The Board
considered a verbal update in respect of the Voice of Children and
Young People and Care Experience Young People presented byJoel
Hanna, Head of Service for Children Looked After and Care Leavers.
Joel Hanna gave a presentation which outlined the pledge for Corporate Parents and set out the plans
for achieving greater representation for the inclusion of the voice
of children and young people at the Board. This work
included:
·
Weekly attendance at the Children in Care
Council (CCiC) and Care Leavers Forum (CLF) alternately had been
established as an opportunity for the Head of Service to listen to
the experience, voice and views of young people with the intention
of taking a ‘you said we did’ approach to issues
raised.
- Working with the CCiC and the CLF there were plans to
develop and co-deliver Corporate Parenting training for Members and
Officers (using the LGA resource pack) as well as working together
to inform the current review and revision of the Corporate
Parenting Strategy.
- Planning work had been undertaken to identify future
opportunities to increase the voice of children and young people in
the work of the Corporate Parenting Board (i.e.- takeover board
events, attendance/representation at Board meetings and review and
feedback from Webcast meetings etc.)
- Work had also begun to increase membership of both
groups.
- Discussions with the CiCC and the CLF had highlighted:
- Examples of inequality in finance polices (i.e.-allowances and
financial support) and it had been agreed to add the review of
these to the work plan for both the Children in Care and Care
Leavers services.
- Issues with delays in decision making due to ‘tiers of
approval’ had led to a review of approval levels for holiday
risk assessments and permissions.
- The use and the
power of language, especially the implications and associations of
using words such as ‘lack’ when referring to children
in care and in response discussions had been held around how to
change culture around language.
In the discussion
to follow, questions and comments were invited from Board Members,
with the following issues being covered:
- The Board agreed
it was important to reflect on the power of language going
forwards, ensuring that words like ‘lack’ and acronyms
were avoided, and that age-appropriate language was used to ensure
young people understand the decisions been made around them.
- The Board welcomed
work undertaken to improve the timeliness of decisions around
holiday permissions and risk assessments.
- The Board
highlighted the importance of promoting and integrating the
Corporate Parenting Pledge and suggested that consideration be
given to printing the pledge on Council on ID cards.
RESOLVED: The Board
noted the update ‘The Voice of Children and Young People and Care Experience Young
People’ and it was agreed that:
1)
Reflection be given to the type and power of the
language used when referring to and communicating with children in
care and care leavers.
2)
Consideration be given to the promotion of the
Corporate Parenting Pledge including the possibility of this being
printed on officer and member ID cards.