The promises are contained in a document called the 'Pledge for Children in Care' and they follow extensive consultation with looked after children in the county. The document was agreed by a meeting of the council's Children's Services Lead Members on Monday 23 March.
Councillorr Meg Stroude, the Council's Lead Member for Children and Families said:
“We are parent to each and every one of the children in our care and it's vital we do everything we can to support them and help them achieve their potential.”
The pledge contains a series of promises that outline what children in care can expect from the Council. They include the key promise that the Council will help them find the best available home where they feel safe, cared for and treated well, for as long as it is needed.
There are also promises to talk to the young people about their wishes, feelings and problems, involve them in decisions affecting them, listen to them, help them stay in touch with friends and family where it is safe and appropriate, help them keep healthy, help them do the best they possibly can at school, provide them with a social worker they can get to know well, and give them all the support and help they need to make a success of moving from care into adult life.
Councillor Stroude added: “These commitments are not new – providing the best possible services for our children in care has always been a top priority for us. However, what is new is setting out clearly for everyone to see, our firm commitment to these young people so everyone knows what they can expect from us.”
In drawing up the pledge the Council carried out an extensive survey of children in care to ask them what they felt being in care should be like and to identify their most significant issues.
The Children in Care Council, formed last year, then worked with Council officers to discuss the issues in more detail and draft the promises the document should include.
The result is the pledge document agreed at the meeting this week which will be given to all children in care in the county and which will be reviewed on an annual basis by children and young people and Council officers. For more information on the pledge visit our section on children in care.
Further information
East Sussex County Council is currently responsible as corporate parent for more than 400 looked after children. The majority of these are placed with foster carers. Ofsted has rated our fostering service as “outstanding”, and independent inspections of our children's homes have judged them to be “good” or “outstanding”.
Reference:
2353
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East Sussex County Council