Subject:		Introduction of a Charging Policy for Children who are Accommodated at the request of their parents under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 – Extract from the Children, Young People & Skills Committee meeting held on 11 January 2021
Date of Meeting:		18 March 2021
Report of:		Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law
Contact Officer:	Name:	Lisa Johnson	Tel:	01273 291228
	E-mail:	lisa.johnson@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Wards Affected:	All

FOR GENERAL RELEASE

Action Required of Policy & Resources Committee:

To consider the report and the recommendation from the Children, Young People & Skills Committee.

recommendation:

That the introduction of the Charging Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report to seek to recoup partial costs in defined circumstances when a child becomes Looked After at the request of parents be approved.

Brighton & Hove City Council

Children, Young People & Skills Committee

4.00pm11 January 2021

VIRTUAL MEETING

MINUTES

Present:   Councillor Clare (Chair); Hills (Deputy Chair), Allcock (Opposition Spokesperson), Brown (Group Spokesperson), Grimshaw, Hamilton, Lloyd, McNair, Nield and Simson.

PART ONE

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63 Introduction of a Charging Policy for Children who are Accommodated at the request of their parents under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989

63.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning regarding the introduction of a Charging Policy for children who were accommodated at the request of their parents under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989. The report was introduced by the the Head of Safeguarding & Performance.

63.2  Councillor Grimshaw was pleased to note that the Head of Service may apply discretion on the payments made.

63.3 Councillor Hills said that this would always be a difficult decision for parents/carers to make and asked if officers worked with families to avoid the children going into care and asked why the number of children in this situation had increased. The Head of Safeguarding & Performance said that significant support was given to families. The increase in number was due to a number of reasons but was sometimes due to a parental breakup and the child could not then be accommodated by either parent. Often the time children were in care was short.

63.4    The Chair noted that in the draft policy there was reference to ‘County     Council’ and confirmed that that wording would be amended. 

63.5    RESOLVED: That the Committee approved the introduction of the Charging Policy, pending ratification at Policy & Resource Committee, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report to seek to recoup partial costs in defined circumstances when a child becomes Looked After at the request of parents.