Agenda item

·         Lisa DuValle. 

An update on the work of the Looked After Children’s Council was submitted highlighting:-

-          Voice and Influence

The LACC were currently meeting for weekly training and development sessions.

They held regular meetings on weekends and evenings to prepare presentations and complete high profile project work.  Up to 15 Looked After and Leaving Care young people had attended meetings at any 1 time during the quarter in question.

Over the past 5 months the LACC had engaged in a variety of Voice and Influence sessions working on team building skills, self-awareness and self-esteem.

-          Annual Peer Consultation Feedback

LACC members had conducted their annual consultation asking 62 Looked After and Leaving Care young people their opinions of the Service they had been provided with over the previous year.  Face-to-face consultations had also taken place as well as visits to local residential accommodation and semi-independent units.  Social Care Managers had been asked to support the process and given the LACC ‘Have Your Say’ form to distribute around the young people they worked with to encourage their voluntary engagement, however, this had had limited success. 

-          Youth Voice Vehicle Overnight Residential

The LACC, UK Youth Parliament and Youth Cabinet had an overnight residential to Habershon House on 23^rd and 24^th July.  As well as team building activities they had collated and analysed the feedback from the above consultation and started to form the basis of their recommendations to improve their Service.

-          Summer Holidays Chill and Chat Activities

Young people had worked together to create a complete summer activity Chill and Chat activity schedule to cover the 6 weeks summer holiday with the aim of giving themselves the opportunity for continuing support, keeping in touch with each other and spending positive time together engaging in fun activities.

-          Healthy Eating on a Budget

A successful bid had been made to Easy P’s to purchase 5 Healthy Eating Life Skills Sessions whereby young people were encouraged to work together to create healthy eating on a budget menus and work in kitchens to cook their own creations.  The group had engaged in 2 of the sessions so far.

-          CSE Ofsted Inspection

2 Ofsted Inspectors had visited LACC to discuss, amongst other things, avenues and experiences of support, feelings and perceptions about the recent findings in the Jay report and media coverage.  4 LACC members chose not to participate.

-          Peer Consultation Feedback

Councillors Beaumont, Lakin and Jane Parfrement had been invited to a meeting where the feedback was presented together with recommendations to improve the Looked After and Leaving Care Service for Rotherham young people.  It was agreed that the suggestions should contribute to the LAC Pledge when it was updated.

-          Children in Care Council (CiCC) Conference

Members had visited Nottingham to take part in the conference which focussed on the Health and Wellbeing of Looked After and Leaving Care young people.  The annual conference drew together LAC Councils from across England to discuss and explore ideas.

-          Youth Voice Vehicle Training Day

The LACC, UK Youth Parliament and Youth Cabinet had worked together as part of the 3 strands of youth democracy in Rotherham which made up the Youth Voice Vehicle.  The training day had involved planning youth democracy projects for the coming year and engaging in team building exercises.

-          Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service

4 young people had represented the LACC at the Service in Rotherham Minster.  They had written a special message and laid their poppy wreath of remembrance on behalf of all looked after and leaving care young people.