County councillors will next week discuss a report which outlines the authority's role as corporate parents to more than 600 children and young people in its care - and over 200 young people who have left care.
The Corporate Parenting Strategy underlines that the council recognises its collective responsibility to be a good parent to the children and young people in its care, so that they grow up happy, achieve well and lead successful lives.
Children in care and care leavers have been working closely with children’s social care teams in developing the revised strategy, which is set to be formally adopted on Tuesday, December 17th.
We recognise that each young person has a unique set of perceptions and that underlines the importance of listening to what they say and respecting their views. This means the council is expected to do what any responsible parent would do for their own children. Across the board, there has been progress in ensuring that young people have a voice in lots of areas of children’s social care such as the children in care council and other bodies, which they often co-chair.
Person:Ivan Ould, county council cabinet member for children and families
The report also looks at progress in extending the role of elected members as corporate parents with ‘champions’ looking at three areas, in particular, education, training and work, housing and accommodation and health.
The strategy also outlines the vital role played by the council’s Virtual School in promoting the education of children in care through working closely with schools, alternative settings and wider services within and beyond Leicestershire.
The report will be discussed by Cabinet members on Tuesday, 17th December at 2pm, the meeting will be shown live at leicestershire.gov.uk/webcast