Agenda item

To receive a report from the Corporate Director - People.

Introduction

The Chairman invited Cllr Laura Mayes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education, and Skills, to present a report seeking endorsement and adoption of the new Corporate Parenting Strategy for 2023-2026 along with other updates from the Corporate Parenting Panel.

Cllr Mayes thanked all those involved in shaping the strategy, particular young person involvement. She highlighted the promise to young people as part of the strategy and moved the proposals of the report, seconded by Cllr Peter Hutton.

A poem as set out in Appendix 2 of the report was read out by a number of elected Members in the Chamber.

Group Leaders

Comments were then made by Group Leaders as follows:

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of the Council, reflected on the importance of ensuring the council was delivering outcomes for children in care and care leavers, for example to support them in further education, employment and training.

Cllr Gordon King, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, supported adoption of the proposed strategy, and thanked officers for a thoughtful and well-presented piece of work. He particularly endorsed the proposal to explore pursuing care experience as a protected characteristic, noting how it could define and influence a person.

Cllr Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, stated his support for all the proposals.

Debate

During the debate, Cllr Peter Hutton, Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Panel, thanked officers and particularly the Youth Voice team for their work on the report and for the service.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chairman of the Children’s Select Committee, confirmed the report and strategy had been reviewed by a task group of the Committee. They had been impressed with the report, especially it being much more accessible than many council documents, particularly for young people.

There being no other comments, to conclude debate Cllr Mayes stated the council would look carefully at the matter of care experience as a protected characteristic, making sure it was something the young people would want, and that there would be no unintended consequences, and that if adopted in future that it would lead to specific action.

It was then,

Resolved:

1)    That Council approves the revised Corporate Parenting Strategy 2023 – 2026 attached as Appendix 1 to the report;

2)    That approval is given for Wiltshire Council to sign up to the National Care Leavers Covenant;

3)    That all Councillors as Corporate Parents pledge their commitment to the poem (attached as Appendix 2 to the report) to the children and young people in care as recommended by the Corporate Parenting Panel;

4)    That the Council commit to the Corporate Parenting Panel exploring care experience as a protected characteristic and progress this to put in place policies and programmes which promote better outcomes for care experienced young people and adults, with a full proposal returning to Full Council for approval.

In accordance with the constitution there was a recorded vote. 

Votes for the motion (77) 

Votes against the motion (1) 

Votes in abstention (2) 

Details of the vote are attached as an appendix to the minutes.