Royal Borough strengthens its commitments to Children in Care and Care Leavers

When young people come into care, the council becomes their ‘corporate parent’. This duty extends to our Care Leavers until they reach the age of 25 years old. This means it is the collective responsibility of Elected Members, council staff and partner agencies to ensure they are doing everything they can to keep our children and young people safe, secure, healthy and fulfilled. 

The strategy has key priorities across four areas: mental and physical health, safety and permanency, respect, and education and employment. The strategy also highlights key deliverables such as opening a peer mentoring programme and working with partner organisations to ensure they understand the lived experience of both living in care and being a Care Leaver.

Cllr Tisi, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Windsor, said: “Ensuring the children and young people in care in the borough and our Care Leavers are safe, secure and succeeding in life is a priority for us. The Corporate Strategy has been developed together with council staff and Kickback and will be important in guiding staff and partner organisations on how to do our best for young people in care and those who have recently left our care. We’ve made significant progress over the past couple of years and we will continue placing young people at the centre of the work we do.

The strategy was developed in partnership with Kickback, the Royal Borough’s Children in Care Council, and the Corporate Parenting Forum, who will oversee the strategy. Through Kickback, young people in care and those who have left care were able to directly contribute by identifying areas that could be improved and being able to voice concerns and thoughts to further guide the Corporate Parenting Strategy.

The council was recently commended by Ofsted for its Children in Care services and has made significant progress since the Corporate Parenting Strategy 2022-25.  In 2024, Ofsted also said that Council services to Care Leavers was outstanding. Work has included improving children and young people’s wellbeing, their education, employment and training opportunities and supporting them to live in secure and permanent homes.  Children's Social Care are building a more stable workforce, which means fewer changes in social workers for children and young people, and are making other improvements including investing in a new local children’s home which allows young people to stay connected to familiar networks, including school, friends and family.