1. This briefing is intended to give you an understanding of:
Corporate Parenting
This briefing is intended to give you an understanding of:
Looked After Children
The Looked After population in Edinburgh
Corporate Parenting
The briefing lasts for 8 minutes
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2. Corporate Parenting
When a child or young person is ‘Looked After’ it means that they are in the care of the Local Authority.
The thing most Looked After Children have in common is that life has not been easy for them.
For most, some aspect of their life circumstances has led to a Children’s Hearing or a court deciding that a duty should be placed on the local authority to support and supervise their care arrangements.
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3. Corporate Parenting
Looked After at home
Is where the child (or young person) has been through the Children's Hearings system and is subject to a Supervision Requirement (regular contact with social services) with no condition of residence.
The child then continues to live in their regular place of residence (i.e. the family home).
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4. Looked After away from home
Corporate Parenting
Looked After away from home
Is where the child (or young person) has either:
been through the Children’s Hearings system and is subject to a Supervision Requirement with a condition of residence;
is being provided with accommodation through a voluntary agreement;
is placed by a local authority which has made a permanence order;
is subject to a legal order
In these cases the child is cared for away from their normal place of residence, by foster or kinship carers, prospective adopters, in residential care homes, residential schools or secure units.
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5. Corporate Parenting
A young person may become looked after for a number of reasons, including neglect, abuse, complex disabilities which require specialist care, or involvement in the youth justice system
3% because of child displaying harmful or problematic sexual behaviour
2% because of alleged offence
3% because of disability (incl. mental health) (child)
8% because of mental health problems (carer)
8% because of domestic abuse
11% because of non-engaging family
19% because of parental alcohol or drug use
23% because of abuse
(emotional, physical, sexual)
23% because of neglect

6. Corporate Parenting
A young person may become looked after for a number of reasons, including neglect, abuse, complex disabilities which require specialist care, or involvement in the youth justice system
neglect
abuse
parental alcohol or drug use
non-engaging family
domestic abuse
mental health problems (carer)
disability
harmful or problematic sexual behaviour
alleged to have committed an offence
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7. The age profile of those becoming Looked After in Edinburgh is:
Corporate Parenting
A child or young person can become Looked After from anytime between when they are born and up to the age of 18. 
The age profile of those becoming Looked After in Edinburgh is:
Just under half are aged five or under when they become Looked After
Age
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8. Corporate Parenting
At the beginning of 2015 just over 1,400 children and young people were Looked After by the City of Edinburgh Council.
in secure care
in residential care
living at home with parents under a supervision order
with kinship carers, i.e. relatives or friends
with foster carers ..
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9. Ceasing to be Looked After
Corporate Parenting
Ceasing to be Looked After
A child or young person can cease to be Looked After in a number of ways
A Children’s Hearing can end a Supervision Order
End of a voluntary arrangement
They can be adopted
They reach their 18th birthday
If a young person is Looked After on or beyond their 16th birthday they become eligible for Aftercare services.
This provides additional support, up to the age of 26, with issues such as employment, finance and accommodation
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10. What is Corporate Parenting?
Looked After Children & Young People: We Can And Must Do Better (Scottish Executive), 2007
Introduced the term Corporate Parent – meaning the formal and local partnerships needed between all local authority departments and services, and associated agencies, who are responsible for working together to meet the needs of looked after children and young people.
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
The new act creates a statutory definition of Corporate Parenting applying it to over twenty organisations.
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11. Who is part of the Corporate Parenting family?
This includes:
A local authority
A health board
The Scottish Police Authority
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
The Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland
Children’s Hearings Scotland
The Scottish Housing Regulator
The Scottish Qualifications Authority
Skills Development Scotland
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12. Corporate Parenting responsibilities
It is the duty of every Corporate Parent to:
be alert to matters affecting wellbeing
address needs
promote interests
provide opportunities to participate in activities
help access opportunities and support
Corporate Parents must consult with other Corporate Parents to prepare and publish a plan for how they propose exercising their Corporate Parenting responsibilities and must keep this plan under review
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13. Our Corporate Parenting Action Plan
High level governance has ensured buy-in across the council and partner agencies through the Chief Executive and Council Management Team.
Edinburgh’s Corporate Parenting Action Plan is closely monitored and reviewed by a Heads of Service Leadership Group.
The Action Plan is regularly scrutinised by an Elected Member led Corporate Parenting subcommittee.
The Action Plan was originally developed in March 2012 with six key themes
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14. Our Corporate Parenting Action Plan themes
Leadership - Edinburgh has clear leadership and governance in place
Health and Wellbeing - Looked After Children will benefit from access to a range of services designed to meet their emotional, mental and physical needs
Education - Looked After Children will be supported to become confident individuals and successful learners
Employment and Training - Looked After Children will be supported through the transition from care into a positive destination
Support and Protection - Looked After Children are supported to develop into successful and responsible adults
Accommodation - Good quality accommodation is provided for all looked after children; Care leavers have access to safe affordable housing
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15. Corporate Parenting
So what does this mean to me?
An Edinburgh young person’s interpretation of Corporate Parenting:
“So, all parts of the Council are working together to make my life better”
As an employee of the council you are a Corporate Parent and need to act as a good parent would for looked after children.
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16. So being a good Corporate Parent means:
Corporate Parenting
Corporate Parenting is a responsibility and an opportunity to improve the futures of looked after children and young people
Corporate Parenting operates at the strategic, operational and individual level
Recognising that all parts of the Corporate Parenting system have a contribution to make is critical to success
So being a good Corporate Parent means:
accepting responsibility for the council’s looked after children and young people
making their needs a priority
seeking the same outcomes for them as any good parent would want for their own children
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17. An introduction to what a Looked After Child is
Corporate Parenting
In summary
This briefing gave:
An introduction to what a Looked After Child is
How a child/young person becomes and ceases to be Looked After
The numbers, age profile and care settings for Edinburgh’s Looked After Children
An introduction to Corporate Parenting, who Corporate Parents are and what responsibilities they have
An overview of Edinburgh’s approach to Corporate Parenting and the Action Plan it has in place
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18. Corporate Parenting
end of briefing