Poole Children in Care Council : Report Oct 2012- Jan 2013

Summary

Since the last report to the CPWG (Oct 2012), Poole Children in Care Council (PKiC) has:

  • Met five times
  • Given regular email updates of PKiC activities to socialservices and foster carers
  • A member of PKiC wrotean articlefor the Foster Carers newsletter
  • Met with the practice and participation group to discuss the work of PKiC
  • Provided on-goingmentoring and supportto one young person in learning a new skill for their Duke of Edinburgh Award (designing our PKiC newsletters)
  • Produced a powerpoint of thanks for Poole foster carers. This was shown at the Foster carer celebration evening on January17
  • Sent the PKiC January Newsletter to all children aged 11+ in care in Poole
  • Received £875 From JP Morgan

PKiC Monthly Children in Care Council Meetings

Summary of meeting held on26 October 2012

Joint Bowling Activity with Dorset Children in Care Council

Summary of Meeting held on 12thNovember 2012

How could we improve health assessments for children in care?

  • Feedback: attached at Appendix A

Summary of meeting held on 3rdDecember 2012

Review PKiC

Gather Christmas party ideas & plan for secret Santa

  • Feedback:attached Appendix B

Summary of the meeting held on 15thDecember 2012

Produced a powerpoint to express thanks to fostercarers

(The power point will be shown at the CPWG meeting)

Summary of the meeting held on 17th Dec 2012

Christmas Party and Pizza!

Other Meetings:

Meeting with Senior Social Workerto discuss the design of a leaflet for a social service POD– 4 youngpeople attended to discuss the leaflet. A draft design was produced by a member of PKiC and has been sent to the POD for further discussion

I accompanied 4 young peopleto the‘Voice it’ conference in Poole where they shared their views on Poole.

PKiC Participants

15 young people in total have attended PKiC Meetingssince October 2012.

7 young people have attendedallthe PKiC Meetings since July 2012

Gender breakdown: 5 male, 10 female

Age range:

10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17
1 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 3

Geographical spread:

Poole / 15 / Bournemouth / Dorset / Other / 0

Legal Status:

Emergency
Protection Order / Section 20 / Interim Care Order / Full Care Order / care leavers / freed
2 / 0 / 12 / 0 / 1

Disability:At least 1 of the participants was disabled

Ethnicity: None of the participants was from a minority ethnic group,

Appendix A

Feedback from the health consultation on Monday 12 November:

Present: 8 young people aged between 10-16 years

3male 6 female

1 The pre appointment questionnaire

How do you feel about being sent a pre- appointment questionnaire?

8 thumbs up

Which bits do you like?

  • The worry box
  • The green one ‘my health matters’ because it has more questions
  • How you have used the colours on the writing
  • The bright colours
  • My health matters
  • It’s all good
  • All of it

Which bits need changing?

  • More space to write answers
  • Nothing x4
  • Don’t have such bright colours as it can be harder to read
  • To many questions

Is there anything missing

  • No x4
  • More space to write
  • Pictures

2.The Health assessment

Venue

Fors & Against

  • Home 3 (more private)
  • School 2 (1 comment that they wouldn’t like it because friends and people you know might hear)
  • Ted Webster 1
  • Out and About 3 (pizza hut) to be more sociable

How would you like to complete the assessment?

  • Chat 3 ‘because it is my view & opinion’ ‘because you can also say what you like in an easy way and discuss what you mean’
  • Questionnaire 2
  • Computer 4
  • Other way? No suggestions given

3. Introductory Leaflet

6 thumbs up

1 ok

1 thumbs down

What is good?

  • Tells kids information
  • Because it gives you information
  • Tell newcomers what they need to know
  • It’s good and bad. Good because of its idea( a leaflet could be helpful)
  • The information is helpful
  • Colourful
  • Pictures help us to know who people are
  • Good idea for a leaflet
  • Have word search or something fun in it as well!
  • Choice of contact number details
  • Could give out business cards instead
  • More purple!!!

What do you think could be improved?

  • Frame around pages
  • Explain the names of things in the booklet e.g. health team administration assistant ( didn’t understand what their role is)
  • Shorten sentences so more understandable
  • More pictures
  • Colour
  • Peoples photos on the leaflet
  • Bit more information
  • In colour
  • More detail
  • Photocopy/print the things the correct way around!!!!
  • Being more interesting to read
  • Too much to read
  • Put photos on it

Feedback re: leaflet written on flipchart

  • Good idea for a leaflet
  • Make it colourful (likes colour purple)
  • It does not have all the information that’s needed

4. Comments re: Questionnaire (Dorset Health care University Foundation) and which they prefer

Questionnaire (Dorset Health care University Foundation)

  • I like it because it has more info and more questions
  • Good questions
  • It has more info and detail, more to answer
  • This one is better as it gets to the point
  • Prefer these questions as more simple but like the box on the other- please add box to the other questionnaire as then I can write anything else that’s important

Younger members preferred Bristol NHS Questionnaire- liked pictures and the opportunity to write on the wall

Appendix B

PKiC Review

  1. About PKiC

What do you enjoy most about PKiC?

  • Meeting new people x 2
  • Meeting new people in the same situation as me.
  • Helping to make a difference
  • The activities and food
  • Discussing key points about kids in care
  • The food
  • Talking to other children in care
  • Food & the leader

What would you change?

  • More fun
  • Venue and more food
  • The meeting place
  • Have meetings longer
  • More food
  • Nothing x 2
  • Nothing it’s really good

Do you think PKiC makes a difference?

Yes8No 1

Why?

  • Kind of because we talk about being in care and it changes things e.g. pep leaflet
  • Both because some things make a difference, other’s don’t
  • Because we try to make changes to important leaflets
  • Because I have made new friends
  • Because some people’s lives aren’t as good as it should be and PKiC helps them discuss it with some people who may be in the same situation
  • Because making us more confident to speak
  • Action is made upon what is said
  • It is a way to meet other people in care
  • Because it keeps kids doing proactive things

2. The Future of PKiC

Do you think we should have 2 groups (One for 10-15 years & one for 16-21?)

Yes 3 No 6

Why?

  • Because it’s good to meet new people
  • It would be better if we were all together
  • More people to interact
  • Because it is nice forthe different age groups to mix
  • Because it makes you more confident
  • Because I think it’s good for people to meet with people of all ages and make new friends
  • No its better if younger ones listen to the older, so they can feel what it’s like to grow up

Yes :

  • Different needs
  • The older ones can be too loud

Are there any other things you think PKiC should do next year?

  • No – just the same
  • Nox 2
  • More socials
  • Make some outings
  • Go out of Ted Web more often
  • Halloween party’s
  • More adventure stuff e.g Go Ape

3. Where we meet and when?

Would you prefer to meet at Ted Webster Centre or a youth centre?

Yes 4 Don’t mind 5

Why ?

  • Youth centre as more to do in breaks
  • Youth centre as Ted Webster is boring
  • Youth centre cuz it’s more space

Are you happy meeting on a Monday? Yes 8 No 1

Are you happy with the time of 5.30-7.00pm

Yes8 No 1 (Need more hours)

How often would you like to meet?.

  • Once every 2 weeks ( x 4)
  • Whenever
  • As often as needed
  • Once a week
  • As much as we do
  • Every week except in holidays

And finally

Any other thoughts about PKiC?

‘Its amazing’

Future Planned Activities

1 Joint Event with the Open access service to look at opportunities for looked after children to join the young people’s shadow board and take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme: January 28th 5.30-7.30pm.

2 PKiC Meeting: February 4th:Voting for the candidates for young people’s shadow board

3 Creative Arts Taster Day ( for ages 8-13 years). Saturday 23rd February.

In partnership with AUCB and Bournemouth and Dorset Children in Care Council’s.

Workshops include: tie dyeing, clothes ‘up-cycling’, sock puppet making and set design/ backdrop painting

4 Mayors Debate: PKiC will be invited to attend the Mayors debate on Wednesday 27th February

5 PKiC Meeting:March 4th Ted Webster Centre

6 Music Taster Day(for ages 11-16). Friday 12th April. Opportunity for children in care from Poole and Bournemouth to take part in the following workshops: Samba or Taiko drumming, song writing, Ukulele manufacture and playing (the young people can take their ukulele home)

7 Employability Skills Event for Looked After ChildrenSaturday June 1st

(for ages 14+) A creative project in partnership with AUCB focusing on employability skills for those in care.

8 Power Play Project (subject to written confirmation of funding)

It is planned to offer a series of monthly Saturday morning sessions, 10.00am – 1.00pm to all young people in care (11-21) in Poole that will focus on creating a song/musical piece / power point for the Children in Care Awards

The aim is to focus on the theme of ‘Achievement’ and hopefully create a piece of music/power point that celebrates what these young people are achieving , perhaps despite the hand they have been dealt in life!

The two sessions planned for after the performance will look at the progression of the participants, this could involve developing a further project to focus on the issue of ‘Transition’ where young people in care move on to the Pathways Team and change their social worker. It could also, depending on ability and aptitude, lead to a peer mentoring /young music leader project that could open up the offer to the 8 -12 age range of young people in care.

Challenges

Time:Currently working at full capacity.

Resources: I have needed to fundraise in order to provide a mixture of consultation and social activities

Venue: Ted Webster Centre has become too small: Currently have offer from CYPIS re: youth venue

Need a strong co- leader

Need clear priorities on consultation exercises as I have had many different requests.

This will enable me to draw up a work plan for the next 12 months to make the work manageable.

Requests have included

  • Buddy scheme
  • Website design
  • Consultation around transition
  • Possibility that some PKIC could design a leaflet for YP to explain Pathway Service
  • Possible project whereby YP in Pathway Service to be videoed about their experience of transition into Pathway Service – what to expect. Idea being the DVD can be shown to children in care age14/15 to explain – as well as could be shown to foster carers’ and other professionals.
  • Review of the Borough of Poole’s Charter for looked after children
  • Young peoplepreparing a brief presentation at the Skills to Foster Training.
  • Joint creative music/arts taster day with Bournemouth with LAC who are NEET.

The list could be endless and very exciting but there is a need to prioritise in order to remain focussed on the most important issues for Poole and the young people priorities.

Aldina Taylor

Action for Children

January 2013