Minutes:
The chair introduced the theme for the meeting. Steve Chaplin, 16+ Service Manager, (Children's and Adults' Services) presented the item with power point slides.
Summary
Steve referred to The Children and Social Care Act 2017 concerning looked after children and the seven principles, outlined below:
Local offer for care leavers
A local authority in England must publish information about:
· Services which the local authority offers for care leavers as a result of its functions under the Children Act 1989.
· The other services which the local authority offers that may assist care leavers in, or in preparing for, adulthood and independent living.
Extending personal adviser support to all care leavers to age 25
· The Children & Social Work Act 2017 introduced a new duty on local authorities, to provide personal adviser (PA) support to all care leavers up to age 25, if they want this support.
· Under previous legislation, local authorities were required to provide care leavers with support from a PA until they reached 21. With that support continuing up to age 25 if a care leaver was engaged in education or training. However, this support was not available to care leavers aged over 21 who were not in education, training or employment.
The committee noted the corporate parenting principles which local authorities are required to do:
1. Act in the best interests, and promote the physical and mental health and well-being, of those children and young people.
2. Encourage those children and young people to express their views, wishes and feelings.
3. Take into account the views, wishes and feelings of those children and young people.
4. Help those children and young people gain access to, and make the best use of, services provided by the local authority and its relevant partners.
5. Promote high aspirations, and seek to secure the best outcomes, for those children and young people.
6. Support children and young people to be safe, and for stability in their home lives, relationships and education or work.
7. Prepare those children and young people for adulthood and independent living.
Southwark’s local offer for Care Leavers:
· Their own Pathway plan
· Being heard
· Support with identity
· Support with housing
· Support with education
· Support to find employment or training
· Support with mental and physical health
· Support if in custody
· Support with relationships.
Link to Southwark Careleavers information: https://southwarkcareleavers.co.uk
· Council tax exemption up to the age of 25
· Pre-tenancy accommodation offer
· Priority bidding for Southwark tenancies
· Southwark leisure pass.
Data – nature of support requested:
· Enquiries regarding childcare – 10%
· Housing /bidding – 34%
· Payment of leaving care grant – 14%
· Support required with ID documents – 14%
· Risk of homelessness – 14%
· Council tax enquiries – 14%
Care Leaver Independence Hub:
· There is no limit to the number of times a young person can approach for support
· Short term, focused work
· Support for care leavers up to and over 25 (corporate parent for life) Pathway plan completed when required
· A reach out drop in
· Allocated to a full time personal advisor in mainstream teams if longer work is required
· Meet the team’ sessions
· Support from experienced practitioners.
Southwark’s leaving care independence hub:
· PA allocated for long term involvement
· Agreed tasks are carried out as agreed
· A pathway plan (or parts thereof) is completed if necessary
· An initial consultation takes place to discuss needs
· Young person contacts the service for support.
Tina Francis, 16+ Service Manager outlined information about the care leaver independence hub:
· A personal advisor allocated to a young person who then works with them for up to 12 weeks
· Support includes short-term focus work / pathway plan
· The council use outside agencies and partners to reach experience workers that provide advice to young people
· A breakdown of data (1 April 2022) was provided – it showed previous involvement of young people that worked with advocates and did partnership work
· Reach out/ drop-in provision and support
· Most referrals relate to housing or support for housing
· Link to housing and issue around homelessness, or if a young person (YP) has arrears, also deal with care leavers from other local authorities
· Noted that 10% of enquiries related to corporate children – which involved childcare options
· The age of YP return back - was 22 years, the officer stated care leavers support should not end at 21 years
· Reach out drop in offer – ensure that YP get a wide range of advice or specialist advice, which include weekly drop-ins - (job, training and support) also involvement of charities in the community
· Nurse drop-in for YP to refer themselves if it relates to their health
· Emotional well-being
· Future Men Drop in – Support and advocacy for young men/fathers
· Gym sessions available on a Friday
· Sessions come together to combat loneliness.
Case studies:
Name: Mary
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Reason for returning for support: Housing condition issues, rent arrears and pregnancy.
Support provided included:
· Referred to specialist housing support for consultation with experienced practitioner for housing
· Provided details of discretionary rent payment scheme to assist with rent arrears
· Referred to the family nurse partnership/early help for support with pregnancy planning
· Advised re resolution procedure with housing due to concerns with property maintenance
· Referred to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) drop in for advice on claim
Outcome
· Successfully accessed benefits advice
· Successfully accessed advice from early help around healthy pregnancy.
· Intervention from independence hub had escalated the housing concerns and compensation offered via the housing association
· Was in regular contact with personal advisor to support with ongoing housing issues.
Name: Jack
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Reason for returning for support: Support required for EET advice, gym pass.
Support provided included:
· Appointment made to discuss employment, education and training (EET) options
· Gym pass renewed and given to Jack
· Provided Jack with independence hub information, reach out drop in sessions, and local offer link.
Outcome
· Experienced practitioner for EET continues to offer open-ended support to Jack around identifying courses that could help him train as a plumber
· Renewed Jack’s leisure pass to keep himself healthy.
Name: John
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Reason for returning for support: Access to records, disability, housing, finance, external agency support.
Support provided included:
· Contacted information governance team and supported ‘access to files’ request
· Personal advisor supported John initially with reviewing his files in sensitive manner
· Signposted John to advocacy services for the blind as he suffers with his sight
· Liaised with housing association regarding a planned move
· Found Southwark bidding number to progress housing
· Referred to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) drop in to ensure he was accessing all entitlements.
Support/action:
· Contacted information governance team and supported ‘access to files’ request
· Personal advisor supported John initially with reviewing his files in a sensitive manner
· Signposted John to advocacy services for the blind as he suffers with his sight
· Liaised with housing association regarding a planned move
· Found Southwark bidding number to progress housing
· Referred to DWP drop in to ensure he had access to all entitlements.
Outcome
· Southwark (dormant) bidding number found, and John would soon be bidding for a Southwark tenancy
· PIP application processed to provide extra financial support
· A specialist worker provided to help progress support to John
· Remains in regular contact with the independence hub team.
After the presentations the following was highlighted:
· The council acknowledged concerns regarding housing for young people and were actively working on the issue
· Provide training for job interviews
· The ethnicity of young people and contact with their own families and providing extra support particularly when they have a criminal record
· The response was young people that came out of custody were allocated a personal advisor and all specialised skills were available to support them
· All the necessary data on a young person’s ethnicity and background would be on the system. Arrangements would be made to ensure they were connected to their families, local community or special guardian and carer
· Dechaun Malcolm (children rights officer) advised he would show a film at a future committee about the work involved in connecting young people to their families and identifying those that had no family connection
· GP access and health – the difficulties a young person had to see a GP
· Care leaver should have extended time with GP
· Officers agreed to use appropriate wording for special/extra support given to care leavers via GP access
· Employment: Apprenticeships, training and job opportunities – officers felt more support needed to be given to care leavers, so they have an opportunity to join large organisations. The government should be releasing guidance on this, so that care leavers are shortlisted or ring fenced for jobs.
· The above issue on employment was raised at the scrutiny sub-committee responsible for employment
The committee suggested inviting Southwark’s chief executive to a future corporate parenting committee meeting.