A report providing the Committee with an update on the progress made on achieving the actions identified in the BFfC Leaving Care Action Plan 2023/2024.

The Committee received a report providing progress made on achieving the actions identified in the Brighter Futures for Children Leaving Care Action Plan 2023/2024.  This was drawn up in April 2023 in response to a review of the service undertaken by the National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers, Mark Riddell MBE in March 2023. It detailed actions already achieved, those that are being worked on and those that are proving more challenging to progress. The BFfC Leaving Care Service Action Plan 2023-24 was appended to the report at Appendix 1.

The review focussed on: 

·         Corporate Parenting Panel

·         Education, employment, and training

·         Housing

·         Health

·         Transition to adulthood

·         Local offer to care leavers.

The visit identified strengths and areas for improvement and a partnership action plan was implemented.  This ensured that, collectively, BFfC, the Council and the wider partnership were championing and meeting the needs of children in care and care leavers. On the 13 July 2023 the action plan was endorsed by Corporate Parenting Panel, chaired by Councillor Hoskin, and was supported by senior leaders across BFfC and the Council.

Three key areas of activity included:

·         The Corporate Parenting Panel Terms of Reference (ToR) had been updated in partnership with panel members and children in care.

·         Reading Borough Council’s sliding scale of council tax exemptions for care leavers up to the age of 21 would be extended to 25 years (to reflect the corporate parenting duties of the local authority continuing to this age.  The financial impact of the proposal had been included in the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and 2024/2025 budget.

·         A proposal for ‘care experience’ to be recognised as a protected characteristic by Reading Borough Council.

Other actions included consultation with young people who were looked after by BFfC or recent care leavers, increased housing offer for care leavers, developing the Council’s apprenticeship ‘offer’ to care leavers, and a clearer ‘pathway’ for care leavers transitioning to adult social care services.

It was noted that work was ongoing in all areas of the action plan however, some actions were proving more challenging to progress.  These included employing a participation apprentice /champions on a full-time basis in the participation unit or leaving care team. This was to help drive the local offer from each key partner agency and engage with care leavers aged up to 25 years and represent their views. Due to funding implications this was providing difficult to prioritise.  Also, obtaining free prescriptions, dental and eye care for care leavers up to 25 years was not able to be funded by health partners.  It was noted that this would be explored further at the Corporate Parenting Panel in January 2024.

Actions in the BFfC Leaving Care Service Action Plan 2023/24 were being systematically addressed and reasonable progress was being achieved in most areas.  However current financial pressures placed restrictions on what could realistically be achieved in some areas at this time. Support would be sought from community partners in the hope of broadening some aspects of the care leavers’ ‘offer’.

The Plan would be reviewed on a bi-monthly basis with relevant managers in BFfC and the Participation Officer.

It was agreed that an update on the action plan be provided on an annual basis to the Committee.

Resolved –  

(1)  The progress made on the leaving care action plan and current priorities be noted.

(2)  That an update be provided to the ACE Committee on an annual basis.