Ref: MB-056
Proposed Continuity from Care into Adult Life Measure
Pre-ballot Information
Ann Jones
Policy Objectives of the Proposed Measure
The policy objective of the Proposed Measure is to ensure that, where local authority care has successfully achieved stability for a looked after child, this success is not lost because the young person is obliged to leave care on becoming 18 years old; it would seek to replace the abrupt ending of care with gradual phases tailored to the young person’s needs.
In addition, where placement stability has not been achieved by the time the young person wishes to leave care, the policy objective is to secure such continuity as is possible in the particular circumstances by enhancing current requirements for continuing contact.
The Proposed Measure will seek to achieve the policy objectives by establishing:
a) definitions for “permanent” and “stable” placements for the purposes of the Measure (1);
b) the right for a “permanent” or “stable” placement to continue unchanged beyond the age of 18 for a period agreed in the young person’s Pathway Plan (2);
c) an entitlement for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who are leaving a “permanent” care placement to convert that placement into a supported lodgings arrangement or, where the young person has enduring care needs, an adult care placement “shared lives” arrangement;
d) an entitlement to enter a supported group living arrangement with other young people for all young people leaving care or supported lodging/shared lives arrangements;
e) an entitlement to “continuing contact care” from their final carer (3) for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who leave a “permanent” care placement, or a supported lodgings/shared lives arrangement with their final carer
f) an entitlement for young people who are leaving a “stable” care placement at or after the age of 18, or leaving a care placement that is neither “permanent” nor “stable” at or prior to the age of 18, to nominate an appropriate person or organisation as their provider of “continuing contact care”;
g) a requirement for local authorities to nominate for each young person leaving care either an officer at or above chief officer level or a member of cabinet (or equivalent) to be responsible for overseeing all continued contacts with the young person by or on behalf of the authority
h) a requirement on the Welsh Assembly Government to (i) establish national models and regulations for continuing contact care, supported lodgings and group living arrangements, and adult care shared lives schemes, and revised guidance on the use of Pathway Plans, and (ii) to support Local Authorities to implement these fully
Support received
Re (b) – The Fostering Network Wales – recommendations to the Welsh Assembly Government “Foster Care in Wales”
Re (c) – National Care Advisory Service – Recommendation pp30-32 “Journeys to Home: Care leavers’ successful transition to independent accommodation”
Re (d) – Llamau research/experience
Re (e/f) – Findings pp6-7 “…Each Child Is Different” – report of national survey on attitudes to corporate parenting among Wales’ county councillors
Re (g) – Good practice exemplar
Consultation
Voices from Care Cymru are consulting looked after children and young people through their existing mechanisms (report awaited)
The Fostering Network Wales are consulting carers through existing networks (report awaited)
Llamau are consulting looked after young people through their existing mechanisms (report awaited)
Karen Sinclair’s office has consulted:
county councillors who responded to the national survey on attitudes to corporate parenting
The Care Leavers Association
Prof David Berridge (Bristol University), Profs Ian Sinclair and Mike Stein (York University), Zachari Duncalf (Scottish Institute of Residential Child Care)
Summary of consultation responses at 03/03/10 –
All councillors who had returned questionnaires in the original survey (322) were consulted – so far 36 (11%) have responded directly: 32 positively supportive, 4 neutral and no negatives. This sample is too small to be seen as representative but may be indicative – it is interesting to note that
(a) 3 of the positive responses were from councillors who were “negative” to corporate parenting in the original survey, and
(b) 5 other positive detailed responses were offered as a joint view with Heads of Service/Chief Officers of the local authority.
The following statement was passed on from Will McMahon, Chair of the Care Leavers Association:
'The Care Leavers' Association is happy to endorse these proposals, since they offer the prospect ofa significant improvement in services for care leavers. We have long called for services and commitments such as these. We know how much manycare leavers need such support if they are to manage the difficult transition to adult life.'
Supportive and constructive comments have been received from each of the following academic researchers in social policy:
Prof David Berridge – Head of the Centre for Family Policy and Child Welfare, University of Bristol
Prof Mike Stein – Research Professor, Children and Young People’s Social Work Team, University of York, and Academic Advisor to the Department of Health's “Quality Protects” research initiative
Zachari Duncalf – Research Fellow, Scottish Institute of Residential Child Care, University of Strathclyde
[Prof Ian Sinclair – Emeritus Professor, Children and Young People’s Social Work Team, University of York has undertaken to respond]
Detailed responses are reproduced at http://corporateparentingsurvey.info/Measures
Footnotes:
1. Both “permanent” and “stable” would mean that the placement is long-term, unlikely to break down, and is enabling the child or young person to make appropriate progress in aspects of their development; “permanent” would also mean that by the age of 16 (or 17 where the placement begins after the 16th birthday) the young person and the carer have both chosen to commit themselves to continuing a relationship beyond the age of 18;
2. for “permanent” placements the period may be set to enable on-going participation in full-time education or training, or transition to employment or another positive destination, or to provide a period in which to gain increased maturity; for “stable” placements it may be to enable transition to employment and/or learning and to suitable accommodation, and to enable a continuing contact carer to be identified and put in place
3. Including a duty on the local authority to provide appropriate financial and other support to the continuing contact carer
