Children and young people in care in Central Bedfordshire have told an independent review that they feel safe, listened to and supported – with a new plan now agreed to build on that experience and make support more consistent for every child.
The Local Government Association (LGA) spoke directly to children and young people as part of an independent review of our role as a corporate parent – the responsibility we have to look after and support children in our care and young people leaving care.
Young people spoke positively about the relationships they have with the professionals who support them and said they feel encouraged to achieve their ambitions.
The review found committed staff and leaders, strong partnership working and that we value the voices of children and young people.
The review also identified where support can be strengthened further, and our Executive has now approved an improvement plan in response.
For children and young people, this will mean a greater focus on consistent and trusting relationships with the people supporting them, including better handovers when workers change and work to reduce the number of changes children experience.
It will also mean giving children and young people a stronger say in the services they receive. Their feedback, experiences and views will be brought together more systematically and used to influence decisions about services and support.
There will also be a greater focus on opportunities for young people leaving care, including access to employment, apprenticeships and work experience, helping them build independence and plan for their future.
Councillor Gareth Mackey, our Executive Member for Children and Families, said:
The most important part of this review is what children and young people themselves have told us – that they feel safe, listened to and supported by the people around them.
That is what being a good corporate parent should be about. Every child deserves people who believe in them, relationships they can rely on and the opportunity to achieve what they want from life.
The review tells us we have strong foundations, but it also gives us a clear challenge to make sure that good experience is consistent for every child.
That means reducing unnecessary changes in the professionals supporting children, listening properly to what young people tell us and acting on it, and creating more opportunities for care experienced young people as they move into adulthood.
We want children in our care to know that their council is ambitious for them and will stand alongside them as they build their future.
The improvement plan also makes corporate parenting a stronger responsibility across our organisation. All councillors will be invited to undertake corporate parenting training, with the responsibility also built into the induction of new councillors. There will be more opportunities for councillors to meet and hear directly from children and young people in care.
We commissioned the LGA review voluntarily, as an independent assessment of our corporate parenting arrangements and to identify where further improvements could be made.