APPENDIX 1
CORPORATE PARENTING POLICY GUIDANCE
FOR ELECTED MEMBERS
INTRODUCTION
The Executive approved the Corporate Parenting Policy in May
this year. The Policy sets out the Council’s vision, and statement of intent
(attached). It outlines the leadership role in relation to the duty of Members
to act as good corporate parents, in particular to those children and young
people in the care of the Local Authority, but also to all children and young
people on the Island. This includes improving the outcomes for children by
adopting a cross cutting approach across the Council.
IMPLEMENTATION
Since May 2004 Officers have been completing a template of monthly
statistics on 14 Key Performance Areas, in relation to corporate parenting, and
reporting to the Children’s Portfolio Holder and the Chief Executive on a
bi-monthly basis. This is to ensure that the work and performance of the
Children and Family Services section is monitored, scrutinised and governed.
All Looked After Children have been sent a letter informing
them of their Elected Member for the ward in which they are being cared for.
Members also have been sent a letter informing them of the percentage of Looked
After Children currently resident in their ward (updated on a regular basis)
IF A LOOKED AFTER CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON APPROACHES YOU AS
THEIR COUNCILLOR
Key Message
Implicit in the Policy is the message that we all have a
duty to respond to any looked after child or young person, as they were our own
son or daughter.
Looked After Child Status
Children and young people in care often feel stigmatised by
being “looked after”. If you are approached please treat them as you would any
other child.
Confidentiality
Children and young people come into care for all sorts of
reasons. Usually it is because of their vulnerability of being risk from
themselves, their parents or others.
If a child or young person tells you that they are in
danger, this must not be held in confidence, the child or young person must be
told that this information will be passed on to their social worker.
It would be best to avoid making immediate commitments to a
child or young person that sets up expectations without checking with the
worker or team involved. It may be for instance that the child or young person
asks you to help them have more or less contact with their parents. There may
be an order in place from the Court, which cannot be varied without going back
to Court. You made need to tell the child or young person that you will get
back to them, or that they can come back to you at an agreed time.
Legal status
Not only do children come into care for different reasons
but the legal basis for their care can also vary. Children and young people can
enter our care with the voluntary agreement of their parents, under Section 17
of the Children Act 1989, in this case any decision made about them is made
with their parent’s approval, in particular the parent or parents with parental
responsibility.
It may be that their case has or is subject to court
proceeding resulting in interim or full orders. In which case different legal
rules apply. Therefore you may need to contact a professional to be sure that
any suggestion you make is legal.
Permission from the child or young person
A child or young person looked after should be able to tell
you who is their allocated worker, it is advisable to seek their permission for
you to contact their worker, or any other person e.g. teacher, youth worker
etc. The exception to this is if they inform you they are in danger or at risk
of harm.
Included in the letter you receive regarding the percentage
of looked after children is a chart explaining the Children & Family
section’s structure and a staffing list. Children & Family’s staff have
been informed and are open to you contacting them.
Complaints
A child or young person may come to you with a complaint
about how they feel they have been treated or dealt with. It is important that
the child or young person is directed to use our complaints procedure (leaflet
attached). You may want to support the child or young person through the
process, or to direct them to Jane Davidson our Children Rights and
Participation Officer (525790) who can put them in touch with the Youth trust
who runs our advocacy service.
If the child or young person does not want to use the
complaints process or you are concerned about the way this child or young
person seems to have been treated or worked with by the service your first port
of call is Mary Brimson Service Manager Jointly Commissioned and Looked After
Children (525790)
Finally it is important that we work together, Members and
staff, in partnership in the best interests of the child or young person.
Prue Grimshaw Head of Children & Family Services
October 2004