Looking after children in North Lanarkshire
In North Lanarkshire, we believe that ensuring effective support, care and protection for children and young people who are looked after by the local authority is one of the most important responsibilities held by elected members, all agencies and individual staff working with children and young people.
In order to do this, we must all work together to meet the needs of looked after children and young people and to promote and achieve positive outcomes so that our looked after children and young people are safe, healthy, active, nurtured, respected, responsible and included and successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
Children and young people who are looked after are among the most vulnerable in our society.
As corporate parents, it is our responsibility to work alongside their families to keep them safe, make sure their experiences of being looked after are positive, and improve their life chances. We must approach this parenting role with as much passion and commitment as any family would and ensure that our looked after children and young people have every opportunity to reach their full potential.
This corporate parenting strategy provides an overview of the aims and aspirations that we hold. All organisations and services within North Lanarkshire who hold corporate parenting responsibilities are essential contributors to ensuring that this strategy is successful and that the outcomes for children and young people who are looked after are as good as those for all children and young people.
In support of this, North Lanarkshire Children's Services Partnership board members signed a pledge to all looked after children and young people and this is contained within the document.
This strategy describes how we will improve the lives of the children and young people who are looked after through the joint development of priorities and the delivery of associated services. Our intention is to bring together the range of activity across the Children's Services Partnership and members of the council at all stages of the care journey. Crucially, this strategy was developed in partnership with young people, partner agencies and carers.