About the Corporate Parenting Board
We are the corporate parenting board. We support children and young people in care, and care leavers. Our job is to make sure you get the help you need to feel safe, happy and ready for your future.
Our board includes council members, teachers, doctors, foster carers, senior council officers and care-experienced young people. We meet regularly to talk about what matters most to you.
We use your feedback to make decisions and improve our services. You can get involved by sharing your ideas, joining surveys, or taking part in events.
Our promises to you
We promise to:
- care for you in a way that keeps you happy and healthy
- listen to what you want and how you feel
- talk to you about decisions that affect your life
- help you get the right support from the council
- support you to achieve your goals
- make sure you have a stable home, school and good relationships
- help you feel ready to be independent when you grow up
What we do
We hold regular meetings, each with a theme that matters to you.
Themes include:
- safe and stable homes
- education, jobs and training
- health and wellbeing
- getting ready for adult life
- keeping you safe
Your feedback is the most important part of every meeting. We use surveys, workshops and events to hear your views.
Your Voice Matters
This year, 201 of you shared your views in the ‘Your Care - Have Your Say’ survey.
Young people with care experience also helped shape the new Care Leavers Local Offer.
Thank you for working with us. Your ideas and honesty have helped us make things better.
If you want to share your ideas, you can join the Care Council or take part in the ‘Your Care – Have Your Say’ survey.
Celebrating you 
We love celebrating your achievements. This year we:
- Held a big summer fun day and a care leavers event
- Gave out awards and grants through the Celebration Fund
- Supported hobbies, trips and new experiences
What we’ve achieved
Safe and stable homes
Under 18s
- Built 3 new children’s homes in Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ so more children can live nearby
- Helped more children live in homes in Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ, close to people who matter to them
- Created more supported housing spaces for older young people
Over 18s (care leavers)
- Opened 3 new shared Group Living homes, with more coming.
- Started the National House Project to help young people move into their own place
- Created a preferred language guide so professionals use words that feel right to you
- Continued council tax exemption for care leavers living independently
- Provided financial support for energy bills through the Household Support Fund
- Increased the setting up home allowance to £3,000
Education, jobs and training
Under 18s
- 93% of children had a personal education plan (PEP) to help them do well in school
- 7% more children passed GCSE English and maths compared to last year
- Children with extra learning needs got extra support when needed
Over 18s (care leavers)
- Supported young people with education, employment and training
- Offered apprenticeships and mentoring
- Provided paid work opportunities such as interviewing, training professionals or being involved in fostering decisions
Health and wellbeing
Under 18s
- More children had health and dental checks on time
- Shorter wait times for emotional wellbeing support
- The New Leaf service gave 4,700 support sessions, with over 70% saying they felt better after using the service
Over 18s (care leavers)
- Improved health checks and dental care
- Launched the New Leaf mental health service just for care-experienced young people
- Gave out gym passes and air fryers to help with healthy living through the Care Leaver Covenant
Getting ready for adult life
Under 18s
- Provided independence packs for children aged 13 and over
- Explored an app-based independence skills programme
- Offered financial support for learning to drive
- Ñý¾«¶¯Âþ Youth Voice ran workshops on independence for different age groups, in person and online
Over 18s (care leavers)
- Provided opportunity laptops through the Springboard Fund
- Gave out bikes and gym memberships through the bike scheme and leisure offer
- Ran independent skills workshops through Care Council, such as cooking, first aid training and CV writing
- Updated the Local Offer so care leavers can easily find out what support is available
Keeping you safe
Under 18s
- Most children said they have a trusted adult to talk to about feeling safe
- Made homes safe and gave support where needed
- Helped young people learn new skills for adult life
- Started creating new safe spaces for fun activities
Over 18s (care leavers)
- 80% of care leavers now report regular conversations about safety, and 70% feel they have a trusted adult to talk to
- Improved access to safety resources, with 75% of care leavers knowing where to find help
- Supported hobbies, trips and new experiences through awards and grants
Support and projects for all ages
We offer extra support and projects, including:
- link member scheme: council members visit children’s homes to understand your experience
- Celebration Fund: money to celebrate achievements, hobbies, sports and independence
- boxing offer: free 3-month membership at Boxing for England clubs for ages 12 to 25
- bike scheme: over 500 bikes, locks and helmets given since 2021
- leisure offer: access to leisure facilities and gyms
If you want to know more or get involved, ask your social worker or email user.voice@surreycc.gov.uk