Did you know that if you work for the local authority, Health, Police, Ayrshire College, Fire and Rescue and many more, you are a Corporate Parent to all children and young people that are care experienced in North Ayrshire?
Jenny Lewis is the Council’s Corporate Parenting team as their Engagement and Participation lead, and throughout 2024 she has been working alongside colleagues in the Promise Champion network to raise awareness and ensure staff are collectively fulfilling the Council’s statutory duties as Corporate Parents in North Ayrshire.
Corporate Parenting team staff briefing
The Corporate Parenting team’s winter Staff Briefing can be read online now.
Jenny’s team have been busy providing events that supported Care Experienced Week 2024, including a Movie Night in October at Saltcoats Town Hall and a Promise Celebration at the Harbour Arts Centre.
The team also enjoyed delivering the Annual Promise Conference 2024 for the third year running in December.
Check out the Winter Staff Briefing for further updates and stay tuned for more news in early 2025.
New Champions network will evidence #ThePromise progress
We are in the process of recruiting a Promise Champion from each Service/Team across the Council. The network is a collaborative forum to acquire consistent information regarding #ThePromise and how it is progressing.
Those who take part only have to commit to four meetings a year and a couple hours each month to collate evidence. It is also a chance to learn about local and national updates and opportunities, hear from guest speakers, share best practice and ideas, develop our own learning and understanding, peer networking, forming alliances and more…
In partnership with our Promise Champions, we aim to work together to demonstrate how our Council is working resolutely and successfully alongside our children and young people to #KeepThePromise.
I personally am looking forward to sharing frequent updates with you about what is happening in our Council and best practice examples via this Staff Column, Promise Champions staff network, drop-ins and Staff Briefings.
You can consult our Corporate Parenting 2023 – 2026 plan on the North Ayrshire Council website to learn more about our priorities. I can be contacted via email to share what your team is doing to #KeepThePromise, nominate a Promise Champion, discuss partner working or ask any questions: jennylewis@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Thank you,
Jennifer Lewis, Corporate Parenting Engagement & Participation Lead
Share your #KeepThePromise case study
Jenny’s team are working towards collating case studies and examples of other pertinent work to #KeepThePromise to North Ayrshire’s care experienced children and young people.
If you have a story or case study you would like to share, please email: communications@north-ayrshire.gov.uk for your chance to be featured upcoming promotion on this.
We are looking forward to celebrating the work North Ayrshire is fulfilling in 2025 for our children and young people and identifying where we could go next.
“Even if you don’t regularly work with Care Experienced children or their parents, your Service may still have an impact on the lives of these families and individuals. You still have a statutory duty to assess and support their needs, identify opportunities for them, and help them to access those opportunities. This is a shared responsibility of all of us and my team is here to help you understand your own role when it comes to Corporate Parenting.”Jenny Lewis – Corporate Parenting Engagement and Participation Lead
The Promise Scotland is responsible for driving the work of change demanded by the findings of the Independent Care Review.
North Ayrshire is establishing a new Promise Champions Network to #KeepThePromise we have made to care experienced infants, children, young people, adults and their families – so that every child grows up loved, safe and respected, able to realise their full potential.
How you can play your part…
Time requirements from colleagues are minimal. If you do not yet have a Promise Champion representing your team, staff are encouraged to nominate one now. The team are also seeking best practice examples of what each team/Service/establishment are doing to #KeepThePromise – this feedback will then be used to inform future updates and events.
Email Jenny: jennylewis@north-ayrshire.gov.uk to get involved.
