Agenda and minutes

To issue a welcome to those present, and to confirm if there are any apologies for absence.

It was noted that apologies for absence were received from Sophie Maltby.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed.

The Chair asked members to declare any interests in proceedings for which there were none.

The minutes of the meeting of the Children, Young People, and Education Scrutiny Commission held on Wednesday 18^th June have been circulated, and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Chair highlighted that the minutes from the meeting held on 18^th June 2025 were included in the agenda pack and asked Members to confirm whether they were an accurate record.  
 
AGREED:
 

• It was agreed that the minutes for the meeting on 18^th June 2025 were a correct record. 

The Chair is invited to make any announcements as they see fit. 

·       The Chair announced that the agenda items would be rearranged to support a young person attending the meeting.

Any questions, representations and statements of case submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures will be reported.

It was noted that none had been received.  

Any petitions received in accordance with Council procedures will be reported.

It was noted that none had been received.  

The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education submits a report and will deliver a presentation on the financial position for Education and Children’s Services up to the end of the first quarter to 30 June 2025.

The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education introduced the report which updated the Commission on the financial position for Education and Children’s Services as at the end of the first quarter up to 30^th June 2025.

The Head of Finance presented the report. It was noted that:

• A high-level summary of the Education and Children’s Social Care budget was provided within the report. The total budget was £119.3m, with a forecast of £116.3m and an underspend of £3m as at the end of June. Of this, £0.8m related to reduced growth and demand for SEND transport, and £2.1m related to vacancies across the directorate. This represented 2.6% of the budget, which is a small percentage. It was explained that while the forecast would be monitored as accurately as possible, the 2.6% underspend may not necessarily continue for the full year.
• Capital forecast information was outlined in the report. Capital schemes were progressing and there were no plans to overspend or underspend on these schemes. It was noted that June was early in the year to judge projects, and one project was currently rated purple while awaiting further developments. The timing of work was dependent on school availability and operational windows.
• Monitoring of savings was discussed, with two savings reported on track.

-        Adventure playgrounds had delivered a saving of £400,000 in the current year, with a further £1m saving scheduled for the following year, which had already been built into the Council’s budget strategy.

-        SEND transport was on track to deliver a saving of £900,000, rising to £2.1m in two years.

• Examples of cost mitigation measures were shared. These included investment in in-house residential homes, with two opened in the last two years. This avoided placing children in external placements , generating an annual saving of around £400,000. Work to reunify children in care with their families had also produced an annual saving of £1.3m. The authority was among the first nationally to pilot this approach and expected to expand it further.
• Dedicated School Grants (DSG) balances were reported with a deficit of £22.2m in 2024/25, projected to rise to £43.1m the following year. A special ‘override’ is in place until March 2028. The authority is awaiting a government decision on how DSG deficits would be addressed. This was a challenge shared by most local authorities. Efforts were being made to manage the impact through a recovery and transformation plan. The council had discussed our position and proposed actions with the Department for Education.
• A transformation plan was in development to reduce the DSG deficit. It was acknowledged that while it would be unrealistic to expect the deficit to shrink significantly, the aim was to stem the growth of the deficit going forward.

In response to members comments, the following was noted:

• Questions were raised on early years provision, noting there had been no spend yet on two-year-olds and asking what spending plans were in place.
• Officers explained that work was required across nurseries to increase capacity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 170.

The Director of Children’s Social Work and Early help submits a report providing a summary of the five-year Youth Justice Plan 2025-30, highlighting strategic and operational priorities. This will be received at Board level and across the partnership and proceed through due diligence processes onto Full Council.

The executive summary/briefing addresses the statutory Youth Justice Plan for 2025-2030 and provides an opportunity to direct any comments to the Head of Service for Prevention Services.

The Director of Children’s Social Work and Early Help introduced the report which gave a summary of the five-year Youth Justice Plan for 2025-30.

It was noted that a statutory Youth Justice Plan must be maintained, reviewed annually, and its summary shared with political leadership. Following this, the review was then submitted to the Youth Justice Board.

The Head of Service for Early Help gave an overview of the report. Key points to note were as follows:

·       A new approach was being taken after reflecting on previous plans.

·       There was now a five-year plan with an annual refresh.

·       The board had met to identify priorities over the next 5 years, and the operational priorities for the next year.

·       The Youth Justice board continued to have oversight.

·       The plan set out the functions, governance and operational aspects of the Youth Justice Service.

·       The recent HMIP inspection and the subsequent eight recommendations were also covered by the plan.

·       Improvements were in line with the best needs of the young people and victims.

·       The plan detailed risks expected over the next twelve months and the ensuing five-year period.

·       Ten Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were outlined in the plan. The three top KPIs measured:

o   First time entrants

o   Reoffending rates

o   Custody and remand numbers

·       The plan incorporated innovation and best practice.

·       HMIP had commended the work with SEND children and young people. SEND panel referrals supported a holistic approach.

·       There was an overrepresentation of children with Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) within the Youth Justice system.

·       There was continued investment in the Reach programme, working with those at risk of exclusion, which was a marker for exploitation and future criminal activity. Ten Youth Workers within ten secondary schools provided support to reduce these risks.

·       Community cohesion policing work had taken place to support the communities.

·       Following a key HMIP report recommendation, a victim working group had been established with a focus on victims and their voice.

·       Members were asked to consider and note the achievements over the past year and consider and agree both the strategic and tactical operational priorities over the next five years. Any new priorities would be addressed as they arose.

In response to questions and comments, it was noted that:

·       The HMIP inspection outcome was less favourable than anticipated, prompting the following measures:

o   The development of an improvement plan which was presented to the inspectorate.

o   The establishment of working groups.

·       The board scrutinised as a partnership and progress updates would come.

·       The inspection scheme was new and involved different criteria which had brought fresh insights.

·       Scrutiny would come via the management board, HMIP, and also through the Youth Justice Board.

·       The board had been strengthened with a new director, having key experience in victim work.

·       A quality and performance subgroup to the board was in the pipeline.

·       A disproportionality working group scrutinised the data and monitored every child open to the service, and those going through custody. The HMIP report had commended work on disproportionality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 171.

The Director of Children’s Social Work and Early Help submits a report setting out understanding of current needs, the availability of provision and plans for the development of the Edge of Care offer over the next three years.  The strategy provides information on the range of approaches and the impact achieved from the services and interventions provided.  It outlines how new innovations, being developed in Leicester, will support a cohort of children and young people as well as covering and addressing the challenges, evidence of impact as well as value for money.

The Director of Children’s Social Care and Education submitted a report on the Edge of Care Strategy which set out the understanding of Leicester’s current needs.

The Head of Service for Early Help, Targeted Service and The Service Manager for Family Therapies gave a presentation on the Edge of Care strategy, which referred to children at risk of needing to be looked after. It was explained that this involved factors such as parental relationships, behaviour, income and pressures on the family unit that could affect safety and stability. The strategy also considered children already in care who might be supported to return home safely. It was noted that:

• Most local authorities had an Edge of Care strategy, as this was both one of the most expensive and one of the most challenging areas of provision. Previously, there had been numerous carers available to meet children’s needs, but demand on the system now meant there were often only one or two places available. Focus was therefore on making local family connections, including extended family, and strengthening in-house residential care to support families to keep children within their wider networks. This approach had been relatively successful and demonstrated excellent practice.
• Leicester’s service was regarded as exceptional and unparalleled in many parts of the UK. It had developed over twelve years from humble beginnings to a comprehensive local offer, supporting children to stay with their families where possible. This was seen as a distinctive and valuable feature compared with other parts of the country.
• There was no single definition of “edge of care,” but it was described as those children whose needs could be met through family-based services and therapeutic support, particularly for those of secondary school age. Issues leading to referrals often related to parental behaviours, over-representation of alcohol use, and undiagnosed conditions such as PTSD or personality disorders.
• The “Safe Steps Home” programme was presented as a key element of the approach. The model had been designed with children and families and included support for young babies and pre-births, recognising that early intervention could prevent children from entering long-term care.
• During the last financial year, the programme worked with around 734 children across approximately 300 families. Of these, 199 children were supported to remain safely at home without ongoing service involvement. It was estimated that without intervention, those children would have entered care. The programme delivered savings three times higher than originally projected by finance, with an estimated £7m saved for the authority. Outcomes were monitored at 6, 12, 18 months and 5 years, with data showing the plans were sustainable and effective over the long term.
• The programme ensured that when children did need to come into care, services could be focused on those most in need. Leicester’s decade of experience in this area was highlighted as a source of pride.
• Looking ahead, the next steps included strengthening communication packages and ensuring that support was maintained beyond the initial intensive period, so families continued to develop and apply skills once  ...  view the full minutes text for item 172.

The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education will give the commisison a verbal update on the current position.

The Assistant City Mayor for Children and Young People introduced the item, expressing thanks to the team for their efforts, and their focus on engaging with individual families.

The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education gave a verbal update on the current position for SEND school transport. Key points to note were as follows:

·       There had been some initial challenges which had been addressed.

·       Forecasting had indicated that up to 455 post-16 SEND young people would require assistance during the current academic year. Around 100 of which were transitioning from year 12 to 13, where a policy exemption resulted in a continued offer of school transport assistance.

·       Of the applications received to date, 65 had been agreed, 36 were accepted for Personal Transport Budget (PTB) and 11 had been rejected.

·       More than half had not applied, follow up work would ensue to understand reasoning.

·       There had been a very small number of appeals, most dealt with a stage 1 and 3 pending stage 2 appeal.

·       There had not been any legal challenges, either individually or to policy.

·       Delays had been experienced in gaining essential information from families and there had been a person-centred approach around this.

·       Applications were dealt with swiftly.

·       Next year, the deadline for application submission was likely to come earlier to alleviate pressures and allow for efficient processing.

In response to questions and comments it was noted that:

·       Members felt that the low numbers of appeals reflected success in taking an individual approach.

·       Members expressed concern about the numbers who had not applied for assistance. An exercise was to take place with Connexions to identify support requirements.

·       Work was ongoing with internal auditors to understand journey costs in relation to PTBs.

·       Families had the option to choose how best to utilise a PTB.

·       Parental suggestions had been taken onboard regarding payment scheduling.

·       Significant work had taken place to ensure that schools and SENDIASS were able to support families in their applications.

·       Work has commenced with schools including Millgate School, support and collaboration plans will form part of the January update.

AGREED:  

 That the report is noted.

Members of the Commission will be asked to consider the work programme and make suggestions for additional items as it considers necessary.

The Chair reminded Members that should there be any items they wish to be considered for the work programme then to share these with their and the senior governance officer.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 7.55pm.