New Corporate Parenting Board to champion Highland’s children and young people

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The first meeting of the Highland Corporate Parenting Board took place last night (Wednesday 13 February) in Inverness bringing together elected members, senior officers from a wide range of public agencies, care experienced young people and representatives from the Third Sector.

The Board, which has a duty of care for 501 ‘Looked After’ children and young people in Highland, is chaired by Councillor Linda Munro who represents the North, West and Central Sutherland Ward and is Vice Chair of the Council’s Care, Learning and Housing Committee.

Last year Members of the Highland Community Planning Partnership’s, Community Planning Board agreed to establish the Corporate Parenting Board to ensure all agencies are meeting the needs of children and young people in Highland for whom they have responsibility as corporate parents.

The purpose of the Board is to:

• maintaining a strategic overview of developments, plans, polices and strategies for care experienced young people and make appropriate recommendations for action.

• ensuring there are good working arrangements between services and agencies in support of the plans and strategies.

• providing a forum for care experienced young people to influence policy and to share their experiences of services they’ve received.

• promoting the Corporate Parenting role and responsibilities across all relevant bodies in Highland.

The inaugural meeting, held at Clachnaharry Old School, was an opportunity for all of the Board representatives to get to know each other, and chat to some of the young people who had come along. Future training opportunities and the re-affirming of the ethos for the  group, as well discussing how the role of the Highland Youth Convener can be incorporated and the planning of future meetings  were also on the agenda.

Speaking after the meeting, Chair Councillor Linda Munro said: “Corporate parenting is not only a responsibility but a real opportunity to improve the futures of Care Experienced children and young people, recognising that all parts of the system have a contribution to make. One challenge of being a good corporate parent is to support young people through the many changes in their lives, giving each individual child or young person a true sense of stability and aiming to give them the same opportunities any parent would want for their child.

She added: “Young people have told us that their priorities are to be consulted and be meaningfully involved in all aspects that impact on their future. The work of this new Board will allow us all to focus on this and take necessary steps to make sure we listen and the hopes and aspirations of young people shape our services to meet all their needs.”

 

14 Feb 2019