The Safeguarding & Special Educational Needs Sub (Community & Children's Services) Committee met on Monday 15 June 2026 to review a series of annual reports concerning the welfare and development of children and young people. Discussions were scheduled to cover independent reviewing officer functions, private fostering arrangements, the provision of services for looked-after children, and strategies to combat multi-agency child exploitation. The committee was also set to consider the implications of national SEND reforms and local area consultation responses, alongside performance updates for children and families services, and education and early years provision related to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Additionally, reports on adult social care safeguarding performance and self-evaluation framework updates were on the agenda.

Independent Reviewing Officer Annual Report 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) service for 2025-26. The report was expected to summarise the statutory duties of the IRO service, detailing how the City of London has performed in this regard. It was intended to provide an overview of the IRO role and the officer's performance in ensuring children's key needs are met, identifying strengths from the past year's practice and areas for development in 2026-27.

Private Fostering Annual Report 2025-26

A report was scheduled to detail the City of London's compliance with its duties and functions concerning private fostering arrangements. This report was to outline activities undertaken to raise awareness of notification requirements for children living in private fostering arrangements. The regulations apply when children under 16 (or 18 if disabled) live with someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more. The report indicated that no private fostering arrangements were identified in the City of London between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

Looked After Children and Care Experienced Young People Provider Annual Report 2025-26

The committee was to be presented with an annual report on health services for looked-after children and care-experienced young people in the City of London, prepared by Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The report was expected to confirm that health services are strong and meeting statutory requirements, with all necessary health assessments completed on time. It was also to highlight that services are well-coordinated across partners and deliver high-quality, child-centred care. Key areas identified for improvement included immunisation uptake, emotional wellbeing support, and gathering feedback from children and carers, which were to be priorities for the coming year.

Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Annual Report 2025-26

A report was scheduled to outline the activities of the Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) team from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The MACE forum, co-chaired by the Head of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service and the City of London Police, is responsible for coordinating information sharing and multi-agency interventions to protect children and young people from extra-familial harm and exploitation. The report was to detail the intelligence picture being created, the impact on children's safety, and the learning for individuals and organisations. It was noted that the volume of extra-familial harm concerning City resident children is low, but due to transport hubs and the night-time economy, children from other local authority areas come to notice regarding exploitation.

SEND Reforms and Local Area Consultation Response

The committee was scheduled to review the implications of new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms for local services. The national reform programme aims to improve consistency, transparency, and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, while addressing system pressures. The report was to introduce how these reforms would be shaped and implemented locally and set out the local area's proposed response to a Department for Education (DfE) consultation. This response was to reflect support for the reforms' direction while highlighting concerns regarding implementation capacity, workforce sufficiency, and the need for sustainable funding.

Children and Families Service Scorecard Q4 2025-26

A performance update for the Children and Families Service for the period of January to March 2026 was scheduled for review. The report was to demonstrate where performance meets statutory obligations and targets, and to identify actions taken for improvement in specific areas. Overall performance was described as good, meeting statutory requirements and local targets, and comparing well with regional or national benchmarks. A gradual year-on-year decline in demand was noted, with a decrease in contacts and Children in Need, although the number of Children in Care had increased slightly.

Education and Early Years SEND Dashboard 2025-26

Members were to receive a performance update for the Education and Early Years Service, specifically concerning Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), covering the period from April 2025 to March 2026. The report indicated that overall performance was good, meeting statutory requirements and local targets. A year-on-year increase in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) issued was noted, with a corresponding rise in the caseload. The majority of children with an EHCP attend mainstream settings, and Autism Spectrum Disorder is the most common identified special educational need.

Adult Social Care Safeguarding Performance Report Q1-Q4 2025/26

This report was to provide Members with an update on safeguarding performance across the Adult Social Care Service for the entire 2025/26 financial year. Overall performance was described as good, meeting statutory requirements and local targets. The report noted that due to the small cohort numbers within the City of London Corporation, there can be significant variance in out-turns, which were to be highlighted where relevant.

Adult Social Care Self-Evaluation Framework Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Adult Social Care Self-Evaluation Framework (SEF), which was last completed as a full assessment in February 2025. This update was to provide a focused interim review, aligning Adult Social Care with the update cycle used across the Department of Community and Children's Services. The report was to present progress since February 2025, areas where performance is improving, and areas requiring further strengthening, drawing on performance data, audit activity, and strategic developments.

Children's Social Care and Family Help Service Development Plan 2026/27

A report detailing the new Children's Social Care and Family Help Service Development Plan for 2026/27 was to be presented. This plan was to incorporate learning from children and families, national research, practitioner views, and findings from independent Ofsted inspections and audits. It was to include new actions and retain oversight of recommendations from previous inspections and reforms, with actions RAG-rated to indicate progress. The plan was also to address the impact of new immigration rules on care leavers and review the use of risk-related tools.

The meeting also included standard procedural items such as apologies, declarations of interest, and the election of a Deputy Chairman. The public minutes of the previous meeting were to be agreed, and a motion was scheduled to exclude the public for the discussion of non-public agenda items.