Cabinet set to approve three-year plan for children in care and care leavers

Council News
Council News

Rotherham Council’s Corporate Parenting Strategy, which sets out its corporate parenting duty to children in care and care leavers over the next three years, is set to be approved by Cabinet.

This document sets out the Council’s ambitions and priorities for children in care, alongside the roles and responsibilities of the Council and partner agencies. Approval of this Strategy at Cabinet later this month will ensure that the Council continues to meet its statutory duties as a corporate parent.

There are 509 children in care and 323 care leavers in Rotherham (as of November 2023) who live in a variety of placements, with a broad range of needs and experiences. The Strategy focusses on how we meet the individual needs of children and young people, ensuring that they achieve their full potential.

The Strategy highlights six key priorities that will be addressed over the next three years. These include listening to the views of children and young people; placement availability and quality; education and attainment; wellbeing and independence; workforce development and delivering an outstanding Care Leaver service.

There have been a number of achievements in recent years in relation to children in care. This includes an increase in the number of in-house fostering placements. Plans are progressing for a number of new children’s homes to open in 2024, as part of the Council’s Residential Transformation programme.

Further activity is set to take place, including a refreshed Children in Care Promise and Care Leaver Charter, alongside a refreshed Local Offer for Care Leavers.

Councillor Victoria Cusworth, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The Corporate Parenting Strategy sets out how we continue to achieve the very best for our children in care and care leavers.

“The recruitment and retention of foster carers is one of our key priorities. We value our foster carers who do an amazing job and our investment through increased fees and allowances demonstrates this. . We have also opened four new children’s homes because we know that where it is safe to do so, it is better for Rotherham children to be placed within the borough.”

You can view the Cabinet report at: Agenda for Cabinet on Monday 22 January 2024, 10.00 a.m. - Rotherham Council

Published: 12th January 2024