University of Dundee Corporate Parenting Policy

Purpose of policy

The purpose of this policy is to define the terms of the action plan developed to improve outcomes of looked after children which the University of Dundee (thereafter the University) has responsibility for as a Corporate Parent under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Definitions

Corporate Parenting refers to “A public bodies’ performance of actions necessary to promote and support the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and cognitive development of a looked after child or care leaver, from infancy through to adulthood.” (From Draft Guidance on Part 9 of Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014)

And also

“…the formal and local partnerships needed between all local authority departments and services, and associated agencies such as “A body which is a “post-16 education body” for the purposes of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005” who are responsible for working together to meet the needs of looked after young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years as defined the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (thereafter in this document called the Act)

The University role of Corporate Parent applies to any young person under the age of 26 years and was (on the person’s 16th birthday or at any subsequent time) but is no longer, looked after by a local authority. Also any young person who is at least 16 years old and was formerly, but is no longer, looked after by a local authority. This includes young people who are looked after by a local authority within the parental home, by other family members (kinship carers) and in other care settings.

Corporate Parenting Responsibilities

The University will:

• Be alert to matters which, or which might, adversely affect the wellbeing of young people to whom this applies.
• Assess the needs of those young people for the services and support it provides, and develop with each young person an individual care action plan.
• Review each young person’s care action plan annually or earlier as required.
• Promote the interests of those young people.
• Seek to provide those young people with opportunities to participate in activities designed to promote their wellbeing and make these accessible to them.
• Endeavour to promote and support the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and cognitive development of those young people.
• Take such action as it considers appropriate to help those young people to make use of services, and access support, which it provides, and take such other action as it considers appropriate for the purposes of improving the way in which it exercises its functions in relation to them.

Corporate Parenting Action Plan

The University will:

• Prepare a plan in relation to how it will exercise its corporate parenting responsibilities, and keep its plan under review.
• Before preparing or revising the university corporate parenting plan it will consult such other corporate parents, and such other persons, as it considers appropriate.
• Publish its plan, and any revised plan, in such manner as it considers appropriate (and, in particular, plans may be published together with, or as part of, any other plan or document).

Collaborative working among corporate parents

The University will in so far as reasonably practicable, collaborate with other corporate parents when exercising their corporate parenting responsibilities or any other functions related to this where they consider that doing so would safeguard or promote the wellbeing of the young people.

Such collaboration may, as required, include:

• Sharing information,
• Providing advice or assistance,
• Co-ordinating activities (and seeking to prevent unnecessary duplication),
• Sharing responsibility for action,
• Funding activities jointly,
• Exercising functions jointly (for example, by publishing a joint plan or joint report).

Reporting

The University will report on how it has exercised its Corporate parenting responsibilities, planning and collaborating functions in pursuance of sections 59 and 60 of the Act, and other related functions to University of Dundee Retention and Progression Committee.

Reports will include information about

• Standards of performance set against outcomes achieved in relation to its Corporate Parenting duties set out in the University of Dundee Corporate Parenting Action Plan.
• Reports will be published in such manner as the University considers appropriate (and, in particular, reports may be published together with, or as part of any other report or document).

Duty to provide information to Scottish Ministers

As mandated in the Act, the University will provide the Scottish Ministers with such information as they may reasonably require about how it is:

• Exercising its corporate parenting responsibilities,
• Planning, collaborating or reporting in pursuance of sections 59, 60 or 61 of the Act or otherwise exercising functions in relation to this
• Information which is required may, in particular, include information about standards of performance and the outcomes achieved.

Guidance on corporate parenting

The University will take regard to any guidance about corporate parenting issued by the Scottish Ministers.

Guidance may, in particular, include advice or information about -

How corporate parents should:

• Exercise their corporate parenting responsibilities,
• Promote awareness of their corporate parenting responsibilities,
• Plan, collaborate or report in pursuance of sections 59, 60 or 61 of the Act, or otherwise exercise functions in relation to their corporate parenting duty.

The outcomes which corporate parents should seek to achieve in exercising functions in relation to this.

Before issuing or revising guidance, the Scottish Ministers must consult any corporate parent to which it relates, and such other persons as they consider appropriate.