Agenda item

The Panel will consider a report giving the latest data on the number and age of children in care. 

Contact Officer: Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting

                            (Children in Care and Care Leavers)

The Panel considered a report giving the latest data on the number and age of children in care presented by Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting (Children in Care and Care Leavers).

Julie Bragg highlighted the following key areas:-

·         The number of children in care at the end of January was 672; a number of these children were being closely monitored;

·         In January, a number of sibling groups had come into care, 2 groups of 5 children;

·         There had been an increasing positive trend in the number of children leaving care and in some instances children had returned to family members;

·         It was unlikely that children under the age of 4 would remain in care and would have a permanence plan for adoption;

·         The focus within the service for children in care aged 11 to 15 years, was on the reunification model where children returned to live with their parents and a thorough assessment was undertaken in these circumstances to ensure that this was the right decision for the child.

In response to a question from the Panel regarding concerns in relation to the rise in number of children taken into care under the age of one and the shortage of adoptive parents, Elaine McShane advised that the first and foremost priority was to ensure that children were safeguarded.  The Board was informed that priority viability checks and assessments would be undertaken of extended family members to arrange for the child to stay with a family member before they were taken into care.  Elaine McShane explained that the scheme for extended family members was called Special Guardianship and that this had seen a recent significant rise to 380.  The Board was informed that meetings took place to consider the timeliness of the adoption process to ensure a child was not waiting an extended period of time.  Elaine McShane also advised the Board that robust decision making was in place to ensure children were not kept waiting an unacceptable period of time to be adopted.

In response to a question from the Panel regarding how many children taken into care was due to domestic abuse, Julie Bragg advised that there could be multiple factors why a child was taken into care, for example, neglect, drug abuse, mental health, and it was difficult to be specific on one single factor.

In response to a question from the Panel regarding the high number of children placed outside the district, Julie Bragg advised that the increase was due to the number of children in care looking for suitable matched placements and it was sometimes necessary to go to external foster carers.  Elaine McShane advised the Panel that occasionally decisions were taken to place children outside the district, but these were well informed decisions and taken with the safeguarding of the child being the first and foremost consideration.  The Panel was informed that significant consideration was given to placing children outside of the district and the decisions were not taken lightly.  Elaine McShane further explained that she was involved in any decisions taken to place children over 20 miles outside of Kirklees. 

Tom Brailsford advised the Panel that a draft Sufficiency Strategy was now available.  The Panel agreed to consider a future report on the Draft Sufficiency Strategy, which would include plans of how Kirklees was going to transform fostering locally.

Elaine McShane advised the Panel that work was currently being undertaken on the Post 16 Provision and looking at people who come and work in Kirklees to provide that provision.  The Panel was informed that there was currently a tendering exercise being undertaken around post 16 provision within Kirklees, which would consider the vulnerabilities of young people.  The Panel agreed to consider a future report on Post 16 Provision.

Cllr Marchington, Chair of the Panel, agreed to keep a watching brief on the rising trend of children in care and how this was being managed.

RESOLVED –

1.    The Panel noted the report on Number and Age of Children in Care and thanked Julie Bragg for her contributions.

2.    That Councillor Marchington would keep a Lead Member watching brief on the rising trend of children in care and how this was being managed.

3.    The Panel agreed to consider a future report on Post 16 Provision.

4.    The Panel agreed to consider a future report on the Draft Sufficiency Strategy, which would include plans of how Kirklees was going to transform fostering locally.