Corporate Parenting Forum
The Corporate Parenting Forum closely monitors how Sutton Council looks after its children in care.
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The Corporate Parenting Forum
Corporate Parenting is a term used to refer to the collective responsibility of the Council and statutory partners as defined by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015, to provide the best care and protection for children and young people who are in public care. Effective corporate parenting will need the commitment from all Council employees and elected Members and a council wide approach. The Corporate Parenting Forum closely monitors how Sutton Council looks after its children in care, ensuring the Council acts as a responsible corporate parent.
Children in care and care leavers are invited to the meetings to share their views and wishes. There's a system in place to ensure that what they say is heard and acted upon.
Responsibilities
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To examine how the whole Council and partner agencies use their corporate parenting responsibilities to improve the life chances of all children in care and care leavers (use data, feedback, and reports).
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To make sure there are good joint working arrangements between council departments and partner agencies. We scrutinise arrangements for children in care and care leavers, and hold operational services to account.
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To take account of direct experiences of children and young people, parents of children in care, care leavers and foster carers. To have a measurable impact on policies and services for children in care and care leavers.
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To make sure that children in care and care leavers have access to information about their welfare and participation rights and what they can expect from the Council, including when they are placed out-of-borough.
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To make sure that children in care and care leavers have access to appropriate adult support/guidance through advocacy and mentoring that is a benefit to them; and that this is targeted to ensure a greater engagement with different groups of children in care and care leavers.
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To maintain a strategic overview of new developments, initiatives, plans, policies and strategies that impact on children in care and care leavers.
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To review commissioning activities in relation to placements for children in care and care leavers to ensure maximum efficiencies and quality.
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To review commissioning activity in relation to supported and semi-independent accommodation for young people in care and care leavers, including out-of borough placements.
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To influence practice by the promotion of clear expectations of good professional practice and service delivery.
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To refer matters which warrant further investigation or action to other Council Committees and the Local Safeguarding Children Board as appropriate.
Activity of the Corporate Parenting Forum
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To develop, monitor and review a multi-agency strategy for children in care and care leavers.
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To regularly assess and make recommendations about relevant performance indicators. These include key indicators for education, health, placement stability, child review participation, children going missing and offending in each meeting.
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To regularly assess and make recommendations about the effectiveness of services to children in care and care leavers. We look at lots of data including professionals' attendance at statutory reviews, pathway planning and return home interviews for children looked after who go missing.
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To regularly assess and make recommendations about the needs of care leavers , including employment, further education, training and housing.
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To assess regular audits of the effectiveness of LAC and leaving care services.
Membership
Lead Member for Children, Families and Education (Chair); 3 (minimum) other Members, Director of Children’s Services (DCS), Director Children's Social Care & Safeguarding (LBS); Head of Service, Corporate Parenting (LBS); Head of Service, Quality Assurance(LBS); Designated Nurse for Safeguarding/ Designated nurse for Children Looked After (ICS); Head of Housing; Head of Virtual School Sutton; Participation Officer; Housing, Sutton Foster Care Association Representatives, Sutton Children in Care Council Representative(s)
Meetings are held six times a year for 2 hours per meeting