When a local authority acts as a Corporate Parent, it takes on the legal and moral responsibility to care for and support children and young people in the care system—also known as looked-after children.
In this context, the local authority acts as the "Corporate Parent" because the child's birth parents may no longer be able to care for them. The local authority is expected to do everything a good parent would do—ensuring the child’s safety, wellbeing, education, health, and emotional needs are met.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing a stable and nurturing environment
- Supporting education and career development
- Ensuring access to health services
- Listening to the young person’s voice and including them in decisions
- Planning for their future, including leaving care
Essentially, the Corporate Parenting role is about taking collective responsibility across all parts of the local authority and partners (such as Education, Health, Housing and Police) to ensure the children in our care achieve the best outcomes that they can.
Every child and young person in Wirral should have the best possible start in life and the opportunity to thrive. We want to ensure children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, and in the right place. Being responsible and effective Corporate Parents, above all else, means protecting children and young people from harm and keeping them safe. It is also about always striving for their best interests, nurturing their ambitions, and helping our children and young people get the most out of life. Ultimately, it means they grow into independent and thriving young adults. At its heart, Corporate Parenting means always asking ourselves “would this be good enough for my child’ or asking, ‘what can we do to make this right?’ when hearing feedback from, or reports about, children in the council’s care. Being a Corporate Parent means that Wirral Council will act as a “family business” and extend this commitment to provide opportunities for our Care Leavers with our key partners and stakeholders.