Speak Up

The Corporate Parenting Board is a meeting where elected members, senior leaders within Children’s Services and care experienced young people come together to discuss the priorities and needs of children and young people in care and care leavers. This helps to shape the design and delivery of the services provided to these young people.

The meeting is led by an elected member, also known as a Councillor, and this is someone who the public vote to represent their local community when decisions are being made about the running of the council.

In June 2023 the Corporate Parenting Board became led by Councillor Bob Webb, who is the City of York Council Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education.

Councillor Webb has an ambition to make the Corporate Parenting Board as inclusive as possible for young people; an element of this is that a young person from the Children In Care Council and Care Leavers' Forum will co-chair the meetings with him.

As well as the elected chair, other councillors are elected to sit on the board. Currently the elected members that hold a seat on the Corporate Parenting Board are:

• Councillor Coles
• Councillor Runciman
• Councillor Waller

Other professionals within Children’s Services who sit on the board are:

• Martin Kelly, Corporate Director of Children and Education
• Danielle Johnson, Director of Children’s Safeguarding
• Annie Whitley, Corporate Parenting and Co-production Advisor
• Abbie Hartas, Corporate Parenting and Co production Advisor
• Niall McVicar, Head of Innovation and Children’s Champion
• Cat Middleton, Head of Service, Safeguarding
• Sophie Keeble, Head of Service Corporate Parenting
• Caroline Mitchell, Children’s Rights Manager
• Michelle Howlett, Advocacy and Participation Worker
• Emily Wood, Pathway Team Manager
• Karron Young, Virtual School Headteacher