Following on from the launch of the 2024-27 Corporate Parenting Strategy last year, Slough Children First and partners were proud to celebrate their children, young people, families and stakeholders a year on.
The theme of the evening was ‘As if you were mine’ – an approach considering how teams and individuals who have a responsibility to support Slough’s children in our care and care experienced young people as if they were their own, celebrating the achievements of individuals and teams who have helped to make a big difference.
The evening was hosted by a group of our young people, and members of Slough’s Corporate Parenting Panel were filled with emotion and inspiration. It was an opportunity to refresh minds about Slough Children First’s vision, reflect on pledges set at the launch and reaffirm that we will continue to be ambitious in achieving future goals.
The strategy underpins six key priorities (developed with children, young people, carers and partners). These priorities are:
- Supporting engagement and achievement in education, training, and employment
- Ensuring that our children in our care and care experienced young people have stable homes
- Listening and responding to the voice of our children, young people and care experienced young people. They will help to develop and shape our strategic plans and delivery of services
- Ensuring that our children in our care and care experienced young people are healthy. We will help our children and care experienced young people to have access to help for their physical needs and emotional wellbeing.
- Developing a highly effective care leavers’ partnership to provide ongoing help in a variety of ways for them
- Supporting children, young people and care experienced young people to have fun and have new experiences to develop their own interests.
Sue Butcher, Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Slough Children First, said: “Our collective role is to ensure Slough’s cared for children and young people are Happy, Safe & Loved, Thriving. I am proud of everyone here tonight and the love shown for our children and young people. We have achieved so much in the past year, and I am excited for the year ahead and the continued growth. We have a moral duty to listen to and influence our children and young people to provide them with the best possible future and with our Corporate Parenting Panel, can do just that.”
Councillor Puja Bedi, Lead member for Children and Lifelong Learning, said: “Thank you to our foster carers and others who go the extra mile to support our children and care and care leavers. While the work you do is behind the scenes, I want to express a heartfelt thank you.”
Our Corporate Parenting Strategy sets out our commitments as corporate parents to our children and young people who are looked after and those who are care experienced.
We have a shared responsibility to love, nurture and guide our children and young people, as any parent would, and by working together, a huge difference can be made.
Thank you to everyone who came along and supported in so many ways.
To view the full strategy, please visit: https://www.sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Slough-Corporate-Parenting-Strategy-2024-27.pdf
