Corporate parenting
It is the legal duty of Lambeth Council to make sure that every child and young person in their care does not miss out, and are provided with opportunities so that they can reach their full potential.
Lambeth Council has a legal duty to act as a 'corporate parent' for each and every child and young person that is looked after, whether this is as a result of a voluntary agreement with their parents, or under a care order agreed by the court.
We are all responsible
Every child needs a good parent who will look out for them, speaks out on their behalf and responds to their needs. For children in care, this is the statutory role for local authorities.
Lambeth Council aim to:
- Take time to listen to the voice of looked after children and young people
- Prioritise the needs of looked after children
- Have high aspirations and seek the same outcomes for looked after children as any good parent would for their own children.
All council services will work together, with partner agencies such as health, housing and leisure to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people looked after by Lambeth Council. This involves having the best educational and leisure opportunities, ensuring that their health and welfare is taken care of, and that they receive encouragement, praise, support and preparation towards independence.
Corporate parenting some key points
- Corporate parenting is different from “ordinary parenting” in that the emphasis is on creating the right conditions so that the child’s needs are recognised and that services are responsive to those needs.
- Corporate parents have a duty to actively safeguard and promote the welfare of the children they look after by acting as the child’s champion.
- Looked after children and their families are entitled to privacy. Corporate parents must respect the need to share information only when the circumstances warrant it.
- Looked after children value adults who listen to them and respond with honesty rather than those who make unrealistic promises and fail to deliver.
Lambeth Council have a set of Corporate Parenting Standards for all foster carers, social workers and staff working with looked after children and young people outlining best practice principles.
Corporate Parenting Team
The Corporate Parenting Team undertakes consultation projects with children and young people in care to improve their life chances improve services and opportunities for them both now and for their future.
The Corporate Parenting Team contact is:
Team Manager
Corporate Parenting Team
Children and Young People's Service
London Borough of Lambeth
Tel: 0207 926 5263
Mobile: 07908222102
Looked after children
A child or young person is 'looked after' if they have been taken into the care of the council through a court order or with the voluntary agreement of their parent(s). They may be looked after in a children's home, by foster carers, or other family members. Find out more about the Looked after Children service.
The website for looked after children and care leavers from Lambeth Council is called G2K (Get 2 know) and was designed and developed by children and young people themselves.
It contains information about being in care including rights, what to expect, leaving care, seeing family and friends and education, as well as members-only discussion boards and games. The G2K website recently won a national ‘Positive Images’ award from the Children and Young People Now magazine.