Involving looked-after Children Case study 2010 04

Involving looked-after Children through London Borough of Redbridge’s Children in Care Council

This case study is based on interviews with Redbridge Council's Participation Officer in the Children Living Away from Home Division and a young person who is a Councillor on the Children in Care Council.

A Children in Care Council (CiCC) has been established in Redbridge to provide looked after children and care leavers with a voice and the opportunity to influence the care system in the borough.

Redbridge in east London is one of a number of local authorities that have taken the step of establishing Children in Care Councils ahead of this becoming a requirement. The CiCC in Redbridge was set up in July 2009.
There are approximately 250 children who are looked after, and 150 care-leavers in the Redbridge area. The primary rationale for involving children who are looked after in decision making in Redbridge was to gain insights that could only be provided by recipients of services, and to use this intelligence to improve services.

‘Children in care are the main experts of the system, they are in it 24/7, they get all of the services. Their mum and dad is the borough, and we need to know how we are doing.' Participation Officer.