The Children, Young People and Education Scrutiny Commission of Leicester Council discussed several significant issues, including the funding and sustainability of Adventure Playgrounds, education performance in the city, the situation of children seeking safety, and post-16 SEND home-to-school transport. Key decisions and discussions are summarised below.

Adventure Playgrounds Funding

Stephen Ashley raised a question about restarting the final 12 months of funding for Adventure Playgrounds. The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education responded, explaining that due to reduced funding from central government, the council could not sustain grants to voluntary and community sectors beyond the current financial year. The council has provided a grant for the current year with increased flexibility to help organisations move towards self-sustainability. The director emphasised the importance of helping these organisations become viable charities in the long term.

Education Performance Report

The Education Performance Report was presented by the Director of SEND and Education, highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education outcomes. The report compared pre- and post-pandemic performance of approximately 56,100 children in Leicester’s publicly funded schools. Key points included:

• Children eligible for Free School Meals performed better than their national peers.
• Asian children and those with English as an Additional Language (EAL) performed well, while children of mixed and white heritage, and those receiving SEN support, performed worse.
• The council's efforts to improve school readiness and support for children in Years 9 and 10 were discussed.

The commission agreed to further review the data and monitor the emergence of a national plan to tackle the identified challenges.

Children Seeking Safety

The Children Seeking Safety report was presented by the Head of Corporate Parenting. The report provided an overview of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (CSS) in Leicester. Key points included:

• The council is responsible for 38 Children Looked After (CLA) who are CSS and 64 care leavers from abroad.
• CSS arrive through the National Transfer Scheme, Home Office-designated hotels, and spontaneous arrivals.
• The council faces challenges in providing suitable accommodation and age verification for CSS.

The commission noted the report and agreed to keep updated on any developments.

Post-16 SEND Home-to-School Transport

The Strategic Director of Social Care and Education provided a verbal update on the post-16 SEND home-to-school transport policy. The council has agreed to re-consult on the policy following legal advice, with the consultation aimed to start in September. The director emphasised the need to balance budgets while considering the impact on families. The commission agreed to receive a fuller report in a future meeting.

Work Programme

The commission discussed the work programme and agreed to consider further information on roles in CYPE, early years entitlement, the SEND system improvement plan, the annual quality assurance report, and a children’s social care assessment. The commission also expressed interest in inviting the Regional Director from the Department for Education to report on the actions of Trusts.

For more details, refer to the printed minutes of the meeting.