Our plans for children in and leaving care

About corporate parenting and how we look after children and young people in our care.

Corporate parenting

Corporate parenting is the term used to describe our legal responsibility to act as a good parent to the children and young people that we look after.

We must make sure they feel safe and secure, have stability in their lives and are supported to achieve their full potential.

Children and young people in and leaving the care system often face considerable challenges. They are amongst the most vulnerable groups in our community and need us as corporate parent to make sure they get access to the same opportunities as any other young person. 

Our corporate parent priorities

We have 6 key priorities as corporate parent. We worked together with our looked-after children and young people to identify and agree them. They are:

Co-production – the child’s experience is at the heart of how we deliver and design our services.

Safe, connected, thriving – our young people feel safe, loved and like they belong. They have opportunities to build relationships.

I am me – all looked-after children and care leavers have a strong, confident sense of identity and an understanding of their care story.

Education, employment, training – our young people aspire to achieve and can access varied opportunities to learn and develop, the same as their peers.

Healthy mind, healthy body – all looked-after children and young people can improve their health and wellbeing, and the health information they or their carers are given is high quality and understandable.

A place to call home – all children and young people have a secure home that meets their needs, they have their own space with the people and belongings that are important to them.

Our promises

To demonstrate our commitment we have made a pledge to children in care which we have called our promises. We promise to:

• ask you which people are important to you and ensure you keep in contact with them if it is safe to do so
• make sure you are involved in the plans we make for you about your future – we will ask for your opinion and take account of what you say
• make sure that you have somewhere to live and can make it your home
• provide you with information about your care, new opportunities and your rights
• support you to discover your talents and abilities and find ways for you to make the most of these

By upholding these promises we are prioritising what children and young people have identified as most important to them. 

Plans and strategies

Our corporate parenting strategy sets out how we will fulfil our corporate parenting responsibilities. 

It commits us to listening to children and young people about what is important to them including their views about how well we are delivering our promises and improving their lives. 

The strategy is one of several linked strategies addressing our key priorities, including:

• Joint health and wellbeing strategy 2021-25
• Safeguarding board annual report and business plan 
• SEND strategy and co-production charter

Corporate Parenting Board

The Corporate Parenting Board (CPB) is an advisory body made up councillors and council officers which oversees our corporate parenting system and puts cared-for children and care leavers at the heart of everything we do.

One of its responsibilities is to make sure children and young people’s voices influence council policy.

Our local offer for care leavers

Our local offer for care leavers includes information about the services and support available for care leavers in South Gloucestershire.