Issue - meetings

The Corporate Parenting Board Annual report summarises the work on the Board over the last year, outlines progress against the strategy and sets out the priorities for the coming year 2025-26.

Background:

The Corporate Parenting Board Annual report summarised the work on the Board over the last year, outlined progress against the strategy and set out the priorities for the coming year 2025-26.

The Annual Report was a way of demonstrating engagement and commitment to the Council’s corporate parenting responsibilities, as set out in the Children and Social Work Act 2017 which defined for the first time in law the responsibility of corporate parents to ensure, as far as possible, secure, nurturing and positive experiences for children in the Council’s care and for care leavers.

In 2025, the Government had expanded corporate parenting responsibilities through amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. These changes placed a new legal duty on all government departments and public bodies including NHS bodies, Ofsted, schools, and the Youth Justice Board, to actively promote the wellbeing and life opportunities of children in care and care leavers up to age 25.

The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Councillor Coombs, supported by Councillor Joy, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decision:

The Council noted the progress made against the Corporate Parenting Strategy as set out in the attached Annual Report.