Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Jones introduced the Care Leavers Discount Scheme report which identified areas of good practice within the Children’s commissioner for Wales’ report ‘Hidden Ambitions’.  The report looked at the support available to young people leaving care, in relation to housing, education and training opportunities and personal and emotional support.

            The report sought approval of a new financial policy for care leavers, and agreement to provide a discount of up to 100% from the payment of Council Tax to care leavers, aged between 18 and 25, who resided in Flintshire.

            Looked after children and care leavers were amongst the most vulnerable groups in society.  Outcomes could sometimes be poor and the Council had a responsibility to provide care leavers with the best future prospectus available as care leaver’s transition from local authority care into independent living.  Currently there were 75 Flintshire care leavers, 31 aged 16-18 and 44 aged 19-25.

            The introduction of a Council Tax Discretionary Scheme for care leavers would take effect from 1^st April 2018, or the date on which a care leaver’s liability to pay Council Tax first arose where that date was later than 1^st April 2018.

            The scheme would be administered in line with the policy framework appended to the report, which set out the guiding qualifying criteria for discounts of up to 100%.  The high level principles of the proposed scheme were outlined in the report.

            The cost of providing the scheme in 2019/20 would be built into future budget projections.  The total costs for both initiatives was anticipated to be £27k.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the introduction of a Council Tax Discretionary Discount Scheme for eligible care leavers, to take effect from 1^st April 2018, be approved.  The aim is to provide discounts of up to 100% to care leavers who reside in Flintshire, up to the age of 25.   This Scheme includes all eligible care leavers living in Flintshire irrespective of care providing authority; and

(b)       That the new Financial Policy for care leavers and the production of user friendly information for care leavers to ensure they are clear about the financial support they are entitled to from the Council be supported.