Corporate parenting: part 6 code of practice on looked after and accommodated children - consultation response

The part 6 code of practice was last updated and reissued in 2018. The Welsh Government's proposed changes include:

• a dedicated corporate parenting chapter to explain the role of local authorities as corporate parents
• strengthening the voice of the child within care and support planning and placements
• recommendations from care experienced children on undertaking placement moves and review meetings
• updating terminology and legislation since the last update of the code in April 2018

You can find out more about the Welsh Government's proposals by visiting the consultation page.

A full review of the code of practice will take place early in the next Senedd term (after May 2026).

Our response

RCPCH Wales welcomed much of the policy intent behind this consultation and felt it presented a vital opportunity to strengthen support systems around looked after and accommodated children. Specifically, we:

• supported the inclusion of a new chapter on corporate parenting, building on the Corporate Parenting Charter developed in collaboration with care-experienced children and young people.
• agreed with the intention to set out what good looks like for local authorities and argued that robust monitoring and publication of evaluations of local authority performance in this area could be an effective tool to encourage continual improvement.
• supported proposals to strengthen the voice of looked after children in the code of practice. 

While we fully support efforts to strengthen corporate parenting arrangements and increase awareness of support services in Wales, it is important to consider the potential impact on allied services. Child health services in Wales are already under significant pressure, and any service redesign or increased signposting to secondary services must be matched with investment and workforce support to avoid a further widening in inequalities and delays in care.

Our recommendations

• Clarify roles and responsibilities: Address the ambiguity around how public bodies subject to the Code (e.g. local authorities) should interact with those that are not (e.g. health boards, education providers). This is essential to avoid fragmentation and ensure accountability in delivering outcomes.
• Recognise the role of paediatricians: Acknowledge the vital contribution of community paediatricians in care planning, health assessments, and continuity of care. Their participation in multi-agency forums should be standard practice.
• Strengthen child voice in care planning by ensuring children’s views are gathered using developmentally appropriate tools, revisited regularly, and meaningfully influence decisions. Ensure that the voice of looked after children and care leavers are actively informing the design and delivery of services through guaranteed representation on corporate parenting panels for those with lived experienced, as well as guaranteed access to independent advocacy.
• Monitor and publish local authority performance: Introduce robust evaluation and public reporting mechanisms to assess how well local authorities are fulfilling their corporate parenting duties. This transparency can drive improvement and accountability.
• Reinforce statutory accountability on corporate parents: RCPCH Wales welcomes the recognition of the role of non-statutory community parenting partners in supporting looked after children. However, care must be taken to ensure that this must not dilute the statutory responsibilities of local authorities, who will remain primarily accountable for the wellbeing and outcomes of looked after children. Shifting responsibilities to voluntary or third-sector organisations without adequate support or oversight must be avoided.
• Align care planning with the UNCRC: All planning and review processes should reflect the Welsh Government’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring every child can live a safe, happy, and healthy life. This should include the use of developmentally appropriate tools to gather views of care-experienced children and care leavers.
• Ensure health-related wishes and needs are fully reflected in care plans: Care plans for looked after children must go beyond clinical assessments to include the child’s own views and preferences about their health and wellbeing. This includes physical, mental, and emotional health needs, and should be informed by input from paediatricians and other health professionals. Plans should be regularly reviewed to reflect changes in the child’s health status or preferences, and should ensure continuity of care across placements and transitions.
• Assess and plan for increased service demand: Recognise that proposals to enhance services for looked after children and raise awareness among care leavers will likely increase demand on health and other public services. Ensure these services are adequately resourced and fit for purpose.
• Address pressures on community child health services: Acknowledge the findings of Collaborative Healthcare for Children and Young People in Wales (2025), which highlights underfunding, workforce shortages, and service strain.
• Embed physical and mental health in care planning: Ensure health needs are identified early and met consistently throughout a child’s time in care, helping to reduce unnecessary referrals to secondary services.
• Address social determinants of health: Tackle the root causes that predispose children and young people to enter care, as part of a long-term prevention strategy.
• Support digital transformation and data sharing: Integrate monitoring frameworks with the Welsh Government’s digital transformation goals to improve interoperability, reduce duplication, and enable more effective planning and evaluation.

We respond to a wide range of consultations to ensure that the College’s position, and ultimately children’s health, is represented. Members can get involved in current consultations in Wales by contacting enquiries-wales@rcpch.ac.uk.