The Corporate Parenting Panel of Harrow Council was scheduled to discuss the development of the panel itself, updates on the improvement plan for children's services, and the work of the Participation Service. The meeting agenda also included reports on the Virtual School's autumn term performance and the health of children looked after by the council.

Development of the Corporate Parent Panel

A report was scheduled to be presented regarding the ongoing review of Harrow's Corporate Parenting Panel (CPP). The aim of this review is to redesign how the panel engages with children in care and care leavers, and to strengthen its responsibilities as a corporate parent. The overarching objective is to establish a more participatory, young person-centred model, in line with recommendations from Mark Riddell and supported by the Lead Member for Children, the Local Authority, and strategic partners. This report was for information only and did not contain recommendations.

Update from the Participation Service

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the work of the Participation Service since October 2025. This update was to include progress on initiatives such as the Money Ready training programme and findings from the Care Leavers Survey conducted in November 2025. The report highlighted a significant increase in young people accessing financial education, with 90 care leavers projected to complete the Money Ready training programme over the year, a 500% year-on-year increase. The survey results indicated that a high percentage of respondents felt their Personal Advisor was easy to contact and trustworthy, and that their accommodation was satisfactory. However, key themes from the survey also revealed that over half of young people felt they did not have enough money to meet their day-to-day needs, with some borrowing funds for basic expenses. Up to 37% of care leavers reported feeling anxious and lonely in a typical week, and almost all young people expressed uncertainty about the availability of permanent housing. While a majority found their Personal Advisor easy to contact and trustworthy, the completion of co-produced Pathway Plans was statistically low. This report was also for information only.

Update on Improvement Plan

A report was scheduled to provide an overview of progress against Harrow's Care Leavers and Corporate Parenting Improvement Plan as of 26 January 2026. This plan aligns with recommendations from Mark Riddell, findings from Ofsted Monitoring Visits, and the council's wider Children's Services improvement priorities. The report detailed work across governance, workforce, participation, and the development of an enhanced multi-agency Local Offer for care leavers. Under the Governance and Corporate Parenting Panel section, progress was noted on reviewing panel membership to include all partners, with agreement from Health, Education, Housing, the Virtual School, Probation, Adults Services, and CAMHS to join the CPP. The Police also expressed a wish to support Corporate Parenting. Plans were also in place to devise an information-sharing process with the London Probation Service. The report also detailed progress on establishing Corporate Parenting Champions among elected members to champion priority areas such as housing, health, education, and employment and training. The development of a multi-disciplinary local offer, bringing together each partner's contribution, was also outlined, with the aim of presenting it to the Corporate Parenting Board for approval and subsequent publicising.

Regarding the workforce, the report indicated that the allocation of Personal Advisors as a separate role to allocated social workers for all eligible care leavers aged 16 and 17 had been completed in November 2025. Clear guidance and protocols were to be developed setting out the different roles of the social worker and personal advisor. Recruitment of permanent Personal Advisors to the Care Leaving Team was ongoing, with a target for March 2026, and progress was being made in recruiting permanent managers. Caseloads were also being reviewed, with a consideration for recruiting at least five more personal advisors.

In terms of young people's engagement, participation activities were continuing, including fun activities, the Leaving Care Forum, and participation in staff interviews for the Leaving Care Team. The Leaving Care App was expected to go live in July 2026, and payments of savings were continuing to clear a backlog. The Children in Care Council needed to be developed, and the structure of participation, including available options, was to be reviewed. The report also detailed work on the Family Business initiative, aiming to make apprenticeships and work opportunities available across the council and local businesses, with a focus on developing a more consistent offer beyond apprenticeships. Plans were also in place to develop specific offers for care leavers over 21, with a focus on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), care leavers entering and leaving custody, and care leavers who are parents. The development of a Practice Framework with housing, adult transitions, and mental health services was also underway, mandating a step in approach to pathway planning for care leavers aged 16-18. A communications plan was to be developed to publicise the local offer more widely, with the Leaving Care App expected to launch in July 2026.

Virtual School Autumn Term Report

The Headteacher of the Virtual School was scheduled to present the Autumn Term Report. The report was expected to highlight strong academic outcomes for children looked after, with results at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 being above the national average, even for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Year 11 results were also anticipated to show significant improvement, with a high percentage of pupils achieving at least one GCSE and a substantial proportion achieving a Grade 4 or above in both English and Maths. The report was also expected to detail the achievements of young people in A-levels and their progression to higher education, noting that 25 undergraduates were currently studying at university, a figure well above the national average. The Assistant Headteacher was expected to add details on the support provided for the transition to higher education, including mentoring services and dedicated university contacts.

Update and Performance on Health for Children Looked After

A presentation was scheduled from the Service Manager – Children Looked After in Harrow, providing an overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) for Harrow's children looked after between April and September. This would cover both Initial Health Assessments (IHAs) and Review Health Assessments (RHAs). The presentation was expected to report on overall performance against statutory timescales, noting improvements in IHA completion rates attributed to escalation meetings with social work leads. However, a decline in RHA performance was anticipated, largely due to late requests and scheduling conflicts. The report was expected to detail ongoing work with fostering agencies and carers to address these issues, and to highlight that most delays were due to logistical and administrative barriers rather than children refusing to engage. The presentation was also expected to include a case study illustrating challenges faced by children placed out of borough and the service's approach to safeguarding their health. The report was to be noted, with commendations for progress in improving the timeliness of health assessments and thanks for commitment to partnership working.