Agenda item

7.20pm Under Standing Order 15(e) (iii), Councillor Mark Loveday moved, and seconded by Councillor Donald Johnson, that Special Motion 7.3 - Children in Care take precedence on the agenda and be considered.  The motion was unanimously was agreed.

7.21pm – Councillor Helen Binmore moved, seconded by Councillor Donald Johnson, the special motion standing in their names:

“This Council:

1.      Notes that:

·        The number of looked after children in the borough has fallen in every year since 2006 and that by the end of 2011 there were only 233 children in care at the end of Year 2011/12;

·        Hammersmith & Fulham Council has outperformed the national average by 40% every year for the last 5 years for children leaving care on permanency orders;

·        The Council is ranked first in the country for Special Guardianship Orders, and;

·        The Council has met both thresholds for the new Adoption Scorecard this year.

2.      Welcomes:

• the work of the recently formed Children in Care Council;

·        the official launch of the Council's ‘Pledge to all Children in Care’ in September, and;

• the establishment of the Hammersmith & Fulham Opportunity Trust.

3.      Resolves to:

·        Review the ‘Pledge to all Children in Care’ every year;

·        Work closely and collaboratively with the Children in Care Council;

·        Drive to secure stable attachments through permanency orders;

·        Actively manage adoption cases and continue to tackle delays, and;

·        Further support our children in care and care leavers by promoting the Hammersmith & Fulham Opportunity Trust.”

Speeches on the special motion were made by Councillors Helen Binmore and Donald Johnson (for the Administration).

Under Standing Order 15(e) (vi), Councillor Elaine Chumnery moved, seconded by Councillor Caroline Needham, an amendment to the motion as follows:

“Delete “2006” in the second line of the first bullet point, and insert “2004”. “

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Elaine Chumnery and Caroline Needham (for the Opposition) and Councillor Georgie Cooney (for the Administration) before it was put to the vote:

FOR                            Unanimous

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING0

The amended motion was declared Carried.

Councillor Helen Binmore (for the Administration) made a speech winding up the debate before the substantive motion was put to the vote:

FOR                            Unanimous

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING0

The motion as amended was declared CARRIED.

7.41 pm – RESOLVED:

This Council:

1.      Notes that:

• The number of looked after children in the borough has fallen in every year since 2004 and that by the end of 2011 there were only 233 children in care at the end of Year 2011/12;
• Hammersmith & Fulham Council has outperformed the national average by 40% every year for the last 5 years for children leaving care on permanency orders;
• The Council is ranked first in the country for Special Guardianship Orders, and;
• The Council has met both thresholds for the new Adoption Scorecard this year.

2.      Welcomes:

• the work of the recently formed Children in Care Council;
• the official launch of the Council's ‘Pledge to all Children in Care’ in September, and;
• the establishment of the Hammersmith & Fulham Opportunity Trust.

3.      Resolves to:

• Review the ‘Pledge to all Children in Care’ every year;
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Children in Care Council;
• Drive to secure stable attachments through permanency orders;
• Actively manage adoption cases and continue to tackle delays, and;
• Further support our children in care and care leavers by promoting the Hammersmith & Fulham Opportunity Trust.