Care Experienced Young People’s

Champions Boards

The core of our Participation Plan, which has already been awarded by Life Changes Trust on the 16th of May 2016 is unchanged, the schedule has been revised and the Participation Plan will be driven by a new corporate parent working group named the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum, supporting the Lead Participation Coordinator and the Young People’s Participation Group.

The focus of our plan is on improving outcomes for care experienced young people’s health and wellbeing. The SHANARRI framework provides a structured framework as an aid to creating an individual plan for a child or young person. Key to improvement with this is developing the confidence and skills of our care experienced young people to influence the design and delivery of their services as core members of a newly formed Champions Board.

Year 1 of the plan will commence in September 2017 – August 2018.

Year 2 of the plan will commence in September 2018 – August 2019.

Year 3 of the plan will commence in September 2019 – August 2020.

The plan;

  • will move at a pace dictated by the care experienced children and young people, dependent on their being willing and ready to meaningfully participate.
  • will be facilitated by a multi-agency Champion’s Board SUPPORT Forum whose singular role is to support the tasks, activities and schedule of the Participation Plan. This forum has established this Participation Plan.

Section 1: Your Details
  1. Contact Details
Please provide details for the primary contact for this application.
Title: / Mr
Full name: / Alex Taylor
Job title: / Head of Service
Address: / Kilmory
Lochgilphead
Argyll & Bute
PA31 8RT
Telephone: / 01546 604256
Email:
  1. Lead Applicant Details (Organisation or Partnership)

Lead Applicant Name: / Argyll & Bute Council
Lead Applicant Address: / Kilmory
Lochgilphead
Argyll & Bute
PA31 8RT
Lead Applicant status: / ☒Local Authority
☐ Community Planning Partnership
☐ Third Sector organisation
☐ Health Board
☐ Integrated Health & Social Care Partnership
☐ Other (please state)
……………………………………………………………………………
Please indicate the status of your Champions Board approach: / ☐ New initiative
☒Established (please state when initiative was established)
…………………………………………………………………
Corporate Parenting Board established 2013………………………………………………………………...
  1. Partnership details

Please name the partner organisations involved in this application and provide a short statement of support from each partner. / Local Authority
Support statement provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
Health Board(s)
Support statement provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
Third Sector
Support statement(s) provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
Further/Higher Education
Support statement(s) provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
Police Scotland
Support statement provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
Other (please state) / All members of the Corporate Parenting Board
Support statement(s) provided: ☒Yes ☐ No
If there is any additional information you wish to provide regarding your partnership, please use this box. / The Corporate Parenting Board has accepted and committed participation and support in our three year Consultation and Participation Plan. This project is included in the Corporate Parenting Board draft plan for 2017. (attached)
The attached multi-agency support statements are the pledges on the respective duties and responsibilities of each agency / department to the Corporate Parenting Board.
Section 2: Delivery of Champions Board approach
Name of Champions Board Initiative:
The Corporate Parent and Care Experienced Young People’s Partnership.
Argyll & Buteis geographically the second largest council in Scotland,with a small diverse and sparse population of approximately 80,500 located in small towns, remote rural areas and 25 inhabited islands. This demographic introduces significant challenges in delivering accessible services and support resources.
The approximate Looked After Children & Young Peopleand Care Leaverpopulation of Argyll & Bute is 186 and 106 respectively. We consider a corporate parent approach pivotal to success.
The Life Changes Trust grant will be match-funded for the following three year outline plan to establish a new Champions Board as a forum which engages all stakeholders in a consultation and participatory decision-making process. The strategic Corporate Parenting Board has re-confirmed approval and commitment to support the:
Corporate Parent and Care Experienced Young People’s Partnership.
The Outline three year Plans - Year 1.
The Chief Social Work Officer will be the Council lead person in establishing the Participation Plan. Our plan will focus on improving the Health and Wellbeing as fundamental to all aspects of the CEC&YP’s development Using the SHANARRI model of wellbeing will provide a framework for this work, supporting our children and young people to reach their potential.
Our elected members and Health and Social Care Partnership senior officers, representatives of which form the Corporate Parenting Board, along with a range of senior managers who have a departmental corporate parenting responsibility, have welcomed this plan and committed to engage.
The first year of the three year plan is twofold;
  • To create conditions in a Champions Board that facilitates meaningful consultation and engages young people, by listening to their lived experiences and opinions on the design and delivery of their services.
  • To develop the skills and confidence of CEC&YP to participate, with teaching and experiential learning, to communicate their lived experiences and influence the decision-making process within the Champions Board.
  1. To establish the profile, demography and location of the Looked After and Care Leaver population in Argyll and Bute, this database will go beyond a population mapping exercise by recording core information on each CEC&YP, and their views and opinions on consultation and participation.
  2. To recruit from our own Children & Families Social Work team a Lead Participation Co-ordinator.
  3. To appoint two Modern Apprentices from as AssistantCo-ordinators.
  4. To establish a Champions Board SUPPORT Forum, this corporate parent group will have a core objective; facilitating and managing all tasks and activities within the Participation Plan schedule.
  5. To establish and maintain a record of all matters affecting the Participation Plan. Establishing a central database of all:
  • Children’s House resident meetings.
  • the Aftercare minutes and Care Leavers views.
  • Foster Care meetings and plans with LAAC.
  • Themes of concern from LAC Reviews informed by CARO.
  • Minutes and material from events and training.
  1. To develop the constitution of the Strategic and four Operational Aftercare Fora aligning this with our Participation Plan.
  2. To establish a new Young People’s Participation Group (YPPG)– or a group name chosen by the CEC&YP, supported by the Lead Participation Co-ordinator and two Assistant Co-ordinators – the group will establish their own priorities, functions and objectives.
  3. The YPPG will in the first year report to the Corporate Parenting Board with the assistance of the Lead Coordinator and the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum.
  4. To establish the formal links – communication and collaboration - between all stakeholders in the Participation Plan.To facilitate the opportunity for elected members and senior officers to listen to and learn from the outcomes and lived experiences of CEC&YP in face-to-face consultation within a participatory decision-making process. This will take time and we have scheduled the first year for CEC&YP learning and development. All CEC&YP will have the opportunity of involvement in YPPG or Thematic Working Groups and/or:contact by Social Media ; e-mail;a dedicated Facebook arrangement, and/or by direct telephone contact.
  5. The YPPG will suggest events or programmes that meet the support and developmental needs of the group.
  6. The YPPG to be allocated a budget, for identified support and development resources, equipment and material.
The Outline three year Plans - Year 2. The Year 2 Plan will start with an end of Year 1 Residential Event, which will be open to and welcome all stakeholders. The meeting will analyse the progress made in the first year and identify gaps. The second objective being – informed by this - to make amendments and additions to the Year 2 Plan. Reports will be submitted to this end of Year 1 event from:
1 The new Champions Board SUPPORT Forum
2 The Corporate Parenting Board
3 The Young People’s Participation Group.
4The Aftercare Fora
5 The Lead Participation Co-ordinator and 2 x Assistant Co-ordinators.
7 Who Cares (Scotland) the CEYP Support & Development Plan.
The new Champions Board, with representation from the YPPG, informed by this will establish an outline Participation Action Plan for Year 2, with allocated activities and schedule.
------
The Outline three year Plans - Year 3.
The Year 3 Plan will start with an end of Year 2Residential Event, with representatives invited from all stakeholders. The meeting will analyse the progress made in the first year and identify gaps. The second objective being – informed by this - to make amendments and additions to the Year 3 Plan.
the agenda being to establish a Year 3 Action Plan on the following core pre-set objectives:
  1. The Chief Social Work Officer will continue as the Council lead person over-seeing the Participation Programme at the end of Year 3.
  2. Plans are in place for the creation of a new Champions Board – at the end of Year 3 – reviewing the role and relationship between the Corporate Parenting Board and Champions Board with a revised membership, policy and practice guidance, and constitution that fully engages in participatory decision-making.
  3. Plans are in place – at the end of Year 3 - for a sustainable resourced and funded programme of Support, Training & Development for CEYP. This is a fundamental requirement and must include a range of options, including grant funding / support for young people to access training and/or career opportunities.
  4. a resourced Champions Board is established with a clear function and objective.
  5. Plans are agreed for the succession – at the end of Year 3 - of an Assistant Co-ordinator – or qualified and experienced worker - in the role of Lead Participation Coordinator.
  6. The new Champions Board will engage with the National Champions Board Learning and Improvement Network.
The new Champions Board engaged in participatory decision-making will establish built-in succession planning, a sustainable programme, which will continue to make a significant contribution to the LCT Outcomes: our CEC&YP being fully involved in the Champions Board; making positive changes to our organisations, relationship with, and our policy and practice more responsive to the needs and preferences of Care Experienced Children and Young People.

1

  1. Project plan
    Please use the templates below to set out the activities you plan to undertake either to establish or further develop your Champions Board approach over the next three years.
    Your activities should link to the five themes explained in section 1.1 of the Guidance Notes.Please consider the aims which have been described in the Guidance Notes for each of the five themes and make sure the activities you are planning will meet these aims.
    Your project plan should be informed by your self-assessment (particularly where you identified areas of work that need further development) and the feedback from your Columba 1400 representatives. If your Champions Board has already identified a specific improvement project for care experienced young people, your project plan can focus on the development and delivery of this; however, the improvement project must contribute to the five themes.
    We expect to see more detail in your plans for year one; plans for year two and year three should be more flexible to allow for review and ongoing collaboration with young people and partners.Your project plan should help you to make the case for the level of funding you are seeking.
    An example is provided to get you started – you do not need to use this, but it can be adapted if required.

Year One
Activities / Milestones/Targets / Time
scales / By Whom
Theme: Participation / To make and maintain contactwith all care experienced children and young people in Argyll & Bute.
Establishing a sustainable programme of support and development for CEC&YP with grant funding for nominated CEC&YP with specific developmental opportunities. /
  • Establish a Participation Lead Person.
  • Establish a new corporate parent Champions Board SUPPORT Forum meetingmonthly and will be reviewed to meet the needs of LAC & Care Leavers and to support and drive the Participation Plan.
  • Establish a Lead Participation Co-ordinator for the CEC&YPPPG, to meet or make contact with all 186 LAC and 106 Care Leavers. To additionally recruit 2 resident Argyll & Bute care experienced young people as Modern Apprentices -C & YP Participation Lead Assistants.Recruitment complete by…
  • Complete a population mapping exercise and database of core information of all CEC&YP in Argyll and Bute.
  • C&CYPP Group schedule agreed, with a plan to establish local participation groups across Argyll & Bute which meet the needs of CEC&YP.
  • Communication methods explored to meet local needs – i.e. social media; outreach activities and events; email; direct contact by telephone; questionnaires.
  • To establish and maintain a database, record of matters affecting the Participation Plan, and required of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan including all:
  • Children’s House resident meeting
  • Care Leavers / Foster Care
  • Issues / information shared the corporate parent members of the CBSF.
  • Themes from CARO.
  • Issues raised in YPPG’S by LAC and/or Care Leavers on a diversity of issues affecting their life.
  • LAC & CL will have opportunities of experiential learning, training and information provided by the Lead Co-ordinator & Who Cares team to engage with the co-productive workshop model, developed in our work with IRISS, as preparation for presenting their views to the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum.
/ Oct. 2017
Aug. 2017
Oct. 2017
Dec. 2017
Dec. 2017
April 2018
April 2018
April 2018
April 2018, or as soon as CEC&YP become willing and able to engage. / CPB
Ronnie Mahoney & Paul Kyle
Who Cares (Scotland) and Participation Co-ordinator
Who Cares (Scotland) and Participation Co-ordinator and the 2 Assistant Participation Modern Apprentices.
The Corporate
Parenting Board. /
  • To create the conditions for a future Champions Board forum, which engages all stakeholders - with care experienced children and young people at the centre - in participation activity.
/
  • To conduct a survey of current membership of the Corporate Parenting Board to confirm their understanding and commitment to a Champions Board approach to a participation strategy.
  • Corporate Parenting Training delivered to key Heads of service and agency leads.
  • Multi agency statements are reviewed and updated to reflect new Corporate Parenting responsibilities.
  • Formal links and the mechanics of good communication and collaboration to be established between the Corporate Parenting Board; the YPPG’s; and the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum, to ensure that the views and experiences of looked after children are heard and taken account of.
  • The Corporate Parenting Board establishes a strategy and plan to engage care experienced children and young people in participation activity.
/ To be established in August / September board 2017 / The Champions Board SUPPORT Forum, the
Participation Co-ordinator
Who Cares (S)
The CPB ; the Champions BoardSUPPORT Forum and Who Cares (S)
The CPB,the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum; the
Participation Co-ordinator Who Cares (S)
Theme: Leadership / To promote and develop the leadership skills and abilities of all stakeholders, including:
  • The Corporate Parenting Board.
  • The new Champions Board SUPPORT Forum
  • CEC&YPPG.
  • and, generally throughout the care experienced children and young people.
To promote and develop the leadership skills and abilities of all stakeholders. /
  • Identify a Participation Lead as a key decision maker and co-ordinator in the participation programme, from a Corporate Parenting agency.
  • The Corporate Parenting Board multi agency statements are reviewed and updated to reflect new Corporate Parenting responsibilities –with a focus on understanding of and commitment to their respective lead role.
  • Based on the report on profile, demography and location of the looked after and care leaver population in Argyll and Bute to establish a strategy and plan to build the confidence and ability of care experienced children and young people.
  • Our prime objective in the first year is to have our young people happy and engaged on both an individual level and as part of a group. To provide them training, information and access to experiential learning. When they are ready and willing, to share their views and experiences.
  • A programme of training, support and development in place for our two: Assistant Lead Participation Co-ordinator whowill besupporting Children and Young Peoplein taking a leading role in participation activities.
/ Aug.2017
March 2018
April 2018
August 2018
Jan. 2018 / the Head of Service
the Corporate Parenting Board; the Champions Board SUPPORT Forum;
Participation Co-ordinatorand
Who Cares (S)
the CBSF;
Participation Co-ordinator &Who Cares
Theme: Sustainability / An outline Plan is established for a sustainable programme of support & development for CEC&YP in consultation and participatory decision-making. /
  • To establish a sustainable programme of support for LAC & CL in :
  • Forming relationships.
  • Building trust
  • Being part of a group.
developing their skills and building
self-confidence.
  • To build an alliance between the corporate parent and care experienced children and young people creating the conditions for developing a meaningful and effective working relationship.
  • To establish a working draft Policy, Procedure and Practice Guidance on a sustainable Participation Plan involving all stakeholders.
  • The Corporate Parenting Board will organise and support activities that promote public awareness of and help to understand and support care experienced children and young people.
/ April 2018