The Corporate Parenting Strategy outlines the Council’s aspirations as to the kind of corporate parent Torbay Council wants to be and how the Council will work alongside its partners, including education, police and health services, to achieve this ambition.

The Strategy outlines the commitment of our Partnership to these objectives, and achieving our ambitions through strong strategic, corporate and political leadership and meaningful performance management, a commitment to the ongoing engagement and involvement of children and young people in the development and implementation of our Strategy and associated action plans and effective working together with our partners across Torbay.

That Cabinet recommends to Council:

That the Corporate Parenting Strategy 2022-25 be approved. 

The Children and Social Work Act 2017, set out the responsibility for local authorities in respect of their corporate parenting duties. In February 2019, the Department for Education published Statutory Guidance for local authorities and outlined the key principles of Corporate Parenting. In addition, under the Children Act 2004, it was highlighted that local authorities have a duty to promote co-operation between their relevant partners and the Act also highlights that corporate parenting was a task which should be shared Council-wide and across the partnership.

There were no alternative options considered.

The recommendation of the Cabinet will be considered at the Council meeting on 20 September 2023.

As outlined within the Corporate Parenting Strategy, the Council want their cared for and care experienced young people to be safe, happy and healthy, in order that they can reach their full potential, and as corporate parents, the Council wished to give it’s cared for and care experienced children and young people the access to all of the opportunities that good parents afford their children. The Corporate Parenting Strategy outlines how the local authority and the partnership can achieve this vision.

At the meeting, Councillor Bye proposed and Councillor Chris Lewis seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously by the Cabinet, as set out above.

None.