The Corporate Parenting Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 7 May 2026, to review its annual report and discuss key areas of work concerning children in care and care leavers. The meeting agenda includes updates on life story work, the NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) Task and Finish Group, and the Timeout card initiative.

Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report

The board is set to consider its annual report for 2025/2026, which details the progress made in fulfilling its corporate parenting pledges. The report highlights achievements in areas such as increasing mainstream foster homes, improving educational outcomes for looked-after children, and enhancing emotional and physical health support. It also outlines the priorities for the upcoming year, including further recruitment of foster carers and ensuring fair support for care leavers. The report notes that Worcestershire County Council reunified Children's Services in October 2024, making this the first annual report since the services returned to the council.

The report defines a corporate parent as the collective responsibility of the entire council, its employees, and partner agencies to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for looked-after children and care leavers. This involves asking: would this be good enough for my child? The report details the board's pledges, which are commitments made to children and young people in care and care leavers.

Key headlines from the past year include progress on the NEET strategy, with a dedicated Employment Personal Advisor now in post and an expanded apprenticeship offer. The Virtual School has reported improvements in educational outcomes for looked-after children, with attendance at its highest level since 2021-22. The report also addresses the physical and emotional health of looked-after children, noting that Worcestershire Care Leavers do not currently receive free prescriptions, an issue that has been escalated. The transformation plan for WCC Fostering, aimed at increasing the number of mainstream and kinship fostering households, is also highlighted. Furthermore, the report covers the work of Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) in overseeing care plans and the activities of the Youth Voice Team in ensuring children's perspectives are central to service design. The Care Leavers' local offer is being revised in collaboration with young people, with a focus on housing, education, and mental health support. The report also details the leisure opportunities available to children and young people, including partnerships with Malvern Theatres and Worcester City Football Club.

The report provides a profile of children in care and care leavers, indicating that the number of looked-after children in Worcestershire has remained stable at 1041. It details the age, gender, and ethnicity of these children, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities. The report also outlines where looked-after children live, noting that while the majority are in foster care, an increasing number are in residential children's homes, with a percentage placed outside of Worcestershire. The care leaver cohort, aged 18-25, is also detailed, with key performance indicators on pathway plans, contact, suitable accommodation, and engagement in education, employment, or training.

Life Story Work

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to discussing Life Story Work, which aims to help children understand their own life stories. The report indicates that while Ofsted has recognised the high quality of this work where it is completed, there is a significant gap in its provision. Out of 1036 children in care, only 198 (19.1%) have Life Story Work recorded. The report highlights that children in stable foster care placements and those who have been in care longer are more likely to have this work done, whereas children in residential care, those earlier in their care journey, and those subject to Special Guardianship Orders are less likely to benefit. The average time in care for children with Life Story Work recorded is 5.8 years, compared to 2.6 years for those without it, suggesting that the work is often started too late. For children with Special Guardianship Orders, only 13% have Life Story Work recorded, while 78% of adopted children have a completed Life Story Book. The report proposes steps to strengthen management oversight, including embedding the work in supervision, strengthening Team Manager accountability, and introducing routine audits.

The report defines Life Story Work as encompassing personalised books, later life letters, and social stories to help children understand their past, identity, and future. It is considered crucial for supporting identity development, enabling children to share their stories, and promoting security and permanence. The report also references the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Children Act 1989 and 2004, which establish legal responsibilities for local authorities to provide children with information about their history. Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) also provide oversight of Life Story Work, checking materials at statutory reviews and escalating concerns where necessary.

NEET Task and Finish Group Report

The board will receive a verbal update on the work of the NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) Task and Finish Group. This group has been focusing on the effectiveness of the NEET Strategy and has met with key officers and visited the Careers Hub at the Hive, Worcester. The group is considering recommendations such as improving the timeliness of discussions with young people about accommodation, increasing the availability of short courses, providing dedicated key workers for care leavers, and engaging employers willing to accept care leavers. They are also looking at assessing younger children to identify those likely to become NEET and assigning dedicated teachers. The group's recommendations will be presented to the board upon completion of its work.

Timeout Card Update

A verbal update is also scheduled regarding the Timeout card initiative. This initiative, suggested by a care-experienced young person, involves the use of traffic light cards during review meetings to help children express their feelings and participation. The report on Independent Reviewing Officer oversight indicates that all IROs have these cards and feedback on their use is continually received.

Work Plan

The board will review its future work plan, which includes upcoming topics such as the Annual IRO Report, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and actions to prevent young people becoming looked after, post-25 care leaver support, and the Care Leavers Annual Report.