It is our shared privilege to introduce this strategy which is a cumulation of conversations with children and young people who are experts in their experience, and with the families, carers and partner agencies who are involved in their journey. It sets out our vision for improving the experience of children in care and care leavers through corporate parenting.
Using a partnership approach, we will remain relentlessly focused on helping keep children and their families together. Our approach will continue to be responsive and respectful and when children and young people do need to come into our care, we will be committed to ensuring they have opportunities to experience:
- A home where they feel loved, valued and nurtured
- Loving and lasting relationships
- A quality education
- Fulfilling work and training opportunities
- Good health
We aim to build on the great progress and achievements made so far (see Appendix 1 for the detail) and continue to strive to be the best corporate parents we can be for our children and young people. We will remain aspirational in everything we do and ensure children, young people and their families’ voices are heard during their care journey with us.
Their views will also help shape future direction and services. We will also continue to build children and young people’s emotional resilience in readiness for their transition into adulthood and beyond.
Nicholas Lakin
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Bernie Brown
Director for Children and Families
Leslie Gill
Head of Children in our Care and Care Leavers
Children in care council and care leavers forum
We are a group of young people who are cared for and have joined together to form the Children in Care Council.
It is important to us that our voice is heard in shaping the services that support us through our care journey. We require support to ensure we are happy, healthy, safe and have access to a good education.
We want those supporting us to share our ambitions and support us to thrive, to join us in celebrating our successes and guide us when we are struggling.
The Corporate Parenting Panel work alongside us and help us to influence positive change through the consultation and action plans we work on together.
Who are corporate parents?
For those children and young people who are unable to live with their parents or guardians, it is our legal duty under the Children Act 1989 to act as corporate parents when they become cared for.
This duty is not just for social workers, it is everyone’s responsibility. For example, professionals working with the child/young person, and everyone who works at the council including all councillors. It is also the responsibility of all our partners such as health, police, education, and housing.
It takes a whole team to support a cared for child/young person and care leaver, not just one person.
Everyone needs to be concerned about the child/young person as if they were their own, and it is important that our partners understand how they too can support our shared corporate parenting responsibilities.
"I would like the same approach to be applied to children in care as any good parenting would involve. Recognising the individual, providing opportunities for holistic developing of social, spiritual, physical, psychological and educational growth as a rounded response." - Staffordshire Foster Carer
“Immensely important and meaningful responsibility for people’s lives - it can’t be a dry paper/business response.” - Staffordshire Care Leaver
Who are the Corporate Parenting Panel?
The Corporate Parenting Panel’s role is to raise awareness and promote a shared responsibility of corporate parenting with all councillors, County Council and partner colleagues.
They are a critical friend to help and challenge the whole system to improve outcomes for our cared for children, young people and care leavers.
The Panel will be working throughout the life of this strategy to raise awareness of corporate parenting so that they can influence colleagues and partners to help address the challenges that are being identified.
Corporate parenting principles
In Staffordshire, we will:
- Make sure children and young people have access to:
- Loving stable homes
- Quality education
- Fulfilling work or training opportunities
- Any other services that they need
- Act in the child's best interest
- Prioritise and promote relationships in our interaction
- Be attachment aware and trauma informed, understanding children's lived experience
- Promote the physical, mental health and wellbeing for children, and build their emotional resilience
- Find creative ways to encourage children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings
- Always celebrate your successes
- Be inspirational and aspirational in planning for our children and young people
- Embed a culture of reflection and learning
- Appropriately prepare children and young people for adulthood and independent living throughout their care journey.
Making it happen
We will support children and young people in our care or leaving care to grow well and live well.
Together with our cared for children/young people, care leavers and their carers, the Corporate Parenting Panel has developed four promises which set out how it will support them and deliver the vision.
A key focus will also be to work with our partners to help them understand their corporate parenting responsibilities and use our influence to make sure our children in care and care leavers receive the services they need at the time they need them.
“Corporate parenting is also about being the voice and the advocate to ensure the child’s wishes, views and feelings are heard, and to also champion ways and strategies for children to have positive experiences throughout their care journey and to achieve better outcomes.” - Registered manager at children's home.
