Agenda item

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

87.1    Liz Rugg (Assistant Director for Early Help and Social Care) introduced the report and provided the Committee with an update on progress with implementing the recommendations set out in the People Scrutiny Committee’s ‘Support for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children’ report.  The Committee were also provided with an update on developments relating to the recently created specialist UASC team within the Children’s Services Department and how the Department have responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic.  With regard to Recommendation Six of the scrutiny review report, the Committee were also informed that work on the UASC guidance document for Members (referred to as a toolkit) was progressing and that a draft for comment would be circulated to relevant members.

87.2    Set out below is a summary of the key points discussed by the Committee:

• Members sought clarification about the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on access for UASC to social and religious activities.  Members were especially concerned about this specific issue given the restrictions may have a more pronounced impact on the wellbeing of individual UASC.  In response Members were informed that outside of the pandemic this is an area where positive progress is being made, although Covid-19 restrictions have had some impact.  So as to reduce feelings of isolation therefore, UASC were provided with online platforms which helped individuals maintain effective contact with their peers.  Looking forward, Members were also informed that initial discussions are taking place about how physical spaces can be safely re-opened so UASC can start to meet in person again.

• In response to a query about the number of UASC who are missing and the risks of exploitation this may expose them to, Members were informed that East Sussex does not have high numbers of absconsion.  Nonetheless Liz Rugg agreed that ‘even one child missing, is one child too many’.   With that in mind, the Department have, for example, developed even closer working relationships with the Police and other agencies to help reduce the risk of an individual absconding.   In practice this means officers are now able to speak to new arrivals quickly and reassure them about the support East Sussex County Council will provide, and it appears this is having a positive impact.  It is also the case that spontaneous arrivals now have their fingerprints and biometric details recorded soon after they are discovered.  Whilst this does not stop absconding behaviour, it does mean individuals are easier to locate should they go missing.  

• In response to a query about the rate of spontaneous arrivals, Members heard that there have been 29 cases in East Sussex in the latest period (the term spontaneous arrival is used to describe children who have arrived in the UK illegally and who are usually discovered by the Police or the Border Force).  In addition to spontaneous arrivals, UASC have also come into the care of East Sussex County Council via the National Transfer Scheme.

87.3    The Committee RESOLVED to note the report and welcomed the progress being made by the Children’s Services Department with regard to its recommendations.