, provides secure, affordable, long-term accommodation and an accredited development program. The project currently supports 40 young people, with 65% engaged in education, employment, or training. A significant achievement is that no participant has ever lost their tenancy.

Challenges remain, primarily due to limited housing stock from Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), which restricts the project's expansion. The report highlighted a geographical inconsistency, with most properties located in the Preston area and a lack of provision in the north and east of the county. Future plans include working with district councils and RSLs to increase property availability and exploring alternative partnerships. The committee was asked to provide feedback on developing the offer further, including collaborative work with districts to increase the property offer.

Where Our Children Live Programme

The committee received an update on the Where Our Children Live (WOCL) programme, a strategic initiative to increase in-house children's residential provision. John, a senior residential manager, presented the report, explaining that the programme aims to provide more local, high-quality homes for children in care, reducing reliance on costly agency placements. The programme has seen success in increasing mainstream fostering households and has a higher proportion of filled fostering beds compared to the national average.

The report detailed the challenges faced, including an increase in young people living in agency children's homes, spiralling weekly costs, and concerning numbers of children in unregulated homes. The WOCL programme aims to address this by acquiring and developing new in-house homes. Phase 1 has seen the opening of Lavender Lodge and the transformation of Sunflower House into a SPACE Hub. Phase 2 is progressing with several new homes under construction or awaiting Ofsted registration. The programme also focuses on digitisation, recruitment, and practice development. The committee was asked to comment on the programme's progress and provide feedback on the strategic, operational, and financial implications of its expansion.

Children, Families and Skills Work Programme 2025/26

The committee noted the work programme for 2025/26, which outlines upcoming reports and key lines of inquiry. Councillor Duke suggested a more inclusive approach to reviewing the work programme, which was agreed to be taken forward. The next meeting, scheduled for 3 December 2025, will include a report from the Principal Social Worker on the social care workforce and agency spend, and a presentation from Families First.

Other Matters

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2025 were approved. The committee discussed the importance of collaboration between county and district councils in supporting care leavers and ensuring adequate housing provision, with a focus on the need for district councils to prioritise affordable housing and consider their role in corporate parenting. The committee agreed to receive updates on the Corporate Parenting Strategy and the Lancashire House Project in April 2026.