When a child comes into care, the city council becomes the Corporate Parent. Put simply, the term ‘Corporate Parent’ means the collective responsibility of the whole council, elected members, employees, and partner agencies, for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by the council.
A child in the care of the council looks to the whole council to be the best parent it can be to that child. Every member and employee of the council has the statutory responsibility to act for and on behalf of that child in the same way that a good parent would act for and on behalf of their child.
Every good parent wants the best for their child, to see their child flourish with good health, to be safe and happy, to do well at school, to enjoy good relationships with their peers and make the most of leisure opportunities, hobbies and interests, and to grow towards adulthood equipped to lead independent lives and to make their way as adults in higher education, in good careers and jobs, and financially secure.
That’s why Newcastle City Council has the same high aspirations for the children it looks after as those of every good parent, and takes seriously the moral as well as legal responsibility for enabling the children in its care to experience happy and fulfilling lives.
The council’s corporate parenting strategy sets out our pledge to looked after children and the actions we will take to deliver on it.
The Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee is a non-partisan committee of elected members representing all political parties, chaired by the Lead Member for Children’s Services with the role of ensuring that the council fulfils its responsibilities and duties to looked after children.
Page last updated: 26 January, 2012
