Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllrs C Adams and A Moriarty.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

Cllr S Carr-Brown substituted for Cllr A Moriarty

For the Board to appoint a Vice-Chair for the 2025/26 municipal year.

With agreement of the Board this item was deferred to the next meeting.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

Any other members of the Board may declare an interest for the purpose of transparency.

There were none on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 17 March 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2025 were approved as a correct record.

The revised Terms of Reference to be referred to Council for inclusion within the BCP Council Constitution.

The Children’s Social Care representative presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The updated Terms of Reference for the Corporate Parenting Board were discussed. Key points included:

- The new version aims to be clearer about who should attend and how the Board can be more dynamic and inclusive.

- There was a strong emphasis on inviting the right people, including Councillors not on the Board and officers from relevant services.

- It was agreed that the phrase “their own children” should be changed to “their children” to reflect that all children in care were the responsibility of corporate parents.

- The importance of flexibility in publishing agendas was discussed. It was agreed that agendas should be published 10 working days in advance wherever possible, but flexibility is needed to allow for timely and relevant discussions.

- The Board agreed that future meetings should generally be held in the HMS Phoebe Committee Room.

- Young people requested a glossary of terms to help them understand professional language used in meetings.

RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference be updated as suggested and referred to the Constitution Review Working Group for inclusion with the Constitution

This presentation outlines the key areas of learning from the completion of the BRIGHT SPOTS survey in 2024.

The survey aimed to hear the experience of children in care and care experienced young people, providing a picture of the key areas of their lives in the BCP area. It provides a basis from which BCP council and corporate parents can identify what we are doing well, and what could be improved for our young people.

The Children’s Rights and Engagement Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Board considered the following issues:

�? Bright Spots Survey

The Bright Spots Survey is a national tool used to understand the experiences of children in care and care-experienced young people. It was commissioned by BCP Council through Coram Voice, and the results were gathered over several months. The survey focused on what young people feel about their lives, relationships, support, and future. It provided a basis from which BCP Council as corporate parents could identify what was going well, and what could be improved for young people. Young people shared personal stories gathered from CEYP and CIC, highlighting both positive and difficult experiences

? What Went Well - Areas where BCP performed better than the national average:

·     Trusted Adults: Many young people said they had someone they could talk to about things that mattered to them.

·     Access to Nature and Outdoor Spaces: Children and young people appreciated having access to parks, beaches, and green spaces.

·     Digital Access: Older care-experienced young people reported good access to smartphones and the internet.

·     Positive Relationships: When young people knew who their social worker or PA was, they often described those relationships positively.

·     Pets: Having a pet was mentioned as a source of comfort and emotional support, especially for younger children.

Areas for Improvement - These were the key challenges identified by young people:

?? Mental Health & Wellbeing

·       Young people reported feeling anxious, lonely, or unhappy.

·       Some said they didn’t feel listened to or supported when they were struggling.

·       Need for more consistent, accessible mental health support.

?? Finance

·       financial struggles, including, debt, lack of budgeting support, the failure of benefits to cover rent, food, and travel

·       Some said they were better off not working due to how benefits were structured.

???????? Relationships

·       Frequent changes in social workers or PAs, which made it hard to build trust.

·       Feeling like a burden when asking for help, especially if they were told their worker had a high caseload.

·       Concerns about being excluded from normal childhood experiences, like sleepovers or school trips.

�? Future Planning

·       Feeling of being unprepared, especially around housing, education and employment, and life skills, like budgeting, cooking, or understanding council tax

·       Some didn’t know what an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) was, even though they felt they should have had one.

??? From follow-up conversations, young people identified four key areas they wanted to see improved:

·     Mental Health & Wellbeing – More support, earlier intervention, and trusted relationships.

·     Finance – Better financial education, more support with budgeting, and fairer benefits.

·     Relationships – Consistent workers, better communication, and more empathy.

·     Future Planning – Clearer pathways into adulthood, including housing, education, and employment.

Attendees split into small groups to brainstorm ideas for an action plan. Key suggestions for each area included:

• Organising more social activities and trips to help young people feel included and have fun.
• Extending  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Preparing for Adulthood Team supports young people aged 14–25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. They begin transition screening at age 14/15 (Year 10) to assess eligibility under the Care Act 2014 and plan for adult social care needs. From 2024/25, they aim to start discussions earlier, at age 13/14 (Year 9).

Eligible young people receive ongoing support until age 25 or until transition is complete. The team offers guidance on housing, health, education, employment, legal rights, and more. They do not fund services for under-18s or support individuals without significant, non-circumstantial disabilities.

The Children’s Social Care Head of Service presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Board were informed that the Preparing for Adulthood Team supports young people aged 14–25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in BCP. They begin transition screening at age 14/15 (Year 10) to assess eligibility under the Care Act 2014 and plan for adult social care needs. From 2024/25, they aim to start discussions earlier, at age 13/14 (Year 9). Eligible young people receive ongoing support until age 25 or until transition is complete. The team offers guidance on housing, health, education, employment, legal rights, and more. They do not fund services for under-18s or support individuals without significant, non-circumstantial disabilities.

Some of the issues raised by the Board included:

- Not all young people with additional needs had EHCPs, which could create gaps in support.

- Young people asked how they could access support if they didn’t have an EHCP. It was clarified that you can still be referred for an EHCP after age 16, and you can self-refer to adult services if you need help.

Action: Improve communication about how to access EHCPs and adult services, including through PAs and drop-ins at 333.

Action: Ensure the Bright Spots findings are shared with the PfA strategy group to influence future planning.

To consider and amend the Board’s Forward Plan as appropriate.

The board discussed how to make future meetings more engaging and accessible. Suggestions included:

- Replacing long reports with shorter, more visual summaries.

- Using questions and themes to guide discussions instead of formal papers.

- Ensuring follow-up on key issues like housing and education.

Action: Review the items on the forward plan to focus on impact, accessibility, and young people’s voices.

The meeting ended with thanks to all attendees, especially the young people who shared their experiences so openly, which was recognised as essential to shaping better services and support.

Quarterly updating performance data summary for children in Care and Care Experienced young people open to BCP Council.

This report was circulated to the Board for information. With no questions having been received in advance of the meeting the report was noted.

The Board is asked to note the future dates arranged for meetings of the Board as follows:

Monday 29 September 2025

Monday 15 December 2025

Monday 16 March 2026

Monday 22 June 2026

The next meeting was scheduled for Monday 29 September.