Agenda item

To receive and consider the Draft UASC Strategy report.

Viki Elliott-King presented the Draft Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Strategy report.

The following points were highlighted:

·           UASC were children who were outside of their country of origin without the care and protection of their parents or legal guardian;

·           There were many reasons for children to have escaped their country of origin, such as war, fear of persecution, parents being killed, poverty, and others;

·           The document was currently a draft as the details were still being agreed;

·           The strategy would be a dynamic document as the situation in relation to UASC could change;

·           UASC were Children In Care (CIC) and the CIC Strategy applied to them too.  However, due to their specific circumstances, it was believed that a separate strategy to address their specific needs;

·           There had been an increase in the number of UASC in the borough;

·           The strategy included:

Ø  Enhanced advocacy offer

Ø  Enhanced training package for social workers

Ø  Legal advice

Ø  Age assessment

Ø  Translation support

Ø  Emotional health and wellbeing, including mental health first aid training for social workers

Ø  Specific support for education through the Virtual School;

·           There were plans to recruit more foster carers within the borough who could meet their cultural identity needs;

·           It was desirable to place UASC in the borough so that they could benefit from the education and training facilities available;

·           The UASC Steering Group would meet this week to agree the final strategy;

·           The development of supported lodging and semi-independent accommodation would continue to be an area of focus.

Councillor Firmager believed that it was important to offer UCAS the opportunity to take part in sport and drama activities, as this would help them integrate with the community.

Viki Elliott-King agreed that enrichment activities were important for socialising and learning new schools.  Adam Davis, Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care and Early Intervention stated that there were opportunities available for UASC organised by the Virtual School and Here4U.

In respect to the projected increase in the number of UASC, Councillor Gray asked if there was capacity within the borough to accommodate these children in the next few years.

Adam Davis explained that Care Leavers often lived in semi-independent accommodation.  For UASC, there was a complication in relation to their legal status; if this was not resolved, they could not work or claim benefits to support them to live independently.  Therefore, a range of types of accommodation was needed.

Councillor Ainslie asked how many hours of English tuition as week was provided to UASC?  Adam Davis explained that this was organised by the Virtual School.  Helen Watson invited Members to attend a meeting of the Virtual School Governing Body so they could ask more specific questions.

Councillor Pittock asked for more information about the process of the allocation of UASC in the country. 

Adam Davis explained that the country was divided into regions, and each region had a number of local authorities, there were 19 local authorities in the South East.  A lot of children arrived in the costal areas where there were ports, others arrived in service stations.  The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) distributed the children across the regions, in accordance with an agreed cap number, in a rota basis.  For Wokingham the cap number was currently 41.

Wokingham was probably not the place of choice when children left their home country.  They were likely to aim to go where there was a family or community connection.

Councillor Bray explained that not all the UASC that Wokingham was responsible for ever lived in Wokingham.  They could be placed in fostering arrangements in other areas, but Wokingham was still responsible for them.

Councillor Pittock observed that it was more difficult to undertake the corporate parenting responsibilities with children living out of the borough.  Adam Davis stated that there were plans in the strategy to recruit more foster carers locally.  Wherever the children were placed, social workers still had to visit as frequently as they would if they lived in the borough, and they had access to the Virtual School.

Richard Lamey asked for more explanation about the Virtual School.  Ming Zang, Assistant Director for Education and SEND explained that the Virtual School was run like a school, but virtually.  It had a governing body which was chaired by the Director for Children’s Services.  The Virtual School worked with schools to ensure that CIC’s education was prioritised, they held schools to account and provided support and challenge to schools.  Each child had a Personal Educational Plan (PEP), the Virtual School ensure that this plan was of high quality and that the Pupil Premium fund was being used effectively.  The role of the Virtual School was a statutory function.

The Chairman suggested that the latest Virtual School report be sent to Members for their information.

RESOLVED That:

1)     The CSO&S Committee notes the content of the draft UASC Strategy and how it complements the overarching Children In Care and Care Leaver Strategy;

2)     Notes plans for its finalisation and implementation;

3)     Consideration be given of a peer review of the UCAS Strategy in the next 12 months and its findings to be presented to the CSO&S Committee;

4)     That the Leader of the Council writes to the Secretary of State and all MPs representing the borough asking for central government grants to be raised to cover the full cost of UASC Care Leavers; and

5)     Meeting invitations will be arranged for members of CSO&S Committee to attend a Virtual School governing body meeting.