The Corporate Parenting Panel of Lincolnshire Council met on Wednesday 29 October 2025 to discuss its work programme and to engage with young people about their experiences. The panel was also scheduled to review reports and updates from the previous year on topics such as fostering services and the independent reviewing service. The meeting was not open to the public.

Where We Live

During the meeting, the panel planned to engage with young people and those who support them to better understand their experiences living in housing, fostering, and supported living placements. The theme of 'Where We Live' relates to sufficiency in housing, fostering and supported living placements.

Corporate Parenting Panel Work Programme

The panel was scheduled to review its work programme to ensure that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The CPP Current Work Programme included the following items:

• A cross-cutting theme of participation
• 'Keeping Well' (Health [Physical and Mental] and Wellbeing)
• 'Where We Live' (Sufficiency [Housing, fostering and supported living placements])
• 'Our Aspirations for the Future' (Education Training, Employment and careers)
• 'My Challenges and How I Keep Safe' (Criminal Justice ad Interventions)

The panel was also scheduled to consider programming the Private Fostering Annual Report and Statement of Purpose 2025-26, and the Lincolnshire Virtual School Annual Report for the Academic Year 2025-26.

Previous Minutes

The panel was scheduled to approve the minutes from the previous meeting held on 4 September 2025. At that meeting, Councillor M I C Christopher declared a personal interest as he had relatives that worked in Lincolnshire County Council Children's Services.

During the 4 September meeting, Julie Vincent, Team Manager – Quality and Standards, presented a report inviting the Panel to consider Lincolnshire Children in Care and Care Leavers Council (Voices for Choices) 2024-25 annual report.

Bridie Fletcher, Senior Commissioning Officer, presented a report inviting the Panel to consider the 2024–25 annual update to the action plan for the Sufficiency Strategy 2023–27. It was noted that Millennium Lodge, a national resource offering 28 beds with a mix of youth custody and welfare secure placements, would be located in Sleaford.

Nicola Brangam, Head of Service – Fostering and Adoption, presented a report inviting the Panel to review and endorse the Fostering Service Annual Report 2024– 25, and to note the Fostering Service Statement of Purpose 2025–26.

Julie Vincent, Team Manager – Quality and Standards, presented a report inviting the Panel to consider and comment on the Independent Reviewing Service Annual Report 2024–25.

The Assistant Director – Children's Safeguarding presented a report inviting the Panel to consider the Regulation 44 Independent Visitors Six-Monthly Report. Regulation 44 requires that Independent Visitors fulfil their statutory obligations by visiting Local Authority children's homes on a monthly basis¹.