Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members received a report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services relative to the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Annual report for 2019-2020, which covered a period from March 2019 to April 2020.

With respect the Members’ questions regarding the distinction between Independent Visitors Service and the IRO Service, it was reported that the Independent Visitors Service is informal and social, and provided an opportunity for young people to increase their social network and make friends. The IRO is a formal service, although conducted somewhat informally to allow people to feel more at ease.

With respect to the Care Leaver Service, this was not a statutory role. A large portion of children come into statutory care at ages 16 or 17, which allows a short period of time to assist them in the transition to care before they become a care leaver. The IRO role supports this process.

It was noted of the LAC, 45 were male and 3 were female. Members asked why this was a largely male group. Members were informed that as most of these people were Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC), it was more often men who undertook this journey alone. Women were more likely to travel with families.

RESOLVED, that – the report be received and its contents noted.