The Scrutiny Children & Young People Sub-Committee reviewed the Council's action plan in response to a Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision, discussed the Youth Justice Plan for 2024/25, and examined the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard. The Sub-Committee also updated its work programme for the upcoming year.

Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman Decision and Action Plan

The Sub-Committee reviewed the March 2024 Cabinet Report and the associated action plan addressing findings of fault and injustice from the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. The Director of Education highlighted that the Council had apologised to the affected parent and strengthened processes regarding school responsibilities, including distributing the 'children not being able to attend school due to medical needs or otherwise' policy to all schools. Discussions focused on ensuring schools were aware of this policy, with the Director of Education explaining it was a topic in head teacher conversations and would be included in new head teacher inductions. The SEN Tribunal Manager noted that the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Senior Leadership Team was working with schools on a locality basis to raise awareness of the policy.

Members expressed concerns about children falling through the cracks due to lengthy diagnosis periods, leading to penalties for non-attendance. The Director of Education clarified that for children with an Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP), attendance is a focus during annual reviews. The Sub-Committee was informed about the Council's Early Intervention locality SEN support model (CLSS). Concerns were raised that parents were sometimes misinformed about EHCPs not requiring a diagnosis, and the SEN Tribunal Manager requested members to report such instances. A suggestion was made for a separate briefing on the locality SEN support offer.

The Sub-Committee sought reassurance on the action plan's implementation, noting anecdotal evidence of ongoing issues. While acknowledging that the action plan detailed completed and ongoing actions, members highlighted a lack of information on the impact for children and families. The Director of Education stated that evidence of implementation would be provided, focusing on preventing repetition of mistakes and ensuring clear oversight of Section 19 requests. The importance of incorporating the voice of children and parents was stressed, with discussions on how this is being embedded in the SEND Strategy and the potential establishment of a 'Shadow Board' of young people.

Regarding timeframes for children out of school under Section 19 of the Education Act, it was explained that support should be considered after three weeks of consecutive absence. The Vice-Chair inquired about school refusal due to mental health concerns, and the Director of Education explained that while schools have a responsibility for attendance, parents can request alternative provision under Section 19 if a child is unable to attend. The availability of the 'Trailblazer' programme for mental health support in Croydon schools was mentioned.

The Sub-Committee recommended that the Attendance Data in the Education Standards 2024 report include information on 'managed moves' reported through the 'Inclusion Network'. The Sub-Committee concluded that they needed additional training on the SEND Strategy and Locality SEN Support offer and that SEND provision should be a greater focus in their work for 2024/25. They also agreed to add an item to the Work Programme to update on the action plan's implementation, including the number of Section 19 requests.

Youth Justice Plan 2024/25

The Sub-Committee reviewed the draft Youth Justice Plan 2024/25, which forms part of the Council's Budget and Policy Framework. The Youth Justice Service Manager outlined learnings from the previous year, including training on Domestic Abuse, safeguarding principles, and sexually harmful behaviour. Significant progress has been made in addressing serious youth violence and adopting a child first approach, focusing on children's needs to encourage behavioural change. Improvements have also been made in early identification of at-risk children and the effectiveness of interventions. The service is working on closer relationships with schools, understanding the changing cohort of young people, and contextual safeguarding. A comprehensive health offer, including a physical health nurse, sexual health clinic, speech and language therapist, and mental health practitioner, has been established.

Key risks to the plan's delivery include resourcing and staff retention, although consistency is noted as a strength. The level of serious youth violence and competing priorities around public protection and safeguarding remain ongoing challenges. Progress has been made with the 16+ youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) cohort, offering life skills and interview preparation, though challenges remain in matching provision to individual needs, particularly during transitions.

The Sub-Committee discussed disproportionality within the youth justice system, with the Youth Justice Service Manager acknowledging it as an ongoing challenge and highlighting the existence of a disproportionality action plan. The demographic representation within the Youth Justice Service was also discussed, with a noted imbalance in female applicants. The Chair referenced the 2017 Lammy Review and questioned what the Council could do to improve black male representation within the Youth Justice Team. The Director of Children's Social Services explained that blind recruitment is undertaken, but encouraging specific demographics to apply is a broader Council decision. Efforts to recruit male volunteers, including through local businesses, were mentioned.

The importance of role models and mentors with similar life experiences was emphasised, and the Council's policy on employing staff with criminal records, subject to risk assessment, was confirmed. The social work apprenticeship scheme and the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) offer were highlighted as pathways for individuals without formal qualifications. The Sub-Committee noted the increase in Asian children entering the service, though it was described as a moderate increase without a clear pattern.

Collaboration with other local authorities through peer meetings and regional groups was detailed. The Sub-Committee raised concerns about the oversubscription of counselling services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), though reserved spaces for the Youth Justice Service through grants were noted. The Director of Children's Social Care acknowledged that early intervention and prevention work outside the youth justice service are oversubscribed.

The Cabinet Member for Community Safety praised the Youth Justice team's work and collaboration on the Youth Safety Plan and Safer Croydon Partnership. The Sub-Committee concluded that the Youth Justice Plan 2025/26 should include hypothetical case studies and tracking of service users' life outcomes, including higher education and employment, in collaboration with the Probation Service.

Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard (April 2024)

The Sub-Committee reviewed the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard for April 2024, which included updates on previously identified 'Red' indicators. Indicator M37, concerning the percentage of children on child protection plans, was discussed as a persistent 'Red' indicator. The Director of Quality, Commissioning & Performance explained that this was monitored closely and that the target of 22% was under review. The Director of Children's Social Care clarified that Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) do not influence decisions about child protection plans, with safeguarding being the primary concern.

The challenges of benchmarking data and the differing demographics and funding of statistical neighbours were noted. The Sub-Committee heard that while ideally children should not be on a child protection plan for over a year, this does occur, and the quality of actions taken during the plan is crucial. The Safeguarding Quality Assurance Team reviews these cases monthly. Concerns were raised about the risks associated with longer child protection plans, with the Director of Children's Social Care emphasising the importance of quality challenge in reviews and multi-agency work.

It was noted that there are currently over 600 children on child protection plans in Croydon, a higher number than neighbouring boroughs. The frequency of visits for children on child protection plans (every 10 days) and child in need plans (every 20 days) was discussed, with work underway to improve performance on child in need plans. Indicator W1a, related to caseloads, was attributed to increased demand driven by housing insecurity, the post-COVID impact on family functioning, and the economic downturn, exacerbated by a high proportion of temporary housing in Croydon.

The Corporate Director of CYPE assured the Sub-Committee that all figures are rigorously monitored, acknowledging that numbers are influenced by national issues and funding availability. The Director of Children's Social Care stated that overall average caseloads for June 2024 had reduced to 22.7 following the provision of additional resources. The Sub-Committee recommended that persistent absences from education be added as an indicator to the Dashboard. They concluded that the review of M37 would be helpful and that they would like to review its inclusion in future dashboards.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25

The Sub-Committee noted the draft work programme for 2024-25 and discussed adding several items. These include an update report on the implementation of the action plan following the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision, a review of the indicators on the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard (specifically M37), and the possibility of adding the SEND Strategy to the work programme following a briefing.

The Sub-Committee also planned a tour of a Family Hub in early September 2024 and arranged for a briefing on the SEND Strategy and Locality SEN Support offer from the Director of Education for late September 2024. They expressed a keen interest in having the police attend the September meeting to discuss the Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report. The need for scrutiny to be outward-looking and to consider inviting the Council's partners for other work programme items was also discussed. The Chair commented on the potential need for better auditing of the available offer for young people in different localities and with varying needs.