Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to seek approval from Cabinet regarding Brent’s Local Offer for care leavers. The Children and Social Work Act (CSWA) 2017 aims to improve support for looked after children especially for those leaving care. This report outlines the main legislative changes in the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and how Brent aims to implement those changes locally to ensure that our care leavers have the brightest future.

It was RESOLVED:

13.1    That the draft Local Offer to Care Leavers as set out in appendix 1, be approved and for authority to be delegated to the Strategic Director, Children and Young People, to make any necessary revisions to the Local Offer and re-consult if required following publication of statutory guidance;

13.2.   That the Brent Care Leavers’ Charter as set out appendix 2, be approved;

13.3    That the work of the department would be supported in ensuring partner agencies commit to providing an offer to care leavers that will be included in the final version of the Local Offer document;

13.4    That as part of the Local Offer to Care Leavers who are looked after by Brent, it be agreed that:

·         the Council use its powers as a billing authority to reduce to nil, council tax payable by care leavers who live in the borough; and

·         that in cases where care leavers live outside the borough and are liable to pay council tax, the Council provide financial support to reimburse that cost; and

13.5   That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources and the Strategic Director, Children and Young People to take all appropriate steps to set up, implement and administer all the areas of support as set out in the Local Offer.

Councillor Mili Patel (Lead Member for Children and Young People) introduced the report which had reflected the main legislative changes to the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and how Brent planned to implement the changes through a ‘Local Offer’ to young people leaving care. She stated how pleasing it was that exempting care leavers from council tax had formed part of the local offer, and that the young people represented at the Council's Corporate Parenting meeting recently (7 February 2018) had been happy with the proposals.

Cabinet Members Tatler, McLennan, Miller and Butt spoke respectively in support of the Local Offer.

It was RESOLVED:

14.1    That the draft Local Offer to Care Leavers as set out in appendix 1, be approved and for authority to be delegated to the Strategic Director, Children and Young People, to make any necessary revisions to the Local Offer and re-consult if required following publication of statutory guidance;

14.2.   That the Brent Care Leavers’ Charter as set out appendix 2, be approved;

14.3    That the work of the department would be supported in ensuring partner agencies commit to providing an offer to care leavers that will be included in the final version of the Local Offer document;

14.4    That as part of the Local Offer to Care Leavers who are looked after by Brent, it be agreed that:

·         the Council use its powers as a billing authority to reduce to nil, council tax payable by care leavers who live in the borough; and

·         that in cases where care leavers live outside the borough and are liable to pay council tax, the Council provide financial support to reimburse that cost; and

14.5   That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources and the Strategic Director, Children and Young People to take all appropriate steps to set up, implement and administer all the areas of support as set out in the Local Offer.