Every elected member and employee of this Council – along with our partner agencies- is a corporate parent to the children in our care.

 

We are all responsible for providing the best possible care, safeguarding and outcomes for the children who are looked after by us.

 

Our young people in care or who have left care have the right to expect everything from a corporate parent that would be expected from a responsible and good parent. This includes how families continue their support, care, and ambition for their children after they leave home and gain independence

 

As an adult how many times in life do you stop and think, “where do I go from there.” Imagine what that must like for a young person

 

On their own with no one to help or advise.   Just think about for it a minute.

 

We have already made really important steps to support our cared for and care experienced children better:-

 

·                We made all our care leavers exempt from Council Tax up to the age of 25.

·                We gave our Care Leavers Band 1 priority on our housing register.

·                We provide specialist support to any Care Leavers facing homelessness without the use of B&B.

·                We guarantee Care Leavers first access to our apprenticeships.

·                We brought our Leaving Care service back in house and invested in a new home for the service- with trainer flats and emergency accommodation on site.

·                We increased “Staying Put” so that young people can stay with foster carers and invested alongside our housing partners to provide move on accommodation for young people who need independence.

 

However, we cannot be complacent, and we know that we can always do more.

 

We are determined that every decision made in this Council and every policy set here considers the impact on young people in care and those who have experienced the care system.

 

This motion proposes including “young people in care” and “care experienced young people” as an additional characteristic in all of our Equality Impact Assessments. This will give them a formal recognition and make sure that all decisions that are made and policies that are set consider their specific needs and the impact on them.

 

This will have a real tangible impact on people who have experienced care. We want to make it easier for young people to gain employment at the Council and to develop into senior roles – with guaranteed interview schemes, mentoring and support and reasonable adjustments made to support employees with care experience.

 

We also want to see our procurement and commissioning of our services to consider the impact on young people with care experience, in the same way as other protected and additional characteristics are and make extra effort to ensure that they can access all of our services.

 

The Government commissioned an independent national review of children’s social care, and one recommendation was to look at making care experience an additional characteristic. Given the paralysis in Government across departments, we cannot afford to wait for the Government to respond. We will take immediate steps here in Manchester – as we have done before- to be the best corporate parents we can be.

 

We have a commitment to our young people. Too ease them into independence. To allow them to build a prosperous, healthy, and happy future.

 

These proposals will ensure our young people have the tools to do just that.

 

This Council therefore request that the City Solicitor examine the inclusion of “young people in care” / “care experienced young people” as an additional characteristic in the Council's Equality Impact Assessments.

 

Proposed by Councillor Sadler, seconded by Councillor Bridges and supported by Councillors Cooley, Hughes, Lanchbury, Lovecy, Reeves, Reid and T Robinson.

Councillor Sadler submitted the following motion, which was seconded by Councillor Bridges:-

 

Every elected member and employee of this Council – along with our partner agencies- is a corporate parent to the children in our care.

 

We are all responsible for providing the best possible care, safeguarding and outcomes for the children who are looked after by us.

 

Our young people in care or who have left care have the right to expect everything from a corporate parent that would be expected from a responsible and good parent. This includes how families continue their support, care, and ambition for their children after they leave home and gain independence

 

As an adult how many times in life do you stop and think, “where do I go from there.” Imagine what that must like for a young person

 

On their own with no one to help or advise.   Just think about for it a minute

 

We have already made really important steps to support our cared for and care experienced children better:-

 

·                We made all our care leavers exempt from Council Tax up to the age of 25.

·                We gave our Care Leavers Band 1 priority on our housing register.

·                We provide specialist support to any Care Leavers facing homelessness without the use of B&B.

·                We guarantee Care Leavers first access to our apprenticeships.

·                We brought our Leaving Care service back in house and invested in a new home for the service- with trainer flats and emergency accommodation on site.

·                We increased “Staying Put” so that young people can stay with foster carers and invested alongside our housing partners to provide move on accommodation for young people who need independence.

 

However, we cannot be complacent, and we know that we can always do more.

 

We are determined that every decision made in this Council and every policy set here considers the impact on young people in care and those who have experienced the care system.

 

This motion proposes including “young people in care” and “care experienced young people” as an additional characteristic in all of our Equality Impact Assessments. This will give them a formal recognition and make sure that all decisions that are made and policies that are set consider their specific needs and the impact on them.

 

This will have a real tangible impact on people who have experienced care. We want to make it easier for young people to gain employment at the Council and to develop into senior roles – with guaranteed interview schemes, mentoring and support and reasonable adjustments made to support employees with care experience.

 

We also want to see our procurement and commissioning of our services to consider the impact on young people with care experience, in the same way as other protected and additional characteristics are and make extra effort to ensure that they can access all of our services.

 

The Government commissioned an independent national review of children’s social care, and one recommendation was to look at making care experience an additional characteristic. Given the paralysis in Government across departments, we cannot afford to wait for the Government to respond. We will take immediate steps here in Manchester – as we have done before- to be the best corporate parents we can be.

 

We have a commitment to our young people. Too ease them into independence. To allow them to build a prosperous, healthy, and happy future.

 

These proposals will ensure our young people have the tools to do just that.

 

This Council therefore request that the City Solicitor examine the inclusion of “young people in care” / “care experienced young people” as an additional characteristic in the Council's Equality Impact Assessments.

 

Councillor Lovecy proposed the following amendment to the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Reid and accepted by Councillor Sadler in advance of the meeting.  In accordance with Rule of Procedure 20.3, the amendment was incorporated into the original motion.

 

Every elected member and employee of this Council – along with our partner agencies- is a corporate parent to the children in our care.

 

We are all responsible for providing the best possible care, safeguarding and outcomes for the children who are looked after by us.

 

Our young people in care or who have left care have the right to expect everything from a corporate parent that would be expected from a responsible and good parent. This includes how families continue their support, care, and ambition for their children after they leave home and gain independence

 

As an adult how many times in life do you stop and think, “where do I go from there.” Imagine what that must like for a young person

 

On their own with no one to help or advise.   Just think about for it a minute

 

We have already made really important steps to support our cared for and care experienced children better:-

 

·                We made all our care leavers exempt from Council Tax up to the age of 25.

·                We gave our Care Leavers Band 1 priority on our housing register.

·                We provide specialist support to any Care Leavers facing homelessness without the use of B&B.

·                We guarantee Care Leavers first access to our apprenticeships.

·                We brought our Leaving Care service back in house and invested in a new home for the service- with trainer flats and emergency accommodation on site.

·                We increased “Staying Put” so that young people can stay with foster carers and invested alongside our housing partners to provide move on accommodation for young people who need independence.

 

However, we cannot be complacent, and we know that we can always do more.

 

We are determined that every decision made in this Council and every policy set here considers the impact on young people in care and those who have experienced the care system.

 

This motion proposes including “young people in care” and “care experienced people” as an additional characteristic in all of our Equality Impact Assessments. This will give them a formal recognition and make sure that all decisions that are made and policies that are set consider their specific needs and the impact on them.

 

This will have a real tangible impact on people who have experienced care. We want to make it easier for young people to gain employment at the Council and to develop into senior roles – with guaranteed interview schemes, mentoring and support and reasonable adjustments made to support employees with care experience.

 

We also want to see our procurement and commissioning of our services to consider the impact on young people with care experience, in the same way as other protected and additional characteristics are and make extra effort to ensure that they can access all of our services.

 

The Government commissioned an independent national review of children’s social care, and one recommendation was to look at making care experience an additional characteristic. Given the paralysis in Government across departments, we cannot afford to wait for the Government to respond. We will take immediate steps here in Manchester – as we have done before- to be the best corporate parents we can be.

 

We have a commitment to our young people. Too ease them into independence. To allow them to build a prosperous, healthy, and happy future.

 

These proposals will ensure our young people have the tools to do just that.

 

This Council therefore request that the City Solicitor examine the inclusion of “young people in care” / “care experienced people” as an additional characteristic in the Council's Equality Impact Assessments.

 

Resolution

 

The motion was put to Council and voted on and the Lord Mayor declared that it was carried unanimously.

 

Decision

 

This Council requests that the City Solicitor examine the inclusion of “young people in care” / “care experienced people” as an additional characteristic in the Council's Equality Impact Assessments.