Agenda item

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 There were challenges in IT systems in schools being outdated, which made it harder to obtain a full picture of which families were eligible.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 punctuality. A Member emphasised that while the feeling of belonging might sound like a soft concept, it had a huge impact on young people, such as when children felt they could participate in activities such as sports, or when the curriculum celebrated their identity.

·       A Member raised concerns about parents struggling to get their Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) packages paid for due to administrative issues and asked whether this could be addressed.

·       A Member welcomed positive progress in the work on report cards in Camden, which provided a more comprehensive assessment of schools beyond Ofsted and highlighted schools real strengths.

·       A Member praised the outstanding work on early help and the development of family hubs but stressed the need for more support across other age groups.

·       In relation to SEND services, a Member acknowledged the achievements but raised concerns about the 96-week wait for diagnoses, describing the significant pain experienced by children and families. The Member noted the lack of mention of this issue and limited information on speech therapy in the report. The Cabinet Member responded that the 96-week wait had been widely discussed and confirmed that they had written to the Integrated Care Board (ICB). The ICB was considering increasing investment in Camden to add an additional £900,000 per year, and the Cabinet Member expressed confidence that the ICB had taken concerns seriously. The Member requested that the next iteration of this report addressed these issues in greater detail, including updates on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and speech and language therapist provisions.

·       A Member raised concerns about school attendance, particularly at the secondary level, highlighting Camden’s rate of 24% compared to 23.9% in London and 19.6% nationally. They queried whether attendance rates were better in Camden’s more affluent wards. The Cabinet Member explained that areas within the borough which required greater investment often faced more challenges, with attendance rates being lower on estates. However, attendance in primary schools was showing improvement and becoming more positive. To better understand the underlying issues, a health-related questionnaire was being introduced. The Cabinet Member also highlighted the involvement of Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA), a youth-led VCS organisation, which had created a video commissioned by Camden Learning. The video, made by children for children, aimed to encourage attendance and was part of broader efforts to address school attendance issues.

·       A Member highlighted the importance of celebrating the positive relationship between Camden schools and the Council, noting that schools in other local authorities sometimes lost confidence in their council which could lead to academisation. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the challenges faced by schools across the city and credited his predecessors for the hard work over the years which helped keep Camden schools together. To sustain this progress, the Cabinet Member stressed the importance of being present figures, meeting with headteachers, and engaging with Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Efforts included increasing involvement in Camden Learning, strengthening networks, supporting cluster groups, and promoting peer reviews and federations. The governor network was also highlighted as playing a key role in maintaining these positive relationships.

·       Members requested that for a more detailed data breakdown and analysis be provided, including a heatmap, in the next iteration of the attendance report to the Committee. Members noted that while the current graphs provided a broad view of London, they wanted finer details to differentiate between Camden schools to identify specific issues and foster targeted discussion.

RESOLVED -  

THAT the Committee comment on and note the report.