It is a priority in Warwickshire to improve the outcomes for all children and young people in care through our commitment to them and by putting procedures in place to ensure their voices are heard
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families
Warwickshire County Council has endorsed a unique pledge made to children and young people in care which aims to improve their lives.
The participation of children and young people in care in the development of services will also be promoted through the setting up of the Children in Care Council.
Both these initiatives are a response to the Government White Paper called Care Matters – Time for Change, which issued a number of recommendations to local authorities to address the gaps that exist between the quality of lives of children and young people in care and those who are not.
Children and young people in care in Warwickshire have been involved in this ground-breaking project along with staff from the Rainer Foundation’s What Makes a Difference charity.
The Warwickshire Pledge was presented to the council’s cabinet by Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, and care leavers Mike McKeever, aged 17 from Nuneaton, and Daniel Cherrie, also 17 and from Atherstone.
The pledge includes a series of measures designed to improve the lives of young people, including giving them more choices and involvement in the decisions affecting their futures and access to out-of-hours help from social care staff.
A crucial element in this is using a Corporate Parenting approach to address any shortfalls. This means ensuring that effective arrangements are in place between the teams and services who work with and around children in care.
The Warwickshire Pledge promises:
To care for you and about you and have the same hopes and aspirations and expectations of you that we would have for our own children
To recognise the impact of change in your lives and commit to minimising further disruption and change
To ensure that we really listen to you
To stick with you… and continue to do what we think is right for you even when you do not agree with us.
The document states how young people would like more choice and involvement in decisions about remaining in their local schools and placements, a better understanding of the plans being made for them, and improved opportunities to work.
Children in care also believe regular contact with their social worker or other significant person is important, in addition to access to ‘out of hours’ help. They also asked for more opportunities to prepare better for independence including improved ways of working with schools and colleges so that they are helped and supported to do well.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “Daniel and Mike made an excellent presentation to the cabinet which was well received by councillors.
“It is a priority in Warwickshire to improve the outcomes for all children and young people in care through our commitment to them and by putting procedures in place to ensure their voices are heard.
“Over the past year we have listened to the views of children and young people in care first hand and we now need to encourage them to continue this fabulous work.”
The first meeting of the Children in Care Council is planned for September. It will act as an overview and scrutiny committee for all children in care and leaving care and will help to shape the county council policy for them.