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Issue - meetings

Leaving Care Service

Meeting: 20/07/2022 - Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People (Item 21)

21 Leaving Care Service pdf icon PDF 621 KB

Minutes:

Smruti Mehta, Assistant Director Specialist Services, Linda Dale, Director of Performance, Quality and Partnerships, and Claire Connelly-Weston, Senior Team Manager – Leaving Care Service, attended the meeting to provide the Committee with an update on the Leaving Care Service.

 

The Service had previously been commissioned out of the Authority but, had been brought back in-house in 2019. Ofsted had inspected the service in October 2021 and many positives had been identified.

 

There was a focus on relationship-building and information sharing to ensure an effective transition to the leaving care service at 18, but also on delivering life skills. The Inspectors had seen many positive and creative examples of direct work being undertaken by leaving care workers.

 

Effective partnership working at a strategic level was beginning to have a positive impact on health provision for care leavers. Health partners had embraced the role of being a corporate parent and were developing initiatives that would support care leavers.

 

Risks to individual care leavers were identified well; when risks had escalated, including risks of exploitation, Leaving Care Safety Panel meetings had demonstrated good consideration of risks, needs and actions to reduce risk.

 

Claire Connelly-Weston highlighted the development work that had been undertaken, in particular with prison work. A space had been created in Nottingham HMP to enable care leavers to have direct visits with their leaving care workers and supporting transition from custody. There was also the opportunity for care leavers to attend evening classes run by the prison, though this provision had been curtailed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Drop-in groups had been established in the north and south of the county for parent-to-be groups and baby groups with peer support; along with Chesterfield Football Group and a cooking group at Long Eaton.

 

With regard to partnership work and development, the committee was informed of the Emotional Wellbeing Offer to Care Leavers and Leaving Care Workers, the Care Leavers discounted council tax and the Severn Trent Water 70% discount which was launched on 1 July 2022.

 

Members of the committee raised issue relating to exploitation, the number of care leavers who were in bed and breakfast accommodation and requested statistics on care leavers who were currently homeless.

 

There were 6 or 7 young people currently in bed and breakfast accommodation and this situation was constantly monitored. The service was ensuring that these young people would not be moved unnecessarily, particularly during the transition to university or further education.

 

The Chairman thanked the officers for their most informative presentation, adding that the passion and support provided was commendable.

 

The officers would return to a future meeting of the committee to provide details of the outcomes that had been achieved. It was suggested that two care leavers who were now working as social workers be invited to attend to inform the Members of their journey and experiences.