Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Zarin Bakhshzaad, Councillor Matt Cooper and Dr Rachel Wrangham.

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’.

Any Other Announcements

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair announced 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 six 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 being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast.”

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 approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2024.

As matters arising, a Member asked for an update on when further information would be shared with the Committee on strategic place planning, as discussed on item 8 at the previous meeting (2024 School Place Planning Report). Officers acknowledged the feedback at the previous meeting regarding the integration of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school place planning into the wider place planning work. They assured the Committee that discussions on this topic were ongoing, including within the School Place Planning Group (which involved school leaders and teachers) and the Place Planning Board (chaired by the Executive Director Children and Learning). It was explained that any recommendations for proposed changes would follow the standard democratic processes, and the Committee would have an opportunity to review proposals at the appropriate time. It was emphasised the importance of involving officers from across Council departments to assess the wider impacts of place planning decisions to mitigate negative effects on communities and to optimise the use of community assets. It was also highlighted the role of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) on SEND place planning, which would be considered as part of future plans. The next update would be provided in autumn 2025 and no further updates were available at this stage. Officers clarified that no formal decisions would be made ahead of September 2025, the timeline was much longer, and any plan would be shared with the Committee well in advance of any proposals being formally agreed.

RESOLVED -  

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2024 be agreed as an accurate record.

There was no urgent business.

Report of the Executive Director, Children and Learning.

In response to the Children and Social Work Act 2017, and publication of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) replaced the Camden Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB) on 1st July 2019. The statutory guidance set out what is expected of organisations, individually and jointly, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

The CSCP is led by four statutory safeguarding partners who hold equal responsibility for safeguarding children. The statutory safeguarding partners are Camden Council, NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB), Central North Basic Command Unit of the London Metropolitan Police Service and Camden Learning (delegated safeguarding partner).

The annual report 2023-24 analyses the impact of the CSCP in maintaining good governance and strategic oversight of the quality and performance of the local multiagency safeguarding arrangements within Camden. 

Consideration was given to the report of the of the Executive Director Children and Learning.

Tim Aldridge (Executive Director Children and Learning) presented the report. Other partners in attendance were David Pennington (Director of Safeguarding, North Central London Integrated Care System), Emma Barker (Detective Superintendent, Central North Basic Command Unit), Stephen Hall (Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning) and Robert McCulloch-Graham (Camden’s Independent Scrutineer). The report provided a strategic oversight of the quality and performance of the multiagency safeguarding efforts and an assessment of local services performance and effectiveness, highlighting areas of strength and weakness. The report also outlined how the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements were evaluated and detailed the actions being taken to enhance safeguarding practices aiming to improve outcomes for vulnerable children.

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

·       In relation to the second key question for the Committee in section 2, a Member asked what the impacts of a collaborative working culture and an open and transparent safeguarding culture were. They also asked if partners were aware if safeguarding issues decreased as a result from collaborative working. The following responses was given:

-       It was confirmed that the report demonstrated how statutory duties were being met and highlighted the importance of collaboration. However, it was noted that external drivers, such as the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and poverty, had significantly contributed to harm in communities – which were factors beyond the partnership's control. While the partnership could not guarantee any reduction in incidents, it remained committed to better identifying, responding to, and preventing issues from worsening.

-       The importance of learning together as a partnership and understanding complex areas such as neglect was emphasised, particularly in distinguishing between families who were struggling and those unable to manage adequately.

-       Encouraging collaboration across services and fostering an environment where individuals felt confident in reporting concerns, including a willingness to challenge others and accept accountability, was also highlighted as crucial and considered vital for improving safeguarding outcomes.

-       Evidence of the partnership’s effectiveness could be observed in reviews, feedback on incidents and near misses, which helped inform future proactive responses.

-       The importance of transparency and shared values within the partnership was important and Camden’s culture of openness was evident in its meetings and responses to incidents. The complexity of safeguarding and the various external factors influencing outcomes were acknowledged, with an emphasis that, while no guarantees could be made, a lack of transparency could lead to poor practice.

-       Camden had a strong national reputation for its safeguarding culture however there was a need for continued vigilance to maintain positive relationships and community impact, given that staff and circumstances could change over time.

·       A Member noted that while the report mentioned sexual and physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect might be harder for young people to identify in their own situation, as they might not have had the necessary terminology to recognise these issues. Officers explained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture.

The Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People & Culture provides the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee with her annual report for discussion. The report gives an overview of our intervention approaches to address disproportionality, explores how we incorporate the voices of our residents into our work, evaluates our early intervention and prevention approaches, celebrates our vast culture offer, assesses how we respond to social inequality while also welcoming the inclusive economy and jobs portion of the portfolio.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture.

Councillor Sabrina Francis (Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture) introduced and summarised the report. The report covered the following areas in the portfolio: key initiatives and strategic priorities aimed at taking an early intervention and prevention approach to youth violence while addressing disproportionality, the voice of children and families, the culture offer, responding to social inequality, and an inclusive economy and jobs.

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

·       A Member requested more information about Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilots. The Cabinet Member explained that the initiative was in its early stages, with five cohorts identified, highlighting that young people in care could benefit the most. Officers referenced the UBI scheme in Wales for care leavers, stating that they were still learning from its outcomes. An external organisation had been commissioned to explore what a UBI pilot could look like for Camden, focusing on a subset of care leavers. The pilot would aim to assess the impact of UBI on improving outcomes, ensuring more effective use of resources, and influencing life courses. Over the coming months, options would be developed, leading to a decision on whether to proceed. It was also noted that the pilot could attract national or philanthropic interest and played a part of Camden’s mission to research innovative approaches.

·       A Member raised concerns about the increasing number of families in temporary accommodation and asked whether this affected the Jobs, Young People & Culture portfolio. The Cabinet Member stated that housing significantly impacted young people’s outcomes and noted that senior officers had been invited to the Camden Missions meetings to address the issue. The Cabinet Member explained that a sense of space could influence autonomy and behaviour of a young person, highlighting the interconnectedness of Housing with all portfolios.

·       A Member highlighted the importance of youth clubs and youth workers, referencing encouraging research that suggested youth clubs remained highly relevant and impactful. They asked how youth work was recognised in Camden. The Cabinet Member praised the breadth of services that youth clubs across Camden offered and acknowledged the long service of many youth workers, some with up to 25 years’ experience. There had been a focus on developing youth clubs as hubs where young people could access advice, recognising the importance of ‘third spaces’ where young people could gather. Officers noted that Camden had maintained investment in youth services, particularly when many local authorities had been unable to do so, which enabled the borough to retain highly experienced staff. In youth work there had been a shift towards a greater focus on youth safety, with joint working between youth clubs and youth safety initiatives and other parts of London had shown interest in Camden’s model. The Cabinet Member added that Camden had introduced youth work apprenticeships to elevate the importance of youth work and there were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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

The Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families provides the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee with his annual report for discussion. The report gives an overview of our work and achievements made across schools and learning, health for children and families, adult an community learning, children services and safeguarding, SEND, Corporate Parenting and Early Years & Family Hubs.

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

Councillor Marcus Boyland (Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families) introduced and summarised the report. The report covered the following areas in the portfolio: key initiatives and strategic priorities aimed at improving the lives and wellbeing of children and families across the borough, schools and Camden Learning, improving the health of children and families, adult community learning and the Virtual School, Children’s Services and safeguarding, support for students with SEND and the Children and Young People with Disabilities Service (CYPDS), corporate parenting and voices of families and children, and Early Years and Family Hubs.

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

·       A Member highlighted the potential benefits of collaborating with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to use their data to activate auto-enrolment to increase and streamline the Free School Meals (FSM) uptake and they asked for a timeframe for when this might be possible. The Cabinet Member explained an IT project of that nature could take some time to implement. There were challenges in IT systems in schools being outdated, which made it harder to obtain a full picture of which families were eligible. Despite this, Members were reassured that other measures were being taken to encourage parents to sign up for Pupil Premium which supported FSM uptake and schools had put significant effort into securing this funding stream.

·       In response to Members, officers agreed to provide further information on any specific support the Council provided, or could consider providing, to families who were living in temporary accommodation to help children attend school, particularly any details about support for families who had to move out of borough.

Action By: Executive Director, Children and Learning

·       In relation to initiatives aimed at improving school attendance, a Member suggested that one effective approach could be making school a more desirable place to attend. The Cabinet Member explained that attendance in Camden was low performing compared to other London boroughs. The Children’s Trust Partnership Board, a multi-agency partnership with representatives from the Council, schools, VCS, and Health established to improve outcomes for children and young people in Camden, was dedicated to addressing this challenge, alongside exclusions and concerns about Elective Home Education (EHE). For the Board, officers created data heat maps which mapped the borough to identify areas with the worst attendance, and this showed that areas around estates had the worst outcomes. Further analysis of attendance focused on children with SEND, care-experienced children, and children who had come into contact with social workers, among other vulnerable groups. An initiative from schools was testing the effectiveness of different messaging to families in improving attendance. The Cabinet Member also noted a theme in addressing the issue was around children feeling belonging and asking what motivated children to attend school, which could be hindered by strict penalties relating to uniform or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Executive Directors of Adults and Health, Children and Learning, Supporting Communities and Corporate Services.

This report focusses on the second quarter of the year (Q2) 2024/25 using a broad range of measures from each directorate and division across the organisation. In this report, Camden Directors have been asked to provide a narrative covering key areas of challenge, opportunity, and learning.  

This report is divided into two main sections:

• A summary which highlights key responses from directorates and highlights particular cross-cutting themes;  
• A detailed summary of individual service responses for Q2 2024/25 across each of our three Directorates. 

Appendix A contains the data dashboard.

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Directors of Adults and Health, Children and Learning, Supporting Communities and Corporate Services.

Tim Aldridge (Executive Director Children and Learning) summarised areas of the report which related to the Children and Learning directorate. This included outlining the summaries of the challenges, opportunities and learning for the relevant services.

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

·       In response to Members, officers agreed to provide further information about how the family therapy offer worked in conjunction with MASH.

Action By: Executive Director Children and Learning

·       A Member asked whether ESOL teaching (English for Speakers of Other Languages) was being combined with vocational skills and development opportunities. Officers confirmed that this approach was part of the adult community learning pathway, explaining that ESOL often served as a first step and gateway to other opportunities.

·       A Member noted that while the comments on the Looked After Children dashboard indicated stability, the data showed a steady increase since 2019/20 and they asked for an explanation of that trend. Officers responded that the increase could be attributed to a combination of factors, including the ongoing effects of the pandemic, social care issues such as neglect and domestic abuse, and the cost-of-living crisis. Families under pressure from poverty faced increased disadvantages, which often drove poorer outcomes. Officers acknowledged the small but notable increase and explained that the Council was focusing on early intervention to address the issue. This included safeguarding measures via the Front Door service and support from the Edge of Care Service. It was also highlighted that a disproportionate number of children entering care were from Black and Asian communities and emphasised the need to work harder and intervene earlier to support these families.

RESOLVED -  

THAT the Committee comment on and note the report.  

Report of the Executive Director Children and Learning.

This report provides an outline of the 2024/25 work programme (Appendix 1) and provides an update on actions requested at previous meetings (Appendix 2).

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Director Children and Learning.

Tim Aldridge, Executive Director Children and Learning, summarised the work programme.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

The Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee is asked to note the meeting dates for the remainder of the 2024/25 municipal year:

·       Tuesday, 14 January 2025

·       Monday, 24 February 2025

The next meeting would be on 14 January 2025. The remaining meeting dates for the 2024/25 municipal were noted.

There was no urgent business.