Decision details

The Chief Executive presented a report which provided a summary of the District/Borough Council elements contained within the proposed Nottinghamshire Local Offer for Care Leavers. The proposed local offer was attached as an appendix to the report.

Section 2 of the Children & Social Care Act 2017 required each local authority (including District Councils) to publish a local offer for its care leavers (18 – 25 years).  This would provide information about all the services and support, statutory and discretionary that was available to care leavers from each local authority. Through the Nottinghamshire Local Authorities Chief Executives’ Group, the County Council and District/Borough Councils had agreed to create one joint single Care Leaver Offer for Nottinghamshire. The District/Borough Councils’ Chief Executives had expressed an ‘in principle’ support for the proposals subject to the relevant approval of their respective Councils.

The elements of the local offer relevant to the District Council were detailed in the report and related to employment, skills and apprenticeships, housing, and physical and mental health. In addition, all Nottinghamshire Borough/District Councils had previously agreed to exempt care leavers from council tax up to their 25th birthday as part of the development of this local offer.

Members noted that the draft local offer did not include the Dukeries Academy within the list of Further Education Colleges within easy access to Nottinghamshire care leavers.

AGREED (unanimously) that:

(a)        Members express their commitment to, and support for, the proposed Nottinghamshire Local Offer for Care Leavers and refer approval of the various Borough/District Council elements to the relevant committees; and

(b)        future consideration be given to how Borough/District Councils might work with Nottinghamshire County Council to support Looked After Children and those at risk/vulnerable of becoming so.

Reason for Decision

To fulfil statutory Corporate Parenting duties, improve lifetime outcomes for Nottinghamshire’s care leavers and to reduce lifetime local and national spend on care leavers.