Corporate Parenting
The Corporate Parenting service is responsible for children in care and the 16+ service. Its goal is to address the individual needs of these children and young people, so they achieve the best outcomes and are supported towards successful adult lives.
We have a Corporate Parenting Board and a head of service who leads this initiative.
The head of service collaborates strategically with various council teams and key partners, including:
- Health
- Education
- Housing
- Police.
Our mission is to prioritise the well-being of children in care and those transitioning out of care.
Children in Care service
Our Children in Care service is dedicated to children under local council’s care. This service comprises 4 social work teams and a service manager.
Each child in care is assigned a social worker to:
- perform statutory social work duties
- develop and implement a care plan
- provide services aimed at achieving positive outcomes
- collaborate with legal and judiciary colleagues during care proceedings.
Social workers engage with children, families, guardians, health, education, and carers to ensure timely and appropriate permanent plans for the children and young people.
16+ service
The 16+ service works with young people in care and care leavers allowing them to improve their life chances as they make the transition to adulthood.
Each young person and care leavers have access to a pathway plan. Through its support and intervention, the service seeks to prepare young people for adulthood from early adolescence, ensuring that young people who leave care have had in-care opportunities to develop their life, social and interpersonal skills and knowledge that will better prepare them for adulthood.
The service is organised into 4 teams, each consisting of:
- a team manager
- personal advisers
- social workers
- business support.
Social workers support children in care aged 16 to 17, while personal advisers are starting their engagement with young people at age 17 and continue to support them until they turn 25 years old. When the young people turn 18, the personal advisors become the young adults key workers.
The young people and care leavers also benefit from bespoke support from a:
- parent support practitioner
- specialist housing advisor
- aspiration officer.
Youth Justice service
The Youth Justice team focuses on assessing, planning, and engaging with children aged 10 to 17 who have come to the attention of the police and received either an out-of-court disposal or a sentence.
At age 10, individuals reach the age of criminal responsibility. By age 18, most of those under statutory supervision transition to either the National Probation Service or the Community Rehabilitation Company, for adult services.
The team includes:
- a practice manager
- a performance manager
- youth justice officers
- reparation workers
- social workers
- an intervention officer
- administrative support.