Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence for the meeting.

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.

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.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 29 September 2025.

Item led by Young People and the Participation Team for everyone at the Board meeting to participate in and find out more about Language that Cares for Children in Care and Care Experienced Young People.

The council is strengthening its approach to corporate parenting and beginning with three main pledges which were chosen by the Corporate Parenting Board at its last meeting;

1.      Work Experience: Expanding placements for care-experienced young people across all council departments.

2.      Discounts & Offers: Providing access to leisure, retail discounts, and wellbeing support, matching staff benefits.

3.      Digital Inclusion: Recycling council laptops and phones, and seeking community support for device donations.

The report updates on progress made since the last meeting.

This report serves to provide a detailed overview of the activities and impact of the BCP Virtual School during the academic year 2024-25. The Virtual School operates on behalf of the Local Authority (LA), collaborating with partners to advocate for Children in Our Care (CiOC) in education and ensuring positive and aspirational educational outcomes.

The report outlines the future priorities and development plans for the BCP Virtual School, aiming to improve outcomes and support for a positive transition to adulthood for all Care Experienced young people.

The report is based on the LA held pupil information and results from schools. At the time of publishing, there is no comparative national data available for the academic year 2024-25. Comparative data will be available upon its publication in April 2026. By conducting comparative analysis throughout the year, we aim to identify areas where the Virtual School has significant impact and areas where improvement is needed in relation to national benchmarks. This information will guide our efforts in providing the best possible support for children in care, aligning with broader educational standards.

The annual report provides an overview of the provision of health services for Children in Care and Care Experienced young people for 2024/25.

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

The following items are for information for Corporate Parenting Board members. There will not be time allocated at the meeting for discussion of these items unless notification is received in advance of the meeting of any questions or comments. These should be sent to democratic.services@bcpcouncil.gov.uk by Wednesday 10 December 2025.

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

·       Monday 16 March 2026 – 5.00pm - 7.00pm

·       Monday 22 June 2026 – 5.00pm - 7.00pm

·       Monday 28 September 2026 – 5.00pm – 7.00pm

·       Monday 14 December 2026 – 5.00pm – 7.00pm