Cared for children and care experienced people are valued by the adults who work with them within children’s social care and by the Knowsley Children in Care Council (MADE). Their views, experiences and ideas are listened to individually and collectively to ensure services are based on need and to also embed their views within the planning, design and delivery of services.
Knowsley Children’s Social Care (CSC) are visited by Investing in Children (IIC) annually to assess participatory practice across the service. CSC has received two awards from IIC and will continue to conduct external assessments annually to keep participation high on the agenda. This has supported us to focus more on a ‘you said, we did’ approach where we listen to our children, take on board their experiences, and react in response to their thoughts, wishes and feelings.
Here are some examples of how we have responded to what children have said:
- The Corporate Parenting Board works closely with Children’s Social Care to ensure targets set out in the Corporate Parenting Plan are met. It engages feedback from MADE Together to help improve the delivery of services and monitors a ‘you said, we did’ action plan linked to what children have asked decision-makers to consider.
- MADE Together is a new shadow board to the Corporate Parenting Board which brings together decision-makers, MADE and the care experienced people forum to hold council services to account. This will help improve the care experiences of all cared-for children and the support offered for care-experienced people.
- MADE Together meets bi-annually with regular Keep in Touch (KIT) meetings with directors, heads of service and commissioned services to progress their agenda. (March and September)
- The Corporate Parenting Board support the MADE agenda to reach other decision makers and related partners to progress their agenda, such as links with the health and wellbeing board and the Knowsley safeguarding children’s partnership.
- Commissioned service and voluntary and community service across Knowsley and beyond, link with the participation officer, MADE, young advisors from Knowsley Safeguarding Children Partnership (KSCP) and care experienced people to build on offers of support, including the Local Offer for Care Experienced People, mental health support services and projects, creative arts projects, access to leisure and support for young parents.