The Safeguarding & Special Educational Needs Sub (Community & Children's Services) Committee met on Monday 15 June 2026 to review annual reports on key services, discuss performance data, and consider the implications of national SEND reforms. The meeting's agenda included updates on the Independent Reviewing Officer service, private fostering, looked after children, multi-agency child exploitation, and the Children and Families Service scorecard.

Independent Reviewing Officer Annual Report 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to receive the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) Annual Report for 2025-26. This report was intended to provide an overview of the IRO service, outlining its statutory requirements and the City of London's performance in meeting them. The report was expected to detail the IRO's role in ensuring children's key needs are met, highlighting practice strengths from the past year and identifying areas for development in 2026-27. The IRO's primary task is to ensure that care plans fully reflect a child's current needs and align with the local authority's legal responsibilities, acting as a corporate parent for children in their care.

Private Fostering Annual Report 2025-26

A report on private fostering arrangements for 2025-26 was scheduled for discussion. Private fostering 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 was to detail the City of London's compliance with its duties and functions regarding private fostering. Notably, the report indicated that no private fostering arrangements had been identified in the City of London between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The report also outlined awareness-raising activities undertaken to promote understanding of notification requirements for private fostering.

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

The committee was set to review the annual report on health services for looked after children and care experienced young people in the City of London for 2025-26. Prepared by Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the report was expected to confirm that health services for this cohort were meeting statutory requirements, with all necessary health assessments completed on time. The report was anticipated to highlight strong coordination across partners and the delivery of child-centred care. Areas identified for improvement included immunisation uptake, emotional wellbeing support, and gathering feedback from children and carers, which were planned as priorities for the coming year.

Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Annual Report 2025-26

The Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) Annual Report for 2025-26 was scheduled for review. 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 outline the team's activities, the intelligence picture being developed, the impact on child safety, and learning for individuals and organisations. The report noted that while the volume of exploitation concerning City resident children was low, the City's location with transport hubs and a night-time economy meant that children from other local authority areas came to notice due to exploitation issues.

SEND Reforms and Local Area Consultation Response

The committee was to consider the implications of new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms and the City of London's proposed response to a Department for Education (DfE) consultation. The reforms aim to improve consistency, transparency, and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, addressing pressures such as rising demand and workforce capacity. Key proposals included a new Individual Support Plan (ISP) for children with SEND and a £4 billion investment. The local area's consultation response was expected to express support for the reforms' direction while highlighting concerns about implementation capacity, workforce sufficiency, and funding sustainability.

Children and Families Service Scorecard Q4 2025-26

A performance update for the Children and Families Service for the fourth quarter of 2025-26 was scheduled. The report was to demonstrate where performance met statutory obligations and targets, and to identify actions taken for improvement. Overall performance was described as good, meeting statutory requirements and local targets. The report noted a year-on-year decline in contacts and a reduction in Children in Need, although the number of Children in Care had increased slightly. A significant improvement was highlighted in the completion of assessments within 45 days.

Education and Early Years SEND Dashboard 2025-26

The committee was to receive the Education and Early Years SEND Dashboard for 2025-26. The report was expected to show that performance across the service continued to be 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 were reported to attend mainstream settings, with Autism Spectrum Disorder being the most common identified special educational need.

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

A report on safeguarding performance across the Adult Social Care Service for the entire 2025-26 year was scheduled. The report was to indicate that overall performance was good, meeting statutory requirements and local targets. The report noted that while the City of London had previously bucked a national trend of rising safeguarding concerns, the current position was more aligned with the wider sector, with increases in self-neglect, neglect, and financial abuse. This rise was attributed to factors including the cost-of-living crisis, an increase in complex cases from hospital discharges, and overall rising demand.

Adult Social Care Self-Evaluation Framework Update

An update on the Adult Social Care Self-Evaluation Framework (SEF) was to be presented. This report was intended to provide a focused interim review following the full SEF completed in February 2025. It was expected to detail progress made, current performance based on Q4 2025-26 data, and areas requiring further strengthening. The report indicated that core service strengths, such as access, timeliness of assessments, and carers' support, had been maintained, with improvements noted in the timeliness of annual reviews. However, the report also highlighted a changing operating context with increased requests for support, rising safeguarding concerns, and growing pressure on services like Occupational Therapy.

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

The committee was to review the Children's Social Care and Family Help Service Development Plan for 2026-27. This annual refresh of the plan was expected to incorporate new actions alongside ongoing oversight of recommendations from Ofsted inspections and the Joint Area SEND inspection. The plan was also to include actions related to the national Family First Reforms and the development of family hubs. The report indicated that actions would be RAG-rated (Red, Amber, Green) at quarterly intervals, with no anticipated blockages to amber actions turning green. The plan was also to address the impact of stricter immigration rules on children and young people in care.

The meeting agenda included items for discussion regarding the election of a Deputy Chairman and the agreement of the public minutes of the previous meeting. Part 2 of the agenda, which was to be held in private, included non-public minutes and appendices related to several of the public agenda items.