FOI Request - Care Experienced Fund
Request 101003657577
1. All plans for the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund since the fund was established (I believe this was the 2021/22 academic year). Including how much money was allocated, how much was spent, which projects money was spent on and how much was spent on each project.
2. I would also like the corresponding stretch aims (the evaluation mechanisms which each local authority are responsible for), again for each year since the beginning of the fund.
3. Can the council confirm if they have done any analysis on the care experienced children and young person’s fund, since it began? This may include but is not limited to evaluations of effectiveness, value for money, impact on outcomes etc. If yes, then please supply all of the results e.g. reports, including the methods and data which underly the analysis.
4. If not included in the reports released under point 1 of this request, then how does the authority ensure the views of care experienced children and young people are gathered for each stage of the fund’s process and also how do these views impact on funding decisions, e.g. are they taken into consideration, or are young people directly involved in decision making?
5. The number of care experienced people (definition below) living in the authority who are 26 or younger at the time of this request.
6. Additionally, it would be helpful to know the age distribution of the young people (again at time of request). So, I would also like to know the number of care experienced young people within each of the following age categories:
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-26
Response 14-11-2024
1. Information on plans and spending is provided through our Care Experienced Children and Young People fund reporting to the Scottish Attainment Challenge Policy Unit with Scottish Government. This is returned each year and reports on use of funding and money received. This is also reported up to our Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee through our National Improvement Framework Self-evaluation in September each year. Reports are made for the previous year, with the last two year’s reports captured within the following National Improvement Framework Self-evaluation documents. Funding used to fully fund and part fund staffing and wider CECYP supports:
National Improvement Framework Self-evaluation – 2023 (with CECYP Reporting covering session 2021-2022; pages 42-44; £157,200)
https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=N0mfKocfz%2fsDdIwsSZMv8VyNFAFfrGK86Kd6ZNV5MNBOVDlVIOjYGg%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
Projects Allocations from Grant Funding:
Who Cares Scotland Development Officer (£12,000)
Who Cares Scotland – Champions Board events/participation (£5,000)
Children 1st Whole Family Support (£20,000)
CECYP Resources/Support (£22,000)
Mentoring Young Talent Co-ordinators including training and operation (£66,200)
Promise Lead/Engagement Officer/VSHT (£32,000)
National Improvement Framework Self-evaluation – 2024 (with CECYP Reporting covering session 2022-2023; pages 44-51; £158,025 received and allocated in total to projects)
https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=n%2fy%2baEloVhHAL4m4LP0vGetH6l8BdLM8kBUaQQVEtdRqpH%2fPcDBhHQ%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
Project Allocations from Grant Funding:
Advocacy (£20,000)
Training (£2,500)
Mentoring Young Talent Programme Coordinators (£46,318)
Project Lead – Promise (£21,934)
Promise Engagement Officer (£12,484)
CECYP lead/VSHT (£50,705)
Travel, Subsistence, client support with transport, communication (£4,084)
2023-2024 will be reported through the 2025 National Improvement Framework with the following expenditure on slightly reduced grant funding of £142,223:
Project Allocations with Grant Funding:
Mentoring Young Talent Coordinators (£56,446)
Mentoring Young Talent Training and Travel (£7,500)
Travel, Subsistence, client support with transport, communication (£1,065)
VSHT (£61,693)
Budget – CECYP/Promise (£5,070)
Advocacy (£10,000 +£449)
2. Stretch Aims are set in line with the Scottish Government-Education Scotland Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress with Core and Core Plus Stretch Aims set across a range of measures. These Core and Core Plus Stretch Aims have been set and are reported through our Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee and are contained on the following documentation link (please see page 9 to 16 with outline of Core and Core Plus Stretch Aims set on page 9). Local authority plans and stretch aims for the Scottish Attainment Challenge are required to be embedded within existing local authority service improvement plans to use education to improve outcomes for children and young people affected by poverty, with a focus on tackling the poverty related attainment gap. Please see link to most recent National Improvement Framework Plan with Stretch Aims set in trajectory to 2026 in line with guidance set from 2023 to 2026 following updated guidance received in April 2023:
https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=yIQ84zEXGnQT6kdxJJqqGxMDlwVjeKqL%2f%2fudQNr9yRWNZt4yz5uMgw%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
3. Please refer to links and reports noted in responses to (1) and (2) above as the summary reports provided containing information.
4. Examples provided in reports linked above. Please also see Case Studies contained throughout response to (1) above highlighting focus on equity, supporting all young people including Care Experienced Children and Young People through local authority funding and wider Scottish Attainment Challenge funding including PEF, SEF and CECYP monies allocated.
5. At time of request – 930
(This figure only represents people who have experienced care within our local authority and who have been recorded within our records management system. It must be borne in mind that some people may live in Moray and have experienced care in other local authorities).
6. The following is our currently ‘Looked After Children and Young people figures -
0-4 - 30
5-10 - 39
11-15 - 70
16-18 - 36
Previously ‘Looked After’
Primary School – 34 Secondary School – 52
Please be aware that Moray works with the families of adopted children to ask their permission to record information. This may mean that some pupils are not recorded as previously care experienced unless they started out as care experienced with our Moray Social Work team. Our schools are aware of them, with the families consent and there is no formal way of recording this information on SEEMIS – Louise Ssozi (Virtual Head Teacher)
Supporting Information:
Children’s Services Plan 2020-2023 Annual Report – Page 20 – 22
Moray Children’s Services Plan page 51-64