The Corporate Parenting Board of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, to discuss various aspects of supporting children in care and care leavers. Key decisions included the approval of the constitution, membership, and terms of reference for the Board for the upcoming year, as well as the approval of recommendations concerning the PayPoint payment service, the Mental Health Pathways Directory, Care Leaver Month, and the Care Leavers' Survey.

Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference for the Corporate Parenting Board

The Board reviewed and approved its constitution, membership, and terms of reference for the 2025/26 municipal year. This formalised the structure of the Board, outlining its purpose and the roles of its members. The constitution ensures that the Council remains committed to excellent standards of corporate parenting, aiming to improve long-term outcomes for children in care and care leavers. The terms of reference were reviewed annually, with the Board meeting every two months or as otherwise agreed.

PayPoint Payment Service

Recommendations were approved regarding the PayPoint payment service, which is used by Lancashire County Council for care-experienced young people. The discussion focused on the current payment service and any proposed changes or improvements.

Mental Health Pathways Directory

The Board received an overview of the Mental Health Pathways Directory. This directory aims to provide a clear route for young people to access mental health support services.

Care Leaver Month and Care Leavers' Survey

The Board approved recommendations related to Care Leaver Month, an initiative to raise awareness and support for care leavers. Additionally, the results of the 2025 Care Leavers' Survey were presented and discussed. This survey provides valuable feedback from care leavers on their experiences and needs, helping to shape future services and support.

Participation Team Update

Young people from Lancashire's Children in Care Council (LINX) and the Care Leavers Forum (CLF) provided an update on their activities and achievements over the past four years. They highlighted the positive changes made to improve participation and ensure young people's voices are heard within the Council's services. This included discussions on the golden rules of participation, the Lundy model, and the Get Involved Process. The young people also shared positive changes, such as the impact of Lifelong Links and the Council's commitment to supporting care leavers into employment.

District Team Update - Pendle

An overview was provided on the situation for care-experienced young people at a district level in Pendle. This update aimed to highlight specific local initiatives and challenges.

Education, Employment and Training

Vanessa Nice, from Education Improvement at Lancashire County Council, presented an overview of Education, Employment, and Training (EET) for children in care and care leavers. The presentation included data on key achievements in 2023/24, next steps for 2025, and relevant data from 2024. The Board noted that work was ongoing to create a dashboard for live information.

State of the Nation Foster Care Survey 2024

Megan Astley, from Safeguarding, Inspection and Audit at Lancashire County Council, presented an overview of the State of the Nation Foster Care Summary Report 2024. The survey, conducted by The Fostering Network, gathers evidence on the state of foster care across the UK. Discussions included key findings, the quality of support for carers, financial support, and suggestions for improving foster care. A query was raised regarding staff turnover within Fostering Teams, with confirmation that turnover of qualified social work posts is below the national average.

Fostering and Private Fostering Annual Reports 2023/2024

Catherine Gill, from the Fostering and Adoption Service, presented summaries of the Private Fostering and Lancashire's Fostering Annual reports for 2023/2024. The presentations detailed what private fostering entails, its importance, and the progress and future goals for both services. Board members were encouraged to promote Lancashire Fostering, with information on incentive fees for referrals and suggestions for wider promotion, such as at football games.

Corporate Parenting Strategy

Andreas Feldhaar, from the Permanence Service, presented the progress made against the Corporate Parenting Strategy 2022/2026 and initiated forward planning for the 2026/2030 Strategy. Board members engaged in group discussions to identify achievements, what has worked well, areas for improvement, and future priorities. The outcomes of these discussions will inform future Board meetings and the development of the next Corporate Parenting Strategy.

Any Other Business

Members were asked to share information about a government program for Holiday Activities and Food, which provides activities and meals for children and young people during non-term time holidays. Approximately 160 providers across Lancashire will deliver these programs.

The next meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board was scheduled for Wednesday, 23 July 2025, at 1:30 pm, which will be a young people's takeover meeting.