1.1 The Corporate Parenting Board is responsible for the welfare, wellbeing and promoting the best interests of all children and young people who are looked after by and care leavers of the County Council.
2.1 The functions of the Corporate Parenting Board are to:
a) Consider direction and priorities in relation to children and young people who are looked after and care leavers; and lead the development of the policies and strategies of the Council, and where appropriate, partner agencies, in respect of looked after children.
b) Monitor progress in delivering agreed policies and strategies in relation to children looked after and care leavers; and monitor and challenge performance, using a range of performance data and quality assurance information.
c) Provide assurance that delivery is achieving desired outcomes in respect of children and young people who are looked after and care leavers. This is to include arrangements to ensure placements are appropriate to children's needs, how foster families are supported, arrangements for leaving care, the impact on outcomes for children of the Council's early help strategy, performance in respect of adoption, and achievement of timescales in relation to the planning of care.
d) Review such policies, strategies and plans of the Council that the Board considers appropriate, to assess whether they make explicit their contribution to improving outcomes for children and young people who are looked after and care leavers, and to make recommendations to elected Members and officers as to how such plans could better meet this requirement.
e) Monitor the implementation of the Council's Pledge to Young People in Care, ensure the participation of children and young people via the Children in Care Council, and make proposals to the Lead Member for Children's Services/Cabinet for its development.
f) Scrutinise reports on issues raised through statutory visits and inspections relating to children looked after, and hold services to account.
g) Seek assurances over the placement of children and young people out of county, and the placement of children and young people from out of county in Cumbria.
h) Make representations such as the Board considers appropriate to the Lead Member for Children and Families Services/Cabinet and the Director of Children and Families Services.
i) Set high expectations for, and promote the best interests of, all children and young people who are or have been looked after and care leavers. This includes ensuring services are sensitive to the culture, ethnic origin and identity of children and young people who are looked after and care leavers, and addressing any issues related to discrimination or unfair treatment.
j) Promote the role of all county councillors as corporate parents, including identifying and meeting the development needs of elected Members, to enable them to understand and carry out their corporate parenting role.
k) Nominate one of its members to sit on the Governance Board of the Virtual School for looked after children.
l) Make a written report at least annually, to Cabinet, Council and Scrutiny, on the Board's activities, and to make the report available to District Councils to assist them in delivering on their Corporate Parenting role.
3.1 The Board may make recommendations to the Scrutiny Management Board and Health Scrutiny Committee for scrutiny of any matter within its terms of reference. Acceptance of such recommendation shall be at the discretion of the Scrutiny Management Board or the Health Scrutiny Committee.
3.2 The Board may also refer matters relating to the health and wider well-being of children looked after and care leavers to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Children's Trust Board; and may consider the strategies and priorities of those Boards in so far as they affect the lives of children looked after and care leavers.
4.1 The Board may establish one or more sub-groups to carry out detailed work in respect of any aspect of its terms of reference and report to the Board.
4.2 The Board may invite participation in a sub-group from any of the persons or representatives of organisations that are eligible to be invited to or co-opted on to the Board.
5.1 The Corporate Parenting Board will comprise 12 members, including the Chair and Vice Chair. Political proportionality does not apply but the membership must include at least 1 member of each main group.
5.2 The Cabinet Member Children and Families Services (the lead member for Children and Families Services) will be appointed by full Council as Chair.
5.3 The Vice Chair is also a full Council appointment.
5.4 The Board may invite to attend any of its meetings and/or co-opt as members of the Board:
(i) Representatives from any Council Directorate that the Board considers can usefully contribute to its work.
(ii) Representatives of statutory and non-statutory partner organisations.
(iii) Representatives of young people.
(iv) Carers of looked after children.