Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the Corporate Parenting Board meeting held on 29 February 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

Our Care Ambassadors will provide an update to the Board.

Members were provided with a Care Experienced Youth Voice update.  A report was presented to update the Members on activity during the period December March 2024 to April 2024.

Members were advised that the membership of the “We Matter” (Middlesbrough Children and Care Council) included five young people in foster care, two young people in residential care and five Care Ambassadors.

The Care Ambassadors support the work of “We Matter” and many other engagement activities that take place with young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and the fortnightly Youth Council.

Members heard that pledges had been assigned and covered different topics on how change can continue to happen.  A meeting had taken place between the Older Care and Experienced Young People and Corporate Parents in March to develop the pledges.

A training event had been held on 2 April 2024 with managers, social workers and personal advisors to look at how to improve how they work with children and young people.

The Older Care Experienced Young People had attended the Regional Children in Care Conference “Lets Talk Change” on 3 April 2024 running a workshop on budget busting.

Members were advised that planned action over the coming months included:

·        Attend the Regional Children in Care Residential

·        Work with the regional Children in Care Forum to improve support across the region

·        Continue meeting with Corporate Parents and monitor progress with Pledges

·        Continue to work with the “We Matter” and put on more events to engage with more Children Looked After

·        Engage with more older care experienced young people through the Forum and encourage them to become Care Ambassador’s

·        Have all of our care experienced young people/adults set up as volunteer’s

·        Create ASDAN awards to provide accreditation for their work and the young people they work with

·        Work with the commissioning team to create “Young Commissioners”

·        Meet more care experienced young people who live in residential care

A discussion took place around the £3000 setting up home allowance and if the amount was the same at other Local Authorities and if it was spent differently it was advised that some Local Authorities use cash.  Members felt that the use of the allowance needed parity and flexibility.

The Executive Director of Children’s Services thanked the Care Ambassadors for the training that they had delivered to managers, social workers and personal advisors he stated that he was very proud and that the training was professional and impactful.  It was also advised that he would be meeting with Care Ambassadors on a monthly basis.

Dawn Alaszewski, Director of Children’s Care will present Middlesbrough’s Performance data to the Board.

The Director of Children’s Care presented the latest You Matter To Us Performance Data.

The information provided had been compiled using the Children’s Services Analysis Tool

(ChAT) based on OFSTED’s inspecting local authority services for children (ILACS) Annex A

dataset (2020)/Inspection Report.

The following were highlighted:

·        82 children were no longer in care

·        Dental checks had increased to 79%

·        89% of visits had taken place

·        NEET – best performing area in the region

The children who were no longer in care had either been adopted, were under special guardianship or a care order or interim care order had been put in place.

It was advised that a working group had been established to look at improving dental checks.

Additional staff and a new Head of Service were in place in Pathways which would provide accurate numbers of pathway plans.

The Interim Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children/Children in Care (Tees Valley) will  provide an update regarding the health of our children looked after.           

Molly Larkin, Designated Nurse for Safeguarding at the Integrated Care Board attended the meeting and introduced herself as she is new to post.  Members were advised that she would be attending future meetings of the You Matter To Us Board and advised that she would provide update reports going forward.

A Member commented on the low attendance at the meeting and reiterated that all members and officers are Corporate Parents.