The Corporate Parenting Panel of Lincolnshire Council met on Thursday 15 January 2026 to review performance reports, annual reports on private fostering and adoption, and the panel's work programme. The panel received updates on children in care performance, the private fostering service, and the work of Family Adoption Links, and also considered its future work programme.

Children in Care Performance Report Quarter 2

The panel received a report detailing the performance of children's services for Quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year. Of the 16 performance measures relevant to Children in Care (CiC), four had not met their targets. These included:

• Care Leavers in suitable accommodation: While the overall number of young people in unsuitable accommodation remained low at 9.4%, this figure was temporarily impacted by a data cleansing exercise. Emerging trends indicated an increase in the use of bed and breakfast accommodation by District Councils for all individuals, including Care Experienced Young People (CEYP).
• Fostering/adoption of Children in Care aged 10 to <16 years old: Performance in this area had reduced, attributed to a significant increase in the number of young people entering care and the complexity of their needs. The Children in Care Transformation programme aims to address this by developing a new specialist foster care scheme.
• Percentage of Children in Care with an up-to-date health check: This target was affected by young people placed out of county and reliance on other health services. Capacity issues within the Health service, including insufficient nursing capacity and long-term sickness, contributed to delays in review health assessments. Lincolnshire's performance was marginally below the England average and its statistical neighbours.
• Number of Children in Care per 10,000 under 18s: There was a slight increase in this rate from the previous quarter, though support systems were in place to ensure children were effectively cared for within their networks.

Six measures were ahead of their target, including participation of Children in Care in reviews, cases reviewed within required timescales, and the average time between a child entering care and moving in with their adoptive family. The report highlighted improved performance in the average time between the Local Authority receiving court authority to place a child and deciding on a match to an adoptive family, and the percentage of Children in Care with up-to-date dental checks.

Private Fostering Annual Report 2024-2025 and Statement of Purpose 2025-2026

The panel reviewed the Private Fostering Annual Report for 2024-2025 and the Statement of Purpose for 2025-2026. The report indicated that all Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Records and Regulation 7 visits were completed within the required 7-day timescale. All Regulation 8 visits were being tracked, with reminders sent to ensure timely recording. During the 2024-2025 period, 17 children ceased to be privately fostered, with 11 children recorded as privately fostered at the year-end. The report detailed the procedures and legal framework surrounding private fostering, including the duties of the local authority under the Children Act 1989 and subsequent legislation. It also outlined the National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering and the council's commitment to raising awareness and providing support. The report noted no prohibitions or requirements had been made in the financial year.

Family Adoption Links Annual Report 2024-2025

The panel reviewed the annual report of Family Adoption Links (FAL), the regional adoption agency. The report highlighted that despite a challenging national adoption landscape, FAL had seen an increase in the number of adopters approved, with 127 approvals in 2024/25, a 35% rise year-on-year. However, the number of children matched and placed had fallen, with a corresponding rise in the number of children waiting to be placed. This was attributed to a mismatch between the needs of children (e.g., sibling groups, older children, those with complex needs) and the preferences of many adopters. The report also detailed progress on key workstreams, including Marketing & Recruitment, Recruitment, Assessment & Matching, Post Adoption Support, Training, Early Permanence, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), Staying in Touch (SiT), Education, and Regional Projects and Innovation. Challenges identified included the national decline in prospective adopters and uncertainty surrounding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). Priorities for 2025/26 included increasing adopter sufficiency, providing tailored support, enhancing voice and influence, maintaining relationships, and ensuring early permanence and EDI are embedded across services.

Corporate Parenting Panel Work Programme

The panel considered its work programme for the coming year, which included thematic meetings on 'Keeping Well' (health and wellbeing), 'Where We Live' (sufficiency of housing and placements), 'Our Aspirations for the Future' (education, training, employment, and careers), and 'My Challenges and How I Keep Safe' (criminal justice and interventions). The panel was invited to note the existing work programme and suggest any additional topics for consideration. The work programme was agreed.