The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Merton Council met on Wednesday 20 September 2023 to discuss a range of important issues concerning the borough's children and young people. Key topics included an update on departmental activities, a review of the schools places planning strategy, and a performance monitoring report.

Departmental Update

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on key developments within the Children, Lifelong Learning and Families (CLLF) Department. This included information on changes to the senior leadership team, with the interim Assistant Director for Strategy, Commissioning and Transformation, Richard Ellis, moving to Kent County Council, and Tom Procter stepping in to cover the role. The report also highlighted the launch of a new consultation for children and young people in Merton, aimed at informing the Children and Young People's Plan and refreshing strategies such as the Early Help Strategy and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Strategy.

Further details were provided on the department's work in supporting schools, including the monthly multi-agency Children Missing Education (CME) panel, which has been recognised for its good practice. The report noted a rise in children not on a school roll and those with very low attendance, with a significant subgroup being children with special educational needs or disabilities. The department also reported on the launch of Merton's Family Hubs, with two sites established at Phipps Bridge Youth Centre and Church Road Children's Centre, and at Acacia Adventure Playground and Acacia Children's Centre. Plans were also in place to publish a Start for Life Offer by the end of the autumn term, focusing on the first 1001 days of a child's life. The expansion of free early years education and childcare for working families was also discussed, requiring significant planning over the coming months. The report also detailed the provision of supermarket food vouchers for children on benefits-related Free School Meals over the summer and continuing through holidays until at least Easter 2024. From September, all Key Stage 2 children would benefit from free school meals during term time, funded by the Mayor of London.

In relation to supporting vulnerable children, the report indicated that as of 31 July 2023, Merton maintained 2,469 Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), an increase of 49 from the previous year. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Integrated Service (SENDIS) had received 308 requests for an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) in the calendar year, with 233 agreed and 172 EHCPs issued. The report noted a decrease in the timeliness of EHCNA completion, with 58% issued within the statutory 20 weeks, attributed to delays in professional advice, staffing challenges, and increased demand. The department also held summer parties for children in care and care leavers, and a Corporate Parenting Board Awayday facilitated by Mark Riddell, the DfE Adviser on Children in Care and Care Leavers. Funding had been secured from the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to improve the identification and response to Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA). Additionally, £5,000 had been received from the VRU for research into multi-agency responses to youth violence within the borough, with a report from commissioned expert Junior Smart expected by September 2023. The department had also responded to the Department for Education's consultation on changes to the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguarding Children . Finally, the report indicated good progress in delivering financial balance within the five years of the Safety Valve programme, with the number of EHCPs stabilising.

Schools Places Planning Strategy

The panel was scheduled to review the draft Schools Places Planning Strategy, which outlines the current situation and future projections for school places in Merton. The report highlighted a falling demand for primary school places and a forecast fall in demand for secondary school places. Conversely, there was a significant increase in demand for specialist provision. The strategy detailed the supply and forecasting information and proposed approaches for managing this changing demand.

The report indicated that since around 2016, there has been a significant fall in demand for primary school places across Merton, London, and the country. Reception year numbers have decreased for seven consecutive years, with further falls expected. The total primary school roll is projected to be significantly lower by 2027/28 compared to the 2017/18 peak. To manage this falling demand and ensure schools can maintain balanced budgets, the strategy proposed encouraging schools to reduce admission numbers, working in cluster areas to agree reductions, considering alternative uses for space such as Additional Resourced Provision (ARP) for SEND pupils, and exploring alternative operating models for schools like federations. The report stressed that there were no plans to close schools unless absolutely necessary.

For secondary schools, the report noted that while Year 7 numbers had plateaued following a significant increase up to September 2018, lower numbers flowing through primary schools were expected to impact Year 7 rolls from September 2024 or 2025, leading to concerns about surplus places and the eventual need to reduce school capacity. The demand for post-16 places was projected to increase significantly from September 2023.

A key concern was the more than doubling increase in the number of EHCPs over the last seven years, leading to a significant rise in demand for specialist school places. Despite expansion efforts, the council still places more children with EHCPs in independent sector provision than most councils. As part of the High Needs 'safety valve' intervention programme, new expansions were being implemented, including a proposal for a new Special Free School, with a provider expected to be chosen in early 2024 for a September 2026 opening. The report also detailed the financial implications, including an overspend in the Dedicated School Grant (DSG) and increased travel assistance costs for children with EHCPs.

Performance Monitoring Report

The panel was set to review the performance information for 2023/24, up to 30 June 2023, as presented in the accompanying Performance Index document. The report highlighted several indicators marked as amber or red, requiring attention.

Key areas of concern included:

• % of Education, Health and Care (EHCP) Plans issued within statutory 20-week timescale: Rated Amber, with 63% issued within the timeframe against a target of 65%. While performance was above the national average, ongoing scrutiny was planned.
• % of children subject of a CP plan who had a CP visit within timescales: Rated Red, with performance at 86% against a target of 90%. The number of children on a Child Protection (CP) plan had risen, and weekly operational performance meetings were to be implemented.
• % of Children that became the subject of a Child Protection Plan (CPP) for the second or subsequent time: Rated Red, with performance at 23% in June 2023, slightly reduced from previous months but remaining high.
• Average number of weeks taken to complete Care proceedings: Rated Red, with performance declining to 52 weeks, impacted by national court backlogs and other factors. A permanent court progression officer was in place.
• Stability of placements of Looked After Children (aged under 16): Rated Red, with performance at 63% against an increased target of 71%. This was attributed to small cohort numbers.
• Secondary school surplus places: Rated Red, with Year 7 surplus places stable at 2.3% but below the 5% target. The report noted that lower roll numbers flowing from primary schools would lead to more surplus places in the future.
• % of care leavers (aged 19-21) not in education, employment or training (NEET): Rated Red, with performance at 35% against a target of 32%.
• % agency social workers: Rated Red, with the proportion at 25% in June 2023, working towards a target of 22.7%.

The report also noted that data for certain indicators, such as the % of quorate attendance at CP conferences and Youth services participation rate, were not available or on hold pending further guidance.

Work Programme

The panel was scheduled to review its Work Programme for 2023/24. This included discussing the departmental update, the future of primary school places in light of declining birth rates, and performance monitoring. The panel was also to review and agree any changes to the work programme.