The Corporate Parenting Panel met on Monday 18 March 2024 to review updates on services for children looked after and care-experienced young people. The panel heard reports on the Participation Service, Corporate Parenting Service performance, advocacy services provided by Coram Voice, the IRO Annual Report, the Virtual School's performance, and health services for children looked after. All reports were noted by the panel.

Update from Participation Service and Care Experienced Young People

The Panel received an update on the achievements of the Participation Service in 2024. These included connecting 17 young people with free gym memberships, delivering an experts by experience training session for social workers, and hosting three events for Children Looked After (CLA), including an outing for care leavers aged 18 and over. The service also rolled out Transport for London's 18-25 Care Leaver Discount to over 250 young adults and began offering NHS North-West London's free prescriptions incentive.

A Care-Experienced Celebration event was held in February 2024, recognising young people for achievements in school attendance, resilience, academic success, sporting achievements, curiosity, and being role models. The event featured activities such as a silent disco, balloon modelling, face painting, arts and crafts, a photo booth, and a pizza van. Discussions highlighted that these events were oversubscribed, with around 30 children attending, and were organised for different age groups with varied activities. The Panel expressed appreciation for the team's dedication in organising these events.

Update and Performance for Corporate Parenting Service

The Corporate Parenting Service presented an update covering its Performance Scorecard, the demographic profile of Children Looked After (CLA), timeliness of visits and supervisions, Practice Week, and the Pan London Care Leaver Compact.

The report noted an increase of 9 young people with at least one missing episode in the last quarter, bringing the total to 30 CLA with at least one missing episode in the year. The panel requested further information on missing children, including the speed of return home interviews and a risk analysis for those who go missing.

Regarding the performance of visits and supervisions, 80% of CLA had been visited within four weeks. The service is focusing on increasing the completion of supervisions within the required timescale, aiming for 100%. Members also requested additional analysis of pathway plans and care plans, including reasons for outdated plans and the duration for which they have not been updated.

Harrow held its inaugural Practice Week in March 2024, featuring care-experienced young people interviewing senior council leaders, including the Managing Director, Leader of the Council, Lead Member for Children's Services, and the Director of Children's Service. This initiative was seen as important for developing and promoting Corporate Parenting Duties across the council. Strategic leaders are committed to improving leaving care services in line with the corporate parenting principles of the Children and Social Work Act (2017), and key actions from Practice Week will be summarised and shared.

Update from Coram Voice

The Panel heard from the Children's Rights Services Manager at Coram Voice, a group of charities focused on advocacy for children and young people. The advocacy service aims to empower young people to ensure their rights are respected and their wishes and feelings are heard in decisions affecting them. The advocacy is described as independent, confidential, and child-led.

Feedback from children using the service was largely positive, with comments including increased confidence, learning to be assertive, and feeling heard by their advocate. In Harrow, 22 young people aged between 6 and 23 have received advocacy, with 9 identifying as disabled and 15 as male. The service also includes independent visiting, which continues until a child's 21st birthday. Currently, there are 4 children and 7 volunteers on the waiting list to be matched, 9 volunteers are nearing the end of their onboarding process, and 14 new volunteer applications have been received since October 2023.

IRO Annual Report

The Interim Head of Service Quality Assurance presented the Independent Reviewing Officer's (IRO) annual report for CLA in Harrow. In 2022/2023, the number of CLA ranged from 179 to 195. A total of 542 reviews were conducted, a slight decrease of 3.7% from the previous year.

Key statistics from the report indicated that 8.6% of CLA were under one year old, and 39% were over 16. 78.4% of children and young people over four participated in their reviews, with less than 10% not participating. 76% of social worker visits took place within the required timescale, and 85% of CLA had up-to-date Health Assessments at the time of their review. All CLA had up-to-date Personal Education Plans at the time of their review.

Virtual School Performance Update

The Headteacher of Harrow Virtual School presented the performance update for CLA. The report highlighted the Drawing and Talking therapeutic intervention, a 12-session programme where young people draw and talk to process emotions. Positive outcomes reported include increased self-esteem, better social connections, reduced anxiety, and improved emotional resilience.

For Year 11 students, 40% were predicted to achieve five or more GCSE passes, and nearly half were predicted to pass at least one GCSE. 47% of students were predicted to achieve a good grade in English. Seven Year 11 students have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The report also noted a clear pathway for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with two young people securing apprenticeship posts. The NEET figures reduced from 21 in January 2024 to 19 by the end of February 2024.

Update and Performance on Health for Children Looked After

The Named Nurse for Children Looked After (CLA) presented the key performance indicators for health assessments. The report indicated that late requests were the main reason for health assessments being conducted outside of timescales. 7 out of 12 requests for Initial Health Assessments and 15 out of 32 requests for Review Health Assessments were received outside of their respective timescales. However, a significant proportion of these late requests were still completed within the required timescales.

A case study was shared about a young person who arrived in the UK from a war-torn country, having experienced significant trauma. Health assessments were conducted with care, and the case was referred to social workers, a key worker, and the Red Cross. The young person felt supported and maintained regular contact with their social worker. The Panel acknowledged the importance of inter-departmental and inter-organisational collaboration in supporting vulnerable young people.

All reports were noted by the Panel. The meeting concluded at 8:15 pm.