The Corporate Parenting Board was scheduled to discuss a report from the NEET Task and Finish Group, focusing on strategies to support young people not in employment, education, or training. The board was also set to review the Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report for 2025/2026 and receive an update on Life Story Work.

NEET Task and Finish Group Report

The meeting was scheduled to include a verbal update on the NEET Task and Finish Group Report. This group has been examining the NEET Strategy and areas where it has been ineffective. The report pack indicated that the group had met with key officers and visited the Careers Hub at The Hive, Worcester. While the group had not yet spoken directly to young people about their experiences, their feedback was intended to be included in the final report.

Key areas of consideration for the group's recommendations included:

• The timeliness of discussions with young people about accommodation.
• The availability of short, roll on roll off courses for post-16 education.
• The provision of dedicated key workers for care leavers.
• Identifying employers willing to support care leavers.
• Assessing children in years 10 and 11 to identify those at risk of becoming NEET, with a dedicated teacher assigned to them.
• A revision of the overall NEET Strategy.
• The availability of government funding.

The report pack highlighted that a significant barrier for young people facing a home move during the year they are due to make post-16 transitions is the difficulty in making firm plans. It was recommended that efforts be made to confirm a young person's living situation in September/October of that year before post-16 decisions are finalised, ideally in the spring. Another recommendation was to explore rolling out the E-Bike to Work scheme, currently operating in the Malvern Hills Area, to other areas of the county to improve access to work and college for those in rural or semi-rural locations.

A further barrier identified was the lack of roll on roll off or short courses. If a young person started a course and found it unsuitable, they currently had to wait until the following September to begin a new one. The main recommendation here was to source funding for a suite of such courses, noting that historical funding from central government initiatives like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) had ceased, and lobbying the government for alternatives was suggested.

In positive news, the Connect to Work scheme began in October 2025, aiming to ensure care leavers have a dedicated key worker to help overcome barriers in forming relationships with officers. This initiative had identified employers, including the NHS, willing to support care leavers. A recommendation was made to find more such employers by tapping into their Corporate Social Responsibility¹ initiatives.

A concern was raised about the need for a better relationship offer for 16-18 year olds, with a recommendation for roving workers to engage with young people in their homes or community spaces, similar to the role of a Connexions Adviser. However, it was noted that neither the capacity nor the funding was available for this.

The report also mentioned a re-evaluation of young people in years 10 and 11 most at risk of becoming NEET, referred to as Red RONI's, and the provision of dedicated teachers to support care-experienced young people in secondary schools. The latest iteration of the NEET Strategy has seven delivery plans, covering areas such as the Education Virtual School, Social Care Care Leavers, NEET Prevention, Careers Education, NEET Support, Education Engagement Tracking, Education and Careers Programmes, and Education Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

For young people over 18, the report noted that while Judy's team had developed a strong relationship with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to manage the post-18 transition, improvements were still needed. Other issues impacting young people's ability to find work included a lack of opportunities in sectors like hospitality, catering, and retail, and the damaging effect of COVID-19 on young people's wellbeing.

A recent funding announcement mentioned was a £3,000 Apprenticeship Care Leavers' bursary for apprentices under 25 who are in or have been in care. This bursary is tax-free, does not affect Universal Credit, and is paid in three £1,000 instalments during the first year of the apprenticeship, claimed by the Training Provider and paid directly to the apprentice.

Survey results from care-experienced young people were to be summarised, with valuable insights including a recommendation for a better off in work calculator/handbook tailored to individuals, showing a side-by-side comparison of benefits against bills. This should be done with the support of a Personal Adviser. The report also suggested offering in work incentives, such as gas and electric vouchers, to encourage young people to remain in employment.

The report concluded by stating that resources to support NEET young people have diminished due to a reduction in central government skills funding and the termination of ESF and UK Shared Prosperity Funding. It also noted that the council has not fared well from the three-year funding settlement from the government.

Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report 2025/2026

The board was scheduled to receive the Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report for 2025/2026. This report provides an overview of the board's activities and achievements over the past year.

The foreword by Councillor Justin Bowen, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families and Chairperson of the Corporate Parenting Board, highlighted three priorities: reaffirming Corporate Parenting pledges, placing the voice of children and young people at the heart of the board's operations, and ensuring the board focused on actions. The report indicated progress in these areas, including increased attendance of children and young people at board meetings and more accessible language in communications.

Key achievements noted in the report included:

• NEET Strategy: The launch of the strategy and associated Delivery Plans, with continued progress in care leavers achieving in education, employment, and training (EET), consistently exceeding the national average. A dedicated Employment Personal Advisor had been appointed, and the care leaver apprenticeship offer had been expanded.
• Virtual School: Improvements in the educational outcomes for looked-after children, with attendance at its highest level since 2021-22. Priorities for the next academic year included Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware Settings training, delivering the RADY programme, and improving education for children with a social worker and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• Physical and Emotional Health: Successful implementation of a strategy to address delays in health assessments for looked-after children, with 78% now having an up-to-date assessment. The Youth Voice team had collaborated on a video about health assessments.
• WCC Fostering: The transformation plan for the service had been launched, aiming to recruit and retain more mainstream and kinship fostering households.
• Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs): The IRO service reported on the oversight and scrutiny of looked-after children's care plans, with a stable and experienced cohort of IROs. The use of Time-Out cards for children during review meetings was noted.
• Youth Voice Team: The team's activities and influence had grown, with care-experienced peer mentor apprentices leading on collaboration with young people.
• Care Leavers: Continued focus on supporting young people into independence through housing, pathway plans, personal advisors, and career and education support. The local offer for Care Leavers was being revised in collaboration with young people.
• Leisure Opportunities: Support for children and young people to access leisure opportunities, including partnerships with Malvern Theatres, an allotment project, Worcester City Football Club, and discounted gym memberships.

The report also provided a profile of children in care and care leavers, including numbers, age, gender, ethnicity, and special educational needs and disabilities. It detailed where looked-after children live, noting that the majority live in foster care, but an increasing number are in residential children's homes. The report highlighted that 23% of children are placed more than 20 miles from home, outside the county.

Life Story Work

The board was scheduled to receive a report on Life Story Work, which aims to help children understand their own story in a way that makes sense to them. This can include life story books, letters about their life, and talking with trusted adults. The report indicated that Ofsted had recognised the high quality of Life Story Work where it is completed.

However, the report highlighted that out of 1,036 children in care, only 198 (19.1%) had Life Story Work recorded, meaning a significant number of children were waiting for this support. Children in stable foster care placements and those who had been in care for longer were more likely to have Life Story Work recorded, while those in residential homes, who had experienced multiple moves, or were older were less likely to have it. The average time in care for children with Life Story Work recorded was 5.8 years, compared to 2.6 years for those without it, suggesting that the work is often started too late.

For children with a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), only 13% had Life Story Work recorded. For adopted children, 78% had a completed Life Story Book and 68% a completed Later Life Letter, but some were still awaiting completion.

The report concluded that while Life Story Work is of high quality where completed, it is not consistently embedded across all cohorts. Steps to strengthen management oversight included Group Managers tracking completion, Team Managers tracking and signing off progress, Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) escalating concerns, routine audits, and clear escalation routes.

The report also included definitions of Life Story Work, including life story books and later life letters, and explained why this work is important for children's understanding of their history, identity, and sense of permanence. It referenced the Adoption and Children Act 2002, Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005, and the Children Act 1989 and 2004 as key legislative requirements. Feedback from social workers, IROs, children, and carers about Life Story Work was also included.

Work Plan

The board was asked to note its future work plan. Upcoming topics scheduled for discussion included the Annual IRO Report, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and actions to prevent young people becoming looked after, and Post-25 Care Leaver support for the meeting on 8 July 2026. The Care Leavers Annual Report and Youth Voice Annual Report were scheduled for 6 October 2026, and the CPB Annual Report for 27 January 2027.