Agenda item

‘This Council notes:

·               Care experienced people can face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives;

·               Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

·               Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment, and in the criminal justice system;

·               Care experienced people may encounter inconsistent support;

·               As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for children looked after by us as an authority;

·               All corporate parents should act as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and consider their needs in any aspect of council work;

·               Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;

·               The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

This Council therefore resolves that:  

·       It recognises that care experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination;

·       It recognises the Council’s duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;

·       Future Council’s decisions, services and policies be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic;

·       In the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and annual publication of information relating to people who share a protected characteristic in services and employment;

·       This Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic;

·       It calls upon other bodies to treat care experience as a protected characteristic, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;

·       The Council will continue to proactively seek out, listen and respond to the voices of care experienced people when developing policies, incorporating their views.’

Chief Finance Officer Comment:

There are no direct financial implications arising from this motion.

The Chief Finance Officer comments are purely an assessment of the Financial Implications associated with the Motion as written and are not an opinion on the policy direction or intention contained within them.

Council considered the following Motion, proposed by Councillor Andrew Mickleburgh and seconded by Councillor Jane Ainslie.

‘This Council notes:

·               Care experienced people can face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives;

·               Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

·               Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment, and in the criminal justice system;

·               Care experienced people may encounter inconsistent support;

·               As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for children looked after by us as an authority;

·               All corporate parents should act as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and consider their needs in any aspect of council work;

·               Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;

·               The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

This Council therefore resolves that:  

·               It recognises that care experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination;

·               It recognises the Council’s duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;

·               Future Council’s decisions, services and policies be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic;

·               In the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and annual publication of information relating to people who share a protected characteristic in services and employment;

·               This Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic;

·               It  calls upon other bodies to treat care experience as a protected characteristic, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;

·               The Council will continue to proactively seek out, listen and respond to the voices of care experienced people when developing policies, incorporating their views.’

It was moved by Councillor Marie-Louise Weighill and seconded by Councillor Andy Croy that the Motion be amended as follows (in bold).

‘ThisCouncil notes:  

·       Care experienced people can face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives;  

·       Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;  

·       Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment, and in the criminal justice system;  

Care experienced people may encounter inconsistent support;  

• As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for children looked after by us as an authority;  

• All corporate parents should act as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and consider their needs in any aspect of council work;  

• Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;  

• The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.  

This Council therefore resolves that:  

·       It recognises that care experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination;  

·       It recognises the Council’s duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;  

·       Future Council’s decisions, services and policies be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic;  

·       In the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and annual publication of information relating to people who share a protected characteristic in services and employment;  

·       This Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic;  

·       It calls upon other bodies to treat care experience as a protected characteristic, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;  

·       The Council will continue to proactively seek out, listen and respond to the voices of care experienced people when developing policies, incorporating their views AND act on the expressed priorities of Care Leavers and their organisations by ensuring that Care Leavers’ access to their records is made more meaningful and complete.’

Councillor Mickleburgh indicated that the proposed amendment was acceptable.  The amended Motion became the substantive Motion.

Upon being put to the vote it was:

RESOLVED:  That Council notes:  

·       Care experienced people can face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives;  

·       Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;  

·       Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment, and in the criminal justice system;  

Care experienced people may encounter inconsistent support;  

• As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility to provide the best possible care and safeguarding for children looked after by us as an authority;  

• All corporate parents should act as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and consider their needs in any aspect of council work;  

• Councillors should be champions of the children in our care and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society;  

• The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.  

Council resolves:  

·       It recognises that care experienced people are a group who are likely to face discrimination;  

·       It recognises the Council’s duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;  

·       Future Council’s decisions, services and policies be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a protected characteristic;  

·       In the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and annual publication of information relating to people who share a protected characteristic in services and employment;  

·       This Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic;  

·       It calls upon other bodies to treat care experience as a protected characteristic, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;  

·       The Council will continue to proactively seek out, listen and respond to the voices of care experienced people when developing policies, incorporating their views AND act on the expressed priorities of Care Leavers and their organisations by ensuring that Care Leavers’ access to their records is made more meaningful and complete.’