The Corporate Parenting Board of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, to discuss updates on participation, district team activities, the House Project, and annual reports for fostering, adoption, and private fostering, as well as the National Youth Advocacy Service. Key decisions included noting updates and endorsing ongoing work in various areas, with a commitment to further action on housing pathways, education, employment, and training for care leavers.

Participation Team Update

Young people from LINX (Lancashire's Children in Care Council) and the Care Leavers Forum (CLF) presented an update on their activities. For the first time, accessible summaries of Board reports were provided in advance, allowing for discussions at the Care Leaver Forum and broader feedback from care-experienced young people. The Board was informed that £4,700 had been secured from the Eric Wright Foundation for a summer residential at the Water Park in Coniston, aiming to host 25-30 young people and offer an accredited leadership qualification. Work on the Welcome Box Project, supporting children on their first night in care or during placement moves, was also progressing, with a funding application submitted to Coram Voice. The PROUD Awards, held on 12 February 2026, were reported as the largest to date, with young people playing a central role in its organisation. Clare Smith, on behalf of the CICC and CLF, thanked Sam Gorton for her 17 years of support to the Board and her 33-year career with the Council ahead of her retirement. The Board resolved to receive and comment on the young people's update and noted that further funding information would be shared.

Lancaster District Team Update

Janice Laing, Team Manager for Children in Our Care, and Joe Moore, Leaving Care Team Manager, presented the Lancaster District Update, accompanied by care-experienced young people Izzy, Rebecca, and Callum, and Residential Child Care Worker Sam Cottam. The district supports 171 children in care and 157 care leavers aged 16-25. The presentation highlighted strong participation and engagement across the district, including co-production sessions, walking groups, cooking workshops, a podcast series, and the Care Leaver Forum. Challenges were identified, particularly housing pressures due to Lancaster's student accommodation market, and difficulties in stepping young people down from residential provision due to limited supported accommodation and social housing shortages. Work is ongoing to develop a guarantor scheme and expand dispersed housing options. Education, training, and employment (EET) also remained a challenge, with a higher proportion of care leavers not engaged in EET compared to 16-18-year-olds in care. The team continues to prioritise earlier and more robust EET planning. The young people in attendance shared positive reflections on their involvement in team activities. The Board resolved to note the update, endorse the continuation of participation and co-production work, support improved housing pathways, and endorse the continued focus on EET planning.

House Project

Nic Brooks, House Project Lead, provided an overview of the House Project, which operates in Preston and surrounding areas, offering supported accommodation for 16-17 year olds preparing for independent living. Young people move into properties as a group to share experiences and support each other, with ongoing support from a facilitator. The annual AQA module requires young people to develop a community project, and this year's group organised a sponsored run on 18 April 2026 to raise funds for Lancashire care leavers. The Board agreed to support the promotion of the GoFundMe campaign and share further fundraising ideas.

Fostering, Adoption, and Private Fostering Annual Reports

Heidi Fligauf presented the Fostering Service Annual Report 2024-25, highlighting a 4.5% growth in mainstream foster carers and an increase in children living with Lancashire foster carers. Support mechanisms for foster carers have expanded, including a Mentoring Academy and an 89% increase in foster carer access to EAP support. Future priorities include strengthening the fostering model, increasing local placement availability, supporting staff, and using data for decision-making.

Annie Clarkson presented the Private Fostering Annual Report, noting a 51.5% increase in new notifications. The service assesses the suitability of arrangements and ensures child safety through ongoing visits. Outcomes for children supported included returning home, reaching the age of 16, or achieving permanence through legal orders. Future priorities include strengthening private fostering practice, improving data use, and developing the communications strategy.

Paul Dolan presented the Adoption Lancashire and Blackpool service report. The service has three core functions: recruiting, training, and assessing adopters; family finding; and providing post-adoption support. Performance has been mixed due to staffing pressures, leading to a widening gap between the number of adopters needed and those available. Successes include the expansion of adoption support services and improvements in adoption panels. Priorities for the coming year include relaunching Early Permanence (EP), improving contact and keeping in touch arrangements, and preparing for Ofsted inspections.

Young people raised questions regarding the adoption of teenagers and the process for adoption assessments, which were addressed. The Board resolved to thank the officers for their presentations and noted that any unanswered questions would be responded to outside of the meeting.

National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) Annual Report

Kirsty Clark presented the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) Annual Report for 2024/25, detailing the Advocacy and Independent Visitor (IV) services provided. NYAS received 292 advocacy referrals, with 184 relating to children in care and care leavers. Common advocacy issues included living arrangements, relationships with social workers, and support with review meetings. The Independent Visitor service matched 50 young people with volunteers, with demand exceeding availability. The Board received and commented on the report, requesting that NYAS provide responses to outstanding questions and re-engage with the Children in Care Council, Care Leavers Forum, and the Permanence Service.