Promoting Corporate Parenting

The Child & Family Services Overview & Scrutiny Board recently followed up on the report it produced last year on the Role of Councillors as Corporate Parents. The Board reviewed the updated action plan that was drawn up by the Cabinet Member for Social Services to address the various scrutiny recommendations. With council elections taking […]

Making a Difference to Corporate Parenting

The Board recently followed up on its review of the role of councillors as corporate parents, to assess progress and the impact of its work. Considering the various recommendations made by the Board the Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Nick Tregoning presented an action plan. The Board also heard from the Chair of the […]

What should the Child & Family Services Overview & Scrutiny Board Investigate Next?

Yesterday the Board met for the final time in this council year. It took the opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved over the past year. It was the year which saw the removal of the Assembly appointed Intervention Board and ‘serious concerns’ protocol in relation to Child & Family Services. The work of […]

Scrutiny Delivers a Clear Message about Corporate Parenting

Councillors in Swansea have shown their commitment to corporate parenting as a result of a report produced by the Child & Family Services Overview & Scrutiny Board. The scrutiny report (PDF), called ‘Care to Help?’ turned the spotlight on the role of councillors as corporate parents and its findings were recently accepted by Cabinet and Council. […]

How Effective Scrutiny Made a Difference for Vulnerable Children

Tuesday was a really important day for Swansea Child and Family Servcies as the Welsh Assembly Government decided to withdraw its Intervention Board after inspectors identified real improvements. First and foremost this is good news for vulnerable children and a story about the hard work of many dedicated people in social services in Swansea but there is also a story here about how […]

How Can We Be Better Corporate Parents?

According to the Who Cares Trust about 75,000 children are in care in the UK.  They also provide a sobering list of statistics about the life chances of those in care compared with those who are not.  So, for example: Only 13% of children in care obtain five good GCSEs – compared with 62% of […]