Shropshire Council to hear views of children in care

Children and young people in the care of Shropshire Council will make their voices heard by councillors and council officers when a special meeting is held at Shirehall next Tuesday (16 February).

Protecting vulnerable children has been identified as a key priority in Shropshire Council’s Big Conversation survey.

Now the council is keen to create opportunities for councillors to hear the voices of children and young people in care, and provide an opportunity for them to ask questions of their ‘corporate parents’.

Looked-after children and care leavers will be asking councillors and officers questions about the services that are important to them, and about how well the council has been able to meet the pledge it made to them as their corporate parent.

The event has been carefully planned for half-term week, so that as many children in care as possible are able to attend.

Karen Bradshaw, Director of Children’s Services, said:

“We want to put the voice of the child in care at the heart of the care system. All parents take children’s wishes and feelings into account when making day-to-day decisions about their lives and corporate parents need to do the same.”

David Minnery, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said:

“As an innovative council and strong corporate parent, Shropshire Council has always organised and held a successful awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of our looked-after children.

“We continue to look at different ways to offer opportunities to raise awareness, recognise their achievements, and gain valuable service feedback from our looked-after children and care leavers.”

As a corporate parent, Shropshire Council has the responsibility of working in partnership, across sectors and agencies, to monitor all looked-after children living in the council’s area, whether in foster care, residential home care or the various post-16 leaving care options.