Agenda item

To consider a report by the Executive Director of People – Children.

The Corporate Parenting Board considered a report by the Executive Director of People – Children on Children’s Placements – Use of Unregulated Placements.

Officers informed the Board the current position had changed and was not as mentioned in the report which had been based on the previous month’s information.  There had been 3 young people in unregulated placements, the current number was 6 although 3 were to move on, one young person was to move home.  

Dorset have a number of young people whose behaviour is difficult to manage.  There is a lack of sufficient placements available in the local area for these young people.  Some placements may be a long way from home, ie north of the country.  These sorts of placements were regularly reviewed, and officers continued to search for registered provision for them.

Going forward officers had been looking to provide children’s homes within the Council’s estate and therapeutic foster carers.  The Authority needed to work with families at an early stage so as to avoid them needing to come into care due to the experiences they have had and the impact of that on their behaviour.

One member noted there was a potential offer for one young person who had been in an unregulated placement the longest and the young person who had been in unregulated placement the second longest was due to go home mid-August. He mentioned that the Authority did not seem to have a policy of advising Ofsted on unregulated placements.

The Chairman mentioned that Ofsted was informed on a monthly basis.

The Chief Executive, Participation People informed the Board the CLiCC young person who had attended the previous meeting had started a campaign regarding placing young people in unregulated settings.

The Corporate Parenting Officer confirmed that one young person had taken up the offer of having an Advocate.

The Chairman was disappointed that numbers had risen and hoped that next time the Board received an update the numbers had improved.

The Executive Director of People – Children commented that unregulated placements were not the preference, safeguarding of the young person was paramount.  She was more concerned about the length of time young people stayed in unregulated placements than the number.  One of the things officers were working on was the language used on the form about the young person, the risks were presented first rather than the wonderful things relating to the young person, this required change.

Councillor Kerby indicated he would like to be included in the visit to the caretaker’s bungalow at Colehill School when that was arranged.  The Executive Director of People – Children informed him that dates had been identified in about 3 weeks’ time.

The Chairman confirmed the next update on action taken would be at the meeting of the Board on the 4 September 2019.

Resolved

1.          That Councillor Kerby be included in the visit to the caretaker’s bungalow at Colehill School.

2.          That officers provide a progress report on action taken at the next meeting of the Board on 4 September 2019.