Agenda and minutes

Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 8th October, 2024 6.30 pm

Venue: Committee Room 2, Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. View directions

Contact: Anoushka Clayton-Walshe  Principal Committee Officer

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Margaret Harvey, Sarah Jafri and Dr Rachel Wrangham.

 

2.

Declarations by Members of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Compulsory Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests and Voluntary Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests in Matters on this Agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

 

3.

Announcements (if any)

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

Minutes:

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.”

 

4.

Deputations (if any) pdf icon PDF 74 KB

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.

 

Minutes:

A deputation statement relating to Free School Meals (FSM), published within the supplementary agenda, was presented by Rachel Dooley and Kimberly Turner. The statement expressed concerns that the Council was not effectively ensuring registration for children entitled to FSM. They also believed there was not an accessible offer around FSM in Camden due to the lack of policy to support the application and delivery of the scheme for children not in school. There were three areas the deputees wanted the Council take action on were set out in the deputation statement.

 

The Chair thanked the deputees for their presentation and invited questions and comments from the Committee. The following was discussed:

 

·       Councillor Nanouche Umeadi, Associate Cabinet Member for Educational Inequalities, stated that Camden was already championing FSM before the Mayor of London announcement of support packages across London. Camden was one of the few boroughs that continued to fund extended FSM schemes after the Mayor’s London-wide support packages ended. She acknowledged the issue of children who were entitled for FSM not registering, which could be for a number of reasons, and the Council was reviewing this challenge in detail and working with parents and community groups. Councillor Nanouche Umeadi stressed the importance of viewing FSM as food for a child and keeping children out of poverty and not vouchers for schools. The deputees clarified that their primary concern was the lack of FSM provision for children not in school, which particularly affected SEND children.

·       Members said the points raised in the statement were important and the Committee requested a written response.

 

Action By - Director of Education Commissioning and Inclusion

 

 

5.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 357 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meetings held on 16 July 2024.

Minutes:

In advance of the meeting the Clerk was notified of an inaccuracy in the action item recorded at the last meeting. The action recorded on page 15 of the agenda should ask whether children on the waiting list for MOSAIC diagnosis were eligible to receive speech and language therapy (SALT) support. The revised action would be resubmitted for a written response.

 

RESOLVED - 

 

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 2024, subject to the correction, be agreed as an accurate record.

 

6.

Notification of Any Items of Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

 

7.

An Investigation on the Effectiveness of Children’s SEND Provision in Camden pdf icon PDF 124 KB

Report of the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Provision Scrutiny Panel.

 

In September 2023, a scrutiny panel was established by the Children Schools and Families (CSF) Scrutiny  Committee to investigate the provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Camden - ‘the SEND Provision Scrutiny Panel’. The Panel was created in response to issues raised with the Committee Members by many parents and professionals in relation to that service area. The Panel has spoken to a wide range of stakeholders, including schools, parents/carers and officers to hear as many perspectives as possible on Camden’s SEND provision. This report sets out their main findings from the enquiry and ensuing recommendations.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Provision Scrutiny Panel.

 

Councillor McNamara presented the final report of the SEND Provision Scrutiny Panel, summarised the highlights of the investigation, the key lines of inquiry and the findings. The report included findings from over 30 interviews with individuals and groups, along with insights gathered from three sets of questionnaires. The Panel emphasised that SEND provision was an issue of justice, equality, health, and the future of SEND young people. The Panel sought to identify guiding principles as well as specific solutions, noting a lack of consensus on ways forward, but acknowledged the significant pain and dissatisfaction within the system.

 

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

 

·       Councillor Burrage, Member of the HASC Scrutiny Committee invited as a guest scrutiny committee member to the meeting,  thanked the panel for their comprehensive work and highlighted the importance of focusing on under-diagnosed conditions, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They noted that, while autism diagnosis had seen improvements, ADHD was often overlooked, despite affecting a significantly larger number of children. The Member stressed that the council should prioritize efforts to identify children with ADHD, given its significant impact on learning and development.

·       Councillor Larrine Revah, Chair of the HASC Scrutiny Committee invited as a guest scrutiny committee member to the meeting, acknowledged the extensive work carried out by the panel, but questioned what tangible outcomes could be expected to emerge from the recommendations. Specifically, the Member asked what changes were being planned or had already been implemented to improve support for both SEND children and their families. The Member referenced personal experience, noting that many children were not receiving a diagnosis until late into their school years, which left parents struggling to navigate the system. Councillor McNamara confirmed that 39 recommendations had been made following the Panel’s investigation, with 30 being specific to Camden and 9 on a national level which were more aimed at higher level ambitions on how to achieve a fair and inclusive education system. A striking part of the research was the cliff edge young people experienced in their provision when they finished school, which parents were highly anxious about, and there was not a clear pathway for young SEND people when reaching adulthood.

·       Councillor McNamara confirmed that the Council’s work to improve SEND provision had already begun. A reason the Panel decided to extend the work over two political years was to accommodate new officers joining their post in key SEND positions and the evolving pace of changes in the Camden SEND services. Both the panel and headteachers were pleased with the development of the SEND implementation plan developed by officers, not simply a vision statement, but a plan with specific outcomes and deadlines, which was likely to form part of the Cabinet Member’s response report in February 2025.

·       Councillor McNamara said that a statistic the Panel was highly concerned  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Update on provisional school exam results 2024 pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Report of the Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning.

 

A presentation will be given to the committee providing the 2024 provisional early years foundation stage result, plus end of key stage results from Primary (Key Stage 2) and Secondary (Key Stage 4 & 5) Camden schools that have been released during July/August.

 

These outcomes are provisional, with final validated outcomes released later in the year. There is currently limited analysis on the performance of groups within headline data sets. This will be presented to the scrutiny committee in February 2024 when National validated data sets are released.

 

This data set does not now include end of Key Stage 1 (KS1) results as these are now non statutory, nor 2024 Key Stage 2 (KS2) progress scores as these are not available nationally due to the lack of KS1 outcomes in 2020. Caution is advised generally when considered trends over time due to the impact and legacy of the pandemic.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning.

 

Stephen Hall (Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning), accompanied by Dame Christine Gilbert (Independent Chair of Camden Learning), presented the report which outlined the provisional school attainment headlines. The presentation slides included headline provisional data on the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP); Year 1 and Year 2 Phonics; Key Stage Two (KS2) combined and separate reading, writing and maths results; KS4 standard, strong and entry pass rates; and KS5 A-Levels results. There was no KS1 or KS3 data because it was not statutory to collect. It was noted that the provisional results should be looked at with caution because it was provisional data shared by schools themselves. There would be more detailed data and analysis for different groups of children’s attainment results in the February 2025 report.

 

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

 

·       A Member stated that it would be more useful to be given the disadvantage gap comparing this year’s Camden gap to Camden’s gap in multiple previous years, rather than only comparing this year’s Camden gap to the last year national gap. It was confirmed Camden Learning would take that feedback away.

A Member asked for an impact assessment on the ‘every child a reader’ initiative. In response, it was confirmed it was still fairly early in the initiative, which was complex to measure particularly with the absence of KS1 results, but the phonics measures had shown year on year improvement.

·       In response to a Member asking why KS2 maths results were low, it was explained that the results were not low and a 2-3% drop on the previous year was not statistically significant, with the results remaining above London and national average.

·       A Member noted the KS4 disadvantage gap was poor in Camden and nationally. The disadvantage gap figures included children who needed SEND support and were from a disadvantaged background, thus taking exams in mainstream schools. The figures framed that Camden was performing better than last years’ national average. It was confirmed this was an area that needed further analysis and Camden Learning was speaking to schools about the intersectionality, poor attenders, and other complex metrics and factors which impacted on the disadvantage gap. This issue was difficult to unpick and there was not an easy answer. In response to a Member, it was also noted that it was not possible to say yet if changes to curriculums or assessments had impacted this area.

·       It was confirmed that the data included all types of school in the borough apart from private schools.

·       A Member asked for more data on the trends and developments in KS5 results. It was confirmed Camden Learning would provide that data in the February 2025 report.

·       In relation to KS4 and KS5 results stalling over time and below ambition, a Member stated that was a not a new issue. The Member asked if there was broader work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Stocktake on Camden's approach to participation and co-production with children and families pdf icon PDF 432 KB

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

 

Involving everyone in achieving our shared vision is at the heart of our ‘We make Camden’ strategy. As part of Camden’s commitment to ensure every child has the best start in life, we want to make sure that every child and young person feels seen and heard.

 

This report sets out the steps we are taking to put children, young people’s and families’ views and wishes at the heart of Camden’s children’s services, outlines some areas where participation and co-production might be strengthened and highlights issues for discussion.

Minutes:

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, and Nana Bonsu (Director of Relational Practice) introduced and summarised the report. This report set out the steps Camden was taking to put children, young people’s and families’ views and wishes at the heart of children’s services; outlined areas where participation and co-production could be strengthened; and highlighted issues for discussion. Camden’s children’s services participation had many strengths with many different approaches and in the next steps Camden wanted to strengthen the governance and oversight of participation approaches and ensure continuous development of participation practice and representation at all levels.

 

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

 

·       A Member commended the report and said they were keen to see developments in relational practice in the SEND area, which was demonstrated in the recommendations of the SEND Provision Panel final report. In response, it was confirmed that relational practice was to be applied to the whole Council. Regulatory practices in Councils created silo working and the aim was to bring together core values and working together, which would include SEND services.

·       A Member asked how outcomes would be measured and stated that there needed to be a framework. In response, it was confirmed that there would be a framework, supported by introducing the governance model, to measure if what they were doing was having a purposeful impact on the people they served.

·       A Member welcomed the ambition to build on the current successes and ask if Camden was looking at good work from other local authorities. In response, it was confirmed that part of the work of the Camden Centre for Relational Practice was a part of a sector-led partnership work with the Department for Education (DfE) which gave Camden the opportunity to look at other local authority practices. As part of this work Camden would be working with North East Lincolnshire and Wokingham to look at what was successful in relational infrastructures.

·       In relation to section 3.4, a Member asked for more information on the ‘Mind of My Own’ app. In response, it was stated that the app was for children and young people to use in their lifetime to record how their feeling.  Social workers could then respond, using a familiar digital format suited to the social media age. The pilot of the app was successful and the app would be launched in the autumn. Officers would be looking closely to see how this app could teach and inform different methods of engagement with children more creatively and capturing different participation practices.

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Committee comment on and note the report.

 

10.

Youth Justice Plan 2023-2025 Midpoint Review pdf icon PDF 195 KB

Report of the Cabinet Members for Young People & Culture, Safer Communities, and Best Start for Children & Families

 

The report summarises the priorities of the 2023-2025 plan and updates performance at its midpoint for the Youth Justice Service. It provides an overview of progress from the previous plan, references national and regional priorities and how we seek to deliver on our priorities.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Members for Young People & Culture, Safer Communities, and Best Start for Children & Families

 

Tim Cosh, Head of Integrated Youth Services, and Charlotte Matthews, Youth Offending Service Manager, summarised the report which set out the priorities of the 2023-2025 plan, updated on performance at the midpoint for the Youth Justice Service (YJS), provided an overview of progress from the previous plan, and referenced national and regional priorities and how Camden sought to deliver on priorities. The service was keen to receive feedback on how to improve.

 

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

·       A Member stated that there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour in the borough and asked if this trend was visible in the work of the YJS. In response, it was stated that for a child to be flagged to their service certain milestones had to be activated and an indication a child was at risk, which may not be triggered with anti-social behaviour. There were youth early help programmes, which meant an offence did not have to take place for their team to work with a child, and there was work taking place in over-18s spaces. Their service worked with voluntary and community sector (VCS) partners and localities and their relationship with schools was important, because it was imperative to identify any barriers in delays of children getting referred to the YJS

·       In relation to section 8.1, a Member praised the adultification training rolled out to youth justice services. The Member asked if the Deferred Exclusion Programme was working. In response, it was stated that the work taking place was about managing impact and from a relationship standpoint with schools. Children and parents had to want to engage with the programme after being referred by the school. Usually the outcome was that it was best for the child to stay in schooling and looking at a managed move, and it had been shown that children responded well to the programme. There had been positive feedback from parents and the service wanted to raise the profile of the programme. Schools were informed about the programme via headteacher forums and bulletins and via inclusion leads.

·       In response to a Member’s question, it was confirmed that the ambition was for there to be zero school exclusions resulting from incidents involving fighting or possession of drugs, however it was noted that schools needed to protect all children.

·       In relation to section 15.3, housing challenges, a Member asked how the issue of poor housing situations had the potential to contribute to the risk of criminalisation of children and how that could be mitigated. In response, it was confirmed that the role of housing was important and the service would mitigate the impact where they could and there was ongoing work to reduce the impact on families living in temporary accommodation.

·       In relation to section 15.1, the reduction in Children and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee’s Work Programme and Action Tracker 2024/25 pdf icon PDF 124 KB

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).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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.

 

12.

Date of Next Meeting and Future Meeting Dates

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

 

·       Thursday, 11 November 2024

·       Tuesday, 10 December 2024

·       Thursday, 15 January 2025

·       Monday, 25 February 2025

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

The next meeting would be on 11 November 2024. The remaining meeting dates for the 2024/25 municipal were noted.

 

13.

Any Other Business the Chair decides to consider as urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.