Councillors guide to Corporate Parenting
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please can you supply the following:
'Full Councillors guide to being a good Corporate Parent'and all publications for Corporate Parenting.
Clarify if all Councillors and Elected Members are Corporate Parents and their duties, along with supporting legislation.
Yours faithfully,
S Smith
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
Thank you for your recent email. A reply will be sent to you as soon as
possible (where a response is required). For information, the
departmental standard for correspondence received is that responses
should be sent within 15 working days or 20 working days if you are
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0012670
Thank you.
Central Allocation Team
Public Communications Team
Tel: 0870 0002288
www.dcsf.gov.uk
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
Thank you for your email dated 09 February 2009 about the definition of
"corporate parent" for children in care.
"If this were my child...A councillors guide to being a good corporate
parent", can be found at the weblink below
www.dcsf.gov.uk/qualityprotects/pdfs/chi...
The term "corporate parent" is not one which has a formal legal
definition. However, the term recognises that the local authority must
have the same interest in the progress and attainments of looked after
children as a reasonable parent would have for their own children. The
responsibilities of being a corporate parent are relevant to all local
authority staff. However, as the guide you request emphasises, it will be
senior officers, particularly the Director of Children's Services and
their senior staff, with the lead member for children's services, who are
accountable for ensuring that looked after children are adequately
safeguarded and that they are able to access effective services to respond
to their individual needs.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager
Care Planning
Children in Care Division
[email address]
[1]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0012670.
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Children, Schools and Families's handling of my FOI request 'Councillors guide to Corporate Parenting'.
The 'Full' Councillors guide was requested but only the shortened version supplied.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/co...
Yours sincerely,
S Smith
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
Thank you for your email dated 16 February 2009 requesting "If this were
my child....a councillor's guide to being a good corporate parent" .I
apologise for any inconvenience caused by previously sending you the
weblink to the summary document. The full document can be accessed at
[1]www.dcsf.gov.uk/qualityprotects/pdfs/childmain.pdf
Yours sincerely,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager
Care Planning
Children in Care Division
[2]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0014488.
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/qualityprotects/p...
2. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
Dear Sir or Madam, REF: 2009/0014488
'Full Councillors guide to being a good Corporate Parent'and all publications for Corporate Parenting.
Please clarify if all Councillors/Elected Members are Corporate Parents and their duties, along with supporting legislation; Clearly Elected Members are not staff and you refer to staff in your response. Including if all up-dated publications have been supplied concerning all aspects of 'Corporate Parenting'?
Yours sincerely,
S Smith
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
Thank you for your recent email. A reply will be sent to you as soon as
possible (where a response is required). For information, the
departmental standard for correspondence received is that responses
should be sent within 15 working days or 20 working days if you are
requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0016832
Thank you.
Central Allocation Team
Public Communications Team
Tel: 0870 0002288
www.dcsf.gov.uk
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
Thank you for your most recent email about role of Councillors as "corporate parents" for looked after children.
"Corporate parent" is a general term and, as such, the term is not one with a narrow statutory definition. The concept
is helpful in conveying that the welfare of looked after children in the responsibility of everyone on the local
authority, rather than only being the responsibility of children's services. Whilst then some Councillors such as the
lead member, will have very specific duties towards looked after children, all members of the council will be corporate
parents in this wide sense.
Frank Dobson MP introduced the term when he was the responsible Secretary of State in 1998. In his words -
The (looked after) child has a right to expect that members of the authority are looking out for him and will protect
him from harm
Therefore, given that the central importance of the local authority's role in caring for looked after children and
supporting them to reach their potential, all Councillors should take an informed interest in how the council supports
this very vulnerable group.
Finally you asked for some more recent publications about corporate parenting:
The National Children's Bureau has produced a toolkit for Councillors about corporate parenting. This appears not to be
available on the web but can be purchased from NCB.
[1]http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_2...
Many Councils have found training based on the toolkit helpful in familiarising members with what is involved in being
a corporate parent.
Finally, you might also be interested in reading Chapter 1 of the Care Matters: White Paper, called Corporate
Parenting: getting it right.
[2]http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default....
Yours sincerely,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager - Care Planning
Children in Care Division
[3]www.dcsf.gov.uk
Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2009/0016832.
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_2...
2. http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default....
3. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/
Dear Sir or Madam,
Unfortunately none of the links you have supplied work, could you please supply the information in DOC.as a down load.
Yours sincerely,
S Smith
Dear Mr/Ms Smith,
I'm sorry that the links did not work on my previous email. I have
reformatted them below and hope that they are now functional.
NCB - Corporate Parenting Toolkit
[1]http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_2...
The full title and authors of this document with ISBN number is given
below. This is in a series published by the National Children's Bureau
called "Care Matters Resources: Toolkit Series" - this phrase would enable
you to find the document details using your own search engine.
Putting Corporate Parenting into Practice
Di Hart and Alison Williams
Sets out the responsibilities of a corporate parent, together with
practical tools to support effective practice. Essential reading for local
councillors, council officers, partner agencies and trainers with
responsibility for looked after children and care leavers.
2008. 124pp. ISBN: 978 1 905818 21 1.
Price: £26.00 / NCB members £20.80.
DCSF Care Matters: White Paper
[2]http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default....
If this link does not take you to the DCSF Publications page then if you
input "Care Matters: Time for Change" you should be able to find the
document using your own search engine,
I hope that this information is helpful,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager - Care Planning.
Children in Care Division
Tel: 020 7273 1122
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ncb.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_2...
2. http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default....
Dear Sir or Madam,
The link still does not seem to work , please supply in
DOC (document).
Yours sincerely,
S Smith
Dear Mr/Ms Smith
Please find attached the pdf of the Care Matters White Paper referred to in our earlier email. I can only suggest that you make direct contact with the National Children Bureau for information about the Corporate Parenting Toolkit - Putting Corporate Parenting into Practice.
I hope that you now have the information you requested.
Your sincerely,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager - Care Planning.
Children in Care Division
Dear Sir or Madam,
Please quote the clauses directly that
applies to this case?
Yours sincerely,
S Smith
I am out of office on 6th March and in meetings all day on 9th March and so this mailbox will not be monitored. Contact Kevin Woods if urgent
Dear Mr/Ms S. Smith
As explained in earlier correspondence there is not a narrow statutory
definition as to what is involved for councillors in carrying out their
corporate parenting responsibilities. However, Chapter 1 of Care Matters
sets out a range of features that contribute to corporate parenting.
Paragraph 1.26 of the White Paper explains:
All elected Members of a local authority have a critical role in setting
the strategic direction of a Council's services and in determining
policy priorities for the local community. As such, they have it in
their power to affect the lives of children in their community for the
better. This duty and power has the greatest significance for children
in their care given that the Council as a whole has the role and
responsibility of acting as a coronate parent.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Burrows
Team Manager - Care Planning.
Children in Care Division
DCSF
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