The Board will consider the presentation ‘Children’s Voice, Participation and Corporate Parents;’ a verbal update in respect of ideas for participation and representation of the child’s voice at Corporate Parenting Board.
Contact:
Anna Gledhill, Service Manager Quality Assurance and Safeguarding
Krissy Podgorski, Team Manager - Children Looked After Independent Service
Minutes:
The Board received a presentation in respect of Children’s Voice, Participation and Corporate Parents presented by Krissy Podgorski, Team Manager – Children Looked After Independent Service.
It was highlighted that the Children’s Rights Team wanted to work with the Board to ensure that the views of children in care and care leavers were a consistent and influential feature of the Board. Ideas for participation included:
· Themes and patterns from advocacy be reported to the Board on a regular basis
· Children and young people are enabled to regularly share the key issues and themes that affect them with the Board.
· A young person friendly meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board be held once or twice per year to enable and encourage attendance.
· The use of video’s or presentations be used as an additional method of communicating with the Board.
· Progress being measured by the Board through hearing directly from young people and through visiting the groups periodically throughout the year.
In relation to the child’s voice shaping policy, it was highlighted that Children’s Services should be involving young people in discussions around policy changes and work around key priorities through the Children in Care Council and the Care leavers Forum as well as the wider group of Children Looked After and Care leavers to gather a broad representation of views. This engagement could be facilitated through the Children’s Rights Team, with support from other services. Krissy Podgorski, requested to hear the Boards thoughts on the ideas presented and asked for any other suggestions.
In response, the Board welcomed the idea of video submissions, and other methods of communication with Children Looked After and Care leavers (e.g.- voice recordings or written statements). The Board also requested that the details of upcoming meeting dates of the Children In Care Council and the Care Leaver Forum, and for an invitation to attend these meetings be shared with Board members.
The Board welcomed the idea of video submissions and requested that the details of upcoming meeting dates of the CIC and CLF, and an invitation to attend these meetings be shared with Board members. The Board also recommended that some meetings of the Corporate Parenting Board be set at a time appropriate to enable the attendance of young people with a young person friendly agenda.
The Ex-offcio noted the importance of meeting children and young people in their environment as well as ensuring the agenda was appropriate and relevant to allow young people to engage and participate. It was also important to make sure there was a feedback loop to acknowledge ongoing positive work across Children’s services. The Board agreed and further noted there was a skill development opportunity for the young people in being able to present to Board members.
The Board highlighted the Total Respect Training as positive, as well as asking Foster Carers questions via voice recording for presentation to the Board. The Board also supported the idea of hearing directly from young people of their experiences and for them to have the opportunity to ask board members questions but highlighted that the formality of the meeting may be intimidating so agreed with the idea of making the conversation more informal or sharing the questions to CIC and CLF to answer during the meeting beforehand.
The Board expressed enthusiasm for the ideas presented, there need to be direct contact where possible, but video and written submissions would also be welcomed. It was also important for the young people to understand why their voice was important.
The Board suggested taking a ‘you said, we did’ approach to create the feedback loop perhaps by sharing a video from Board members to communicate back actions to children to demonstrate the impact that they are having, and how their feedback is linked through the Board into discussions around policy. The Ex-offico added it was important to manage expectations and set parameters whilst acknowledging the importance of knowing what young people need.
The Board also suggested that 1:1 drop-in slot with councillors be held with young people for direct contact and feedback.
Anna Gledhill, Service Manager Quality Assurance and Safeguarding agreed to share the dates for the CIC and CLF and put together a proposal around the suggestions made by the Board and create the feedback loop to communicate back the responses from the Board. Rahila Habib, Service Manager – Family Support and Child Protection highlighted an upcoming meeting with the children in care council and care leavers forum and in respect of the corporate parenting Strategy and suggested asking them for their ideas for participation.
Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director – Learning and Early Support highlighted the SEND transformation plan and Kirklees futures, and capturing the live experience, this was about taking a planned and co-ordinated approach to the suggestions made.
The Board highlighted the upcoming Foster carers celebration and requested that future invitations be extended to all Board members. The Board also noted the invitation to meet Foster Carers, and hear their views directly, at weekly Thursday morning meetings, and it was agreed that the Kirklees Fostering Network representative would provide the relevant details.
RESOLVED: The Board noted the Children’s Voice Presentation, and it was agreed that:
2. Rahila Habib would communicate the ideas around participation to the Children in Care Council and Care Leaver’s Forum as well as asking the young people to provide their own ideas for participation for inclusion.
3. A proposal around the discussed ideas for participation be created and that a plan for implementation be made.
4. The proposal should be centred around a feedback loop to communicate responses from the Board to young people to demonstrate impact.
5. Members of the Board be invited to a future meeting of the Kirklees Fostering Network and the Kirklees Fostering Network representative provide the relevant meeting details.
6. Future invitations to the foster carers celebration be extended to all Board members.