Issue - meetings

Purpose

The purpose of the report is to inform the Cabinet Member of the reviewed Care Experienced Local Offer as seen in Appendix 1 and to seek approval for the offer.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member:

a)    Approve the revised local offer for our care experienced young people, and that the offer is adopted by the Council.

b)    That the offer is reviewed every 2 years.

The Head of Service, Adolescents and Young Adults, introduced the report and informed members that approval was sought for the Care Experienced Local Offer set out in Appendix 1 attached to the report.  The local offer includes details of the services and support that will assist care experienced young adults in, or moving to, adulthood and independent living that the local authority provides in relation to health and wellbeing, relationships, education and training, employment, accommodation and participation in society.  It was intended that the Local Offer will be reviewed again in 2026.

Members' Comments

Councillors welcomed the report and thanked officers for their work to bring the offer together.  Councillor Horton commented that during the Covid pandemic she had watched a series of podcasts by DfE including one story about a young care leaver saying that the support they had been receiving had come to an abrupt end when they went to university, and that they had nowhere to stay during the Christmas holidays.  Councillor Suzy Horton noted that it was important that all the extended care parents usually give their children should also be made available to care leavers as they enter young adulthood.

DECISIONS - the Cabinet Member:

a)   Approved the revised local offer for our care experienced young people and agreed that the offer is adopted by the Council.

b)   Agreed that the offer is reviewed every 2 years.