Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence for the meeting.

Apologies were received from Nicola Cannings, Education Representative, Louise Maple, Health Representative and the foster carer representatives.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting especially the new members and guests. By way of an icebreaker everyone introduced themselves by identifying with particular type of easter egg!

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.

Rachel Lachlan substituted for Lousie Maple

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.

Cllr S Mackrow advised that she was a special guardian as this was referenced in the Data and Analysis report.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 15 December 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 December were approved as a correct record.

Icebreaker item led by Young People and the Participation Team for everyone at the Board meeting to participate in.

The Young People led a session focusing on financial independence, based on Bright Spots feedback. An interactive budgeting activity was completed to help board members understand real?life money pressures faced by care?experienced young people.

It was highlighted that:

• ?? Managing money independently was often very difficult, especially when income was low and bills were high.
• ?? Letters, rent arrears, and debts could feel overwhelming, leading some young people to avoid asking for help.
• ?? Difficulties were sometimes increased by mental health needs or challenges with understanding official information.

It was recognised that:

• Financial issues could quickly escalate without early support.
• Support was more effective when it was clear, practical, and non?judgemental.

It was agreed that:

• Financial support should be part of wider help with housing, health, and wellbeing.
• Further work should continue with young people to improve support for financial independence including support for PAs and consideration of how information was delivered to young people.

This report provides an update on progress against the three Corporate Parenting pledges agreed by the Corporate Parenting Board:

• expanding work experience opportunities
• increasing access to discounts and wellbeing support
• improving digital inclusion for Care Experienced Young People (CEYP).

The Director of Communities and the Director of  People and Culture presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears a Appendix A to these minutes in the minute book. It was confirmed that three priority areas had previously been chosen by young people:

• ?? Work experience and jobs
• ?? Discounts and special offers
• ?? Better access to IT and digital equipment

Progress across these areas was reported as positive overall.

?? Access to IT - Work had begun with the Council’s IT service to explore whether recycled laptops could be safely reused and provided to care?experienced young people. It was also reported that a recently agreed Social Value Statement would encourage companies working with the Council to offer extra support. Although progress in this area was not as developed as others, a corporate delivery group had been created to move the work forward.

?? Funding for New Initiatives - It was reported that a small budget had been secured and approved by senior management. This funding would be used to support new corporate parenting initiatives. It was agreed that young people would help decide how this funding should be used.

????? Work Experience and Pathways to Employment - An update was provided on work to improve work experience opportunities. It was explained that a flexible approach was being developed. Opportunities could range from short conversations to longer project placements. Personal advisers would support young people to choose options that suited them.

Council teams had been invited to take part. Training would be provided to staff involved. Work experience was confirmed as part of a wider steps into employment approach, including:

·  ?? CV support

·  �? Interview preparation

·  �? Understanding workplaces

Ideas for online careers information and short video stories were also discussed.

??? Discounts and Benefits - It was reported that care?experienced young people had access to the Council’s discount and benefits platform, offering savings on everyday items such as food, travel, and mobile phones.

Some access issues remained, and support was being arranged. The offer would be included in the Local Offer to ensure consistency.

- The meeting adjourned at 6:12pm and resumed at 6:22pm -

BCP Council has a duty under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 to establish and maintain an adoption service for its area.

BCP Council along with Dorset Council discharges this duty through a delegation of functions to Aspire Adoption, a Regional Adoption Agency. BCP retains overall responsibility for its adoption and special guardianship services, continuing to have parental responsibility for its own Children in Care but most adoption and some special guardianship functions are delegated to Aspire Adoption. Special Guardianship function returned to the Local Authority in April 2025.

BCP Council Host Aspire Adoption Services as the Regional Adoption Agency.

The appended report is the eighth annual adoption report produced by Aspire Adoption, summarising the work of the agency in the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. It has been written to ensure and provides the Council with an opportunity to satisfy itself that the requirements of the Statutory Adoption Guidance 2013 and the Adoption Minimum Standards 2014 are met.

This report provides a summary of the operational and strategic activity of Aspire Regional Adoption Agency.

The Aspire Adoption Service 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 report presented an overview of the work of Aspire Adoption for the previous financial year. It was reported that:

·  ???????? A high proportion of children with adoption plans had been placed with adopters recruited by Aspire Adoption.

·  Adopter recruitment had remained strong, performing well compared to national and regional figures.

·  ?? Improved tracking and performance monitoring had helped children move more quickly into permanent homes.

·  Post?adoption support continued to be an important strength, with families receiving tailored help based on their needs.

• ?? Support was offered at different stages of the adoption journey to help families remain stable and supported over time.

It was acknowledged that the report had been written mainly for professionals and was not yet available in a young?person?friendly format. Work would be undertaken to ensure future reports were more accessible and easier for young people to understand.

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

The Director for Children’s Social Care 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. It was explained that this report was normally included with the agenda for information only but it was felt that it was important to share some of the information within the report in greater detail to support corporate parenting responsibilities. The Board discussed a number of different areas within the report which included:

?? Health issues for CiC and CEYP – It was noted that Health and dental checks were timely, but that some services were delayed for out?of?area placements.

?? It was explained that the numbers of children coming into care remained a challenge.

�? Suspensions, Exclusions, and Education - The Board noted that the information indicated that education outcomes for CiC in BCP compared well nationally. It was reported that repeat suspensions had reduced.

Young people shared concerns that suspensions sometimes led to further difficulties. It was agreed that behaviour should be understood in context and that trauma?informed approaches should continue to be used.

??Missing Episodes and Safety - Young people shared experiences of being reported missing. It was explained that all missing episodes were taken seriously but not all situations involved immediate danger. Concerns were raised about how young people felt when returning. It was agreed that responses should feel supportive and that young people’s views should shape improvements. The service would continue to work with partners, including police.

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

The Board reviewed its forward plan. It was noted that the item on Bright Spots had already been scheduled for June. It was noted that there were probably too many items scheduled on the Plan for June Members were asked to reflect on this and officers and the Chair would meet outside of the formal meeting to agree items for the next meeting.

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

·       Monday 22 June 2026 – 5.00pm - 7.00pm

·       Monday 28 September 2026 – 5.00pm – 7.00pm

·       Monday 14 December 2026 – 5.00pm – 7.00pm

The next meeting date was noted as 22 June 2026.