Agenda item

[To Follow]

Members of the Children in Care Council (CICC) attended the Panel meeting to discuss complaints and achievements.

F said that there were a number of Looked After Children (LAC) in Croydon who made complaints.

JB said that Looked After Children felt their thoughts weren’t cared about. They felt that training and support for managers around communication would be good and that foster carers should communicate more with social workers. It was also reported that young people do not understand the stages of a complaint and requested the Panel visit them at the CICC.

Officers noted that as part of the Improvement Plan they would look further at how the service could improve communication with service users. It was acknowledged that there needs to be more work done to develop communications with young people.

Some Panel Co-optees shared that as foster carers, they would find themselves in situations similar to young people.

Officers from the Youth Engagement Team who were present (accompanying young children from the CICC), shared with the Panel that young people often believed that adults made complaints on their behalf.

The young people were confident in knowing how to make a complaint by talking to someone at school.

The Looked After Children Service supported children of different abilities and vulnerabilities. However not all young people in care would have the general awareness of how to make a complaint. Officers clarified that it is part of the Independent Reviewing Officer role to ask young people at their first review if they are clear how to make a complaint.

The Panel learned that many of the complaints received were from adults on behalf of the young person. For example, these adults include foster carers, advocates, parents, or from schools.

Some Panel Co-optees shared that foster carers can feel disconnected from the child. This can be a major part of the communication barrier. They also shared that it was not good to rely on the designated person at school.

Officers identified the stages of a complaint:

(i).     Stage one: All complaints would be sent to the service manager;

(ii).    Stage two: Further response would be via an independent officer if the outcome is not satisfactory;

(iii).   Stage three: There would be an independent review outside the local authority with a panel of people reviewing the complaint.

The Panel learned that when a young person was under local authority care a range of information would be provided. A ‘welcome to care pack’ is given. This includes how to make a complaint, information on the complaint process in addition to what it will be like residing with a foster carer.

Members of the Panel discussed that the young person should be at the heart of every complaint. Therefore it should be clear to every young person how to make a complaint and that this will be considered seriously.

Members of the Panel discussed the Star Award Ceremony. This is an event where children in care and care leavers’ achievements are celebrated.. This was praised as a positive experience by Panel Members.

It was reported that the CICC has chosen that it want to be renamed and has decided that it will now be called EMPIRE (Empowering Memories Positives Inspiring Respect Education).

F and JB also highlighted their positive experiences including attending the London CICC; making friends; the Christmas Event and trip; and Robert Henderson being newly appointed as Croydon’s Executive Director for Children, Families and Education.

Members of the Panel welcomed the CICC presence and the work it had achieved thus far. There was encouragement for young people to be present at future panels.

Action: For the Panel to sign the Pledge that had been developed by the Children in Care Council. This will need to be a future agenda item for the Panel.