Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Services.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the development of the Care Leavers’ Charter.
 

2.    Approve the proposals set out within the Care Leavers’ Charter, recognising the Council’s commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for Care Leavers.

3.    Agree that the Care Leavers’ Charter progresses to Full Council for endorsement.

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the Care Leavers’ Local Offer and the development of a Care Leavers’ Charter. The Charter set out the commitments and support available to care-experienced young adults.

The Care Leavers’ Charter had been co-produced with care-experienced young people through the Look Ahead participation group and built upon the Council’s Leaving Care Strategy 2024-27 and Care Leaver Local Offer. The Charter was developed to provide a clear statement of the Council’s commitments as a corporate parent and to support care leavers in their transition to adulthood. It reflected the experiences, priorities and aspirations of young people with care experience and focused on practical support relating to accommodation, education, employment, wellbeing, independence and inclusion.

The report highlighted that there were currently more than 600 care leavers aged 16 to 25 supported by the Council and that Ofsted had judged the experiences and progress of care leavers in Rotherham to be good, whilst identifying opportunities for further development around education, skills and housing sufficiency. The Charter sought to strengthen the Council’s corporate parenting offer and complement existing support available through the Local Offer.

The Charter brought together a range of commitments including:

·       Priority access to accommodation

·       Support with independent living

·       Council Tax support

·       Education and employment opportunities including guaranteed interviews for suitable Council vacancies

·       Health and wellbeing support

·       Practical assistance to help young people establish and sustain independent lives

The Charter also reflected feedback from care leavers on the importance of being able to access suitable accommodation, affordable household goods, additional support when moving into a new home, and clear sources of advice and support.

Deputy Leader, Councillor Cusworth, explained that the Charter had been shaped directly by care-experienced young people and represented tangible, realistic and practical commitments that would make a difference to their lives. She emphasised that care leavers often faced the transition to adulthood at a younger age than their peers and noted that wider housing pressures had increased the challenges associated with living independently. She also confirmed that the proposed Charter had been expanded to include eligibility for the Council’s Rothercard scheme up to the age of 25 at the Leader’s suggestion.

Stuart Williams, Service Director for Children’s Social Care, stated that care leavers frequently faced challenges as they navigated adulthood and that the Charter provided clear and practical examples of how the Council, as a corporate parent, would support and ‘scaffold’ young people through that transition. He highlighted that the Charter had been designed by care-experienced young people themselves and reflected the principle of empowering them to shape the support they received.

Councillor Baker-Rogers, Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health welcomed the Charter, describing it as an excellent initiative that would help support care leavers through the transition from childhood to adulthood. She particularly welcomed the co-production of the document with care leavers and the inclusion of a dedicated section relating to health and wellbeing.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the development of the Care Leavers’ Charter.

2.    Approve the proposals set out within the Care Leavers’ Charter, recognising the Council’s commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for Care Leavers.

3.    Agree that the Care Leavers’ Charter progresses to Full Council for endorsement.