Agenda item - Introduction of a Charging Policy for Children who are Accommodated at the request of their parents under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989
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Agenda item
Introduction of a Charging Policy for Children who are Accommodated at the request of their parents under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989
- Meeting of Children, Young People & Skills Committee, Monday, 11th January, 2021 4.00pm (Item 63.)
- View the background to item 63.
Report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning (copy to follow)
Decision:
RESOLVED: That the Committee approved the introduction of the Charging Policy, pending ratification at Policy and 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.
Minutes:
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 and 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.
Supporting documents:
- Item 63, item 63. PDF 153 KB View as HTML (63./1) 41 KB
- Item 63 Appx 1, item 63. PDF 82 KB View as HTML (63./2) 3 KB
- Item 63 Appx 2, item 63. PDF 514 KB View as HTML (63./3) 134 KB
- Item 63 Appx 3, item 63. PDF 343 KB View as HTML (63./4) 115 KB