Issue - meetings

The Panel received a report from the Director of Children’s Services which provided an overview of the Care Leaver Service and Extended Duties in relation to the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

The Panel heard that the Children and Social Work Act 2017 is intended to improve support for children in care and care leavers and heard the seven new corporate parenting principles introduced alongside the five key outcomes that need to be ensured for care leavers.

The Panel noted that the Government is providing ‘new burden funding’ due to the increase of the top age for provision for Care Leavers to 25 years old, however it is currently not clear how much this will be. The Panel heard that Hampshire currently has 535 Young People in the Care Leavers Service and 34.9% of these are categorised as NEET, with 72.8% not in suitable accommodation.

In response to questions members heard that;

·         Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children normally want to be in care and go to independent foster families due to their specific skills and cultural needs.

·         There is a statutory duty for Care Leaver’s Personal Assistants to visit bi-monthly and that other communication take place on an agreed timescale

·         Personal Assistants don’t need to be qualified Social Workers and there will be consideration for options to increase capacity.

Resolved: That the Children and Families Advisory Panel note the contents of this

report.