South Ayrshire Council News

South Ayrshire Council has a responsibility as a corporate parent to look after young people and make sure that the care they receive gives them the best possible start in life.

Councillor Margaret Toner, Depute Leader of the Council and Portfolio Carrier for Community services said: “As corporate parents the Council has a moral and legal duty to look after children in our care. When carrying out these duties we must make sure that they are getting the same high level of care and attention that parents would give to their own child. It is important to consult with the children and make sure that they are happy and healthy both physically and mentally.

“The Council’s Corporate Parenting Development and Action Plan, which will lead to the creation of the South Ayrshire Corporate Parenting Strategy, is a vital part of facing our corporate caring responsibilities.”

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, Section 17 outlines the duty a local authority has to a child or young person who is looked after at home or away from home, it should:

• Safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
• Promote, on a regular basis, contact between the child and the person with parental responsibilities, in so far as it safeguards and promotes the child’s welfare.
• Make use of services that are appropriate to each case.

A document produced by the Government in 2007 ‘The Looked After Children and Young People: We Can and Must Do Better’ outlined steps which needed to be taken by Councillors and support staff to ensure looked after children had a higher profile and the services they received focused on improving outcomes.

These requirements set in place the local authority’s responsibility to act as a good parent for looked after children and young people. This means a Council commitment to collaborating across a range of Council services. Mechanisms must be in place to lead and manage a ‘cross-cutting’ approach and to ensure that all the partners are in place to improve outcomes and life chances for children and young people who are looked after.

South Ayrshire Council’s Leadership Panel has approved a Corporate Parenting Development and Action Plan and the establishment of a multi-agency Integrated Children’s Services Strategy Group to produce the Council’s Corporate Parenting Strategy by April 2008.

Elected Members are keen to ensure all outcomes for looked after children improve to give them every opportunity to become healthy, active and achieving individuals.