Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received by Councillors Andrew Parkinson and Shiva Tiwari and  Co-opted Member Samir Quarshi.

There were no declarations.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: ‘In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes’.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair made the following announcement: “In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.”

Requests to speak at the Committee on a matter within its terms of reference must be made in writing to the clerk named on the front of this agenda by 5pm two working days before the meeting.

There were no deputations.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

There was no urgent business.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families.

This report provides the Committee with an update relating to the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families.

Consideration was given to the update of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families.

The paper outlined the following updates: the second meeting of the Education Strategy Board; the recent meeting of the Children’s Trust Partnership Board; Camden’s Takeover Day; Holiday and Food Programme update; Camden Music Programme and Albert Hall Concert; and Camden Council’s adult community learning service.

In response to a Member, the Cabinet Member stated that if contacted he could provide a fuller update on any specific questions about Camden’s Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) provisions outside of the meeting.

The Committee noted the update.

Report of the Chief Executive Officer of Camden Learning.

Camden schools continue work and learn from each other enabling a highly coherent local school system to the benefit of all of its pupils. Pupils undertook externally marked national examinations in 2022, for the first time since these were suspended due to the pandemic in 2020. No school or college level education performance data was published in 2020 or 2021. Comparisons with 2019 are discouraged. However, outcomes indicate that schools and young people have responded well to the disruption caused by school closures, through remote learning, catch up programmes and intervention. Camden schools overall continued to perform well compared to national and London averages. However, concerns remain over the impact of lost learning and the continuing attainment gaps for disadvantaged learners, particularly the writing and oracy skills of youngest disadvantaged learners.This report outlines outcomes for key groups in Camden schools and highlights where the differences lie. This report has been commissioned from Camden Learning by Camden Council

Consideration was given to the report of the CEO of Camden Learning.

The CEO of Camden Learning introduced the report and presented slides, included within the agenda, which set out: an executive summary of Camden’s school achievement and standards and Ofsted inspection update; outcomes by key stage and key groups; and attendance and exclusions. Camden schools had overall continued to perform well compared to national and London averages, however concerns remained over the impact of lost learning during the pandemic and the continued attainment gaps for disadvantaged children. In addition, it was stated that the results presented were from the first external examinations since 2019, where in the interim period students had been majorly impacted by pandemic lockdowns and school absences which had a multitude of consequences for young people.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

-       Members praised the thorough report and detailed sections on ethnic groups, gender and intersectionality.

-       It was confirmed that there was a working party group focussed on post-16 and how to retain high performing students in Camden schools. This was attended by Camden secondary school colleagues. Work had begun and there would be a report coming next year.

-       Officers stated they would share information which explained the ‘open bucket’ subjects included in Key Stage 4 data to the Committee.

Action By – CEO Camden Learning

Disadvantaged Groups

-       A Member commented that the Council should consider accessing external expert advice on how to support disadvantaged young Bangladeshi pupils in relation to attainment, because the challenges for some pupils had been reported for some years in Camden. This group was also disproportionately affected by the pandemic. In response, officers agreed the gaps that had existed for a long time were frustrating and complex. From an educational perspective, education in Britain had changed dramatically over the past 40 years, and then again in the past 10 years. There was now greater awareness, cultural engagement, and communication with communities which didn’t exist in decades past. In Camden, Bangladeshi pupils were performing well in comparison to national statistics.

-       In response to a Member asking if there was any targeted support for disadvantaged white British pupils, it was confirmed that attendance was a particular focus and ensuring that robust systems were in place to address persistent absences. Also, they were working on developing the curriculum to be more relevant for some groups.

-       In relation to the next steps of focus to support Caribbean and Somali pupils, a Co-opted Member asked what social justice leadership would look like in Camden. In response, it was stated that there was a series of sessions planned themed on how to understand system social justice leadership, led by Professor Paul Miller who was a leading thinker in the subject area. All Camden school leaders were invited to attend.

-       A Co-opted Member stated that it was overwhelmingly ethic groups presented in the data who were suffering from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Consideration was given to the report of the Language Development Scrutiny Panel.

Councillor McNamara (Chair of the Panel) and Councillor Headlam-Wells introduced the report which investigated the impact on language development in Early Years children resulting from the disruptions to learning and social interaction during the pandemic years. The report outlined the details of the work completed by the Panel through their methodology and research; the findings and conclusions which addressed the key lines of enquiry; and how the Panel reached their final wide-ranging 13 conclusions.

During the process the Panel drew qualitative data by interviewing 49 Early Years practitioners (in 27 Early Years settings) and carried out a literature analyses, which gave a bearing on the national data and situation – all branches of research drew overwhelming and consistent key issues. It was noted that it was disproportionately disadvantaged children and SEND children who were impacted negatively by the pandemic. Members set out their future ambitions following on from the report; locally and nationally.

The Committee moved onto comments and questions and the following was discussed:

-       A Co-opted Member praised the richness of the report and the wealth of data and information used in producing the recommendations.

-       In relation to section 11.1 on the financial comments of the report, a Co-opted Member queried the fact that any recommendations within this report needed to be contained within the existing service funding envelope, and made the case that Camden had to be creative in making change. They firstly suggested it could be affective for children to repeat a school year, to allow them to have more time, as a valuable and cost-effective approach. They secondly suggested that schools could use fundraising as a cost neutral intervention, and asked if any similar initiatives were already happening in the borough. In response, it was confirmed that schools did have other funding sources and knowledge on delivering the interventions, however it was the lack of practitioners to deliver the interventions which was a significant barrier. They could look to volunteers, but it was the experienced practitioners who were really needed for the task.

-       In response to a Co-opted Member commenting that every key stage of children had been affected by the pandemic, it was stated that a major finding of the research was the sheer number of Early Years children who required the significant enhanced support.

-       A Member stated that it was helpful to understand the different reasons why children were experiencing challenges to understand the issue. They asked how the language development of children being born now would be affected by the huge cost of nursery and consequently children not being able to attend nursery due to economic circumstances, when considering the under-socialisation and reduced practitioner support. In response, it was agreed that this line of enquiry would be a good idea to pursue in future research. The key connections were childcare and education, and in this country there was a separation between the two which was not practiced  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Director of Camden Healthwatch.

The Better Births strategy recommended that women should be offered a personalised care plan. Healthwatch Camden gathered insight from local women and their experiences of using maternity services in Camden and giving birth at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust. We want to use this research as an addition to the Better Births strategy, and to identify gaps and put forward recommendations to support the well-being of women giving birth in Camden.

This report has been commissioned from HealthWatch by Camden Council.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Healthwatch.

Lucy night, Healthwatch Communications Engagement Lead, introduced the Healthwatch Better Births Strategy report and recommendations, included within the papers. Healthwatch Camden gathered insight from local women and their experiences of using maternity services in Camden to identify gaps, putting forward recommendations to support the well-being of women giving birth in Camden. The paper had already reported to the NHS trusts and the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The Chair thanked Healthwatch for the report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

-       In relation to training on race and ethnicity, a Co-opted Member asked how that training could be implemented and if there was any monitoring of progress as part of any recommendation. In response, Healthwatch stated that the recommendation for annual training was echoed from Birth Rights, a charity that existed to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth, who had carried out national work in 2022 on racial discrimination during pregnancy.

-       In response to a Co-opted Member asking for additional information on the training and monitoring of nurses who had multiple incidences of poor care to ethnic minorities, it was clarified that Healthwatch did not set out what should be included in the training, but should be guided by expert charities in the field. Additionally, a recommendation from Healthwatch was there should be consistent training between trusts.

-       A Member stated that Camden’s child population was declining and asked what a long-term strategy was in addressing the underutilisation of resources and the implications. It was confirmed that Healthwatch would provide a response to the Committee outside of the meeting. A Co-opted Member asked how the report intersected with The First 1001 Days work. It was confirmed that Healthwatch would provide a response to the Committee outside of the meeting.

Actions By – Director of Healthwatch

The Director of Public Health updated the Board that in June 2022, North Central London (NCL) ICB and a range of partners began a case for change in neonatal paediatric services. The population across NCL was changing, with a declining birth rate, which raised the question of where babies should be born and that they needed to improve and make better use of maternity services across the area and between trusts. The work had started with extensive consultation and options reviewing in producing The Case for Change, published in 2022. The next step was a neonatal impact assessment, looking at inequalities and the different range of interdependencies between options, to be published in Autumn 2023. The paper would then report to the Mayor’s Office for review, and then another consultation would commence to see if there was a need for an integrated business case. The Director of Public Health stated that the Committee could bring this piece of work back to scrutiny for consideration.

RESOLVED -

THAT the report be noted.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Adviser on Diversity Mission.

Councillor Nanouche Umeadi, Cabinet Adviser on Diversity Mission, introduced the report which focussed on supporting the next generation of diverse leaders. The report looked at how the Council could go further in developing opportunities, providing guidance to young people, and promoting leadership skills for young people from BAME backgrounds. The recommendations focussed on improving the existing models within Camden and increasing the number of employers in Camden to provide opportunities, particularly for young people from lower income families. The final recommendations of the report, once considered by scrutiny, would later be considered by Cabinet.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

-       Members praised the rich and extensive research and ambition set out in the report.

-       It was confirmed that over the course of the research it was clear that disadvantage in accesses opportunities was also evident across other groups, such as white working class young people, and the recommendations would also create opportunities for those other groups.

-       In response to a Member asking if a gender or racial divide had been observed in the research, it was stated that in general girls were more aspirational than boys, who tended to limit themselves. From this, it was evident there needed to be more male Black and Asian role models. You could draw from the research that it was middle class young people who took up the more exciting opportunities that currently existed.

-       It was confirmed that data was not collected on whether the young people involved in the research were pupil premium or eligible for free school meals.

-       In relation to section 4.3, it was noted that the impressive network of Camden STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) was run by 3-4 people, and the reach of the benefit and value they added in providing opportunities for young people in the borough could be boosted by increased funding.

RESOLVED -

THAT the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee

1.         note the report of Councillor Nanouche Umeadi, Cabinet Adviser for Diversity Mission; and

2.         discuss and comment on the recommendations made by the Cabinet Adviser, which will be incorporated in a report to Cabinet.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Public Health.

Kirsten Watters, Director of Public Health, introduced the report. The report provided an update on Camden’s performance and activity against key health indicators relating to services for children and young people. Comparison data had been taken from Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) Fingertips Child, the Maternal Health data dashboard and other local data.  The report set out the progress to date which positively reflected the work to deliver Our Camden Plan and the Camden 2025 vision for people to lead healthy, independent lives. This was the first report where Public Health and Integrated Children’s Commissioning had joined together.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

-       A Member asked how children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) usage varied between different young people, commenting that biggest factor for young people getting involved in knife crime was poor mental health and that young black boys who were at the biggest risk to knife crime. They asked if Public Health was seeing this group use CAHMS as much as other groups, or if there was there a gap in provision. The Director of Public Health said they would provide data on the intersectionality of CAMHS and the different types of referrals of support, such as trauma informed training and across other settings, to the Committee.

Action By – Director of Public Health

-       It was stated that the issue and concern of adolescents vaping was addressed in the statutory Public Health Annual Report, separate to the Annual Health Update on Children, Young People and Families.

-       It was confirmed that the First 1001 days was a priority of the NHS.

-       In Camden, good health was recorded in Early Years and children, however was not seen to continue in the same way to adolescents and they would need to look at the policy support focus offer for adolescents.

RESOLVED -

THAT the report be noted.

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Directors Supporting People, Supporting Communities and Corporate Services.

James Coumbe, Portfolio Lead, introduced the report. The report provided an update on the development of the annual State of the Borough report, explained its purpose and origins, the findings of the first iteration the report, and sought input from the Committee in relation to the data in the remit of children, schools and families. The report would later seek approval of Council.

The Chair thanked officers for the report and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

-       Member praised the report and commented that it covered many bases and was a broad source of information.

-       In response to a Co-opted Member querying how the Council thought they were performing in the areas set out, it was confirmed that this paper was not a performance report and was a neutral data set. The first iteration of the report was a starting point and a baseline to set out what was known about life in the borough. The document was a source of information for scrutiny committees in responding to headings within the We Make Camden strategy.

RESOLVED -

THAT the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee

1.          note and comment on the contents of the report and comment on any additional data or evidence that could add value to the aims of the report; and

2.          refer the final version of the report on to Council for consideration.

Report of the Executive Director Supporting People.

This report sets out the work programme for the municipal year 2022/23 and the provisional work programme for the municipal year 2023/24. The Committee will continue to be provided with an updated report on their future work programme at each meeting, for their consideration.

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Director Supporting People.

The Executive Director Supporting People outlined the work programme for the 2023-24 municipal year. The following suggestions were made by Committee Members for topics to be included in the future work programme:

-       Teachers and school staff wellbeing

-       BAME school governor representation

RESOLVED -

THAT that the report be noted.

The Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee is

asked to note the following provisional meeting dates for the 2023/24 municipal year:

·       11 July 2023

·       7 September 2023

·       9 November 2023

·       19 December 2023

·       18 January 2024

·       26 February 2024

The provisional meeting dates for the 2023/24 municipal year, as listed in the agenda, were noted.

There was no urgent business.