The Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee met to discuss the progress of the Early Help Offer, including the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, and to review preparations for upcoming inspections of Children's Social Care and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) services. Key decisions included noting the progress of the Family Hubs initiative and reviewing the council's readiness for Ofsted inspections, with no specific decisions made on the inspection readiness reports themselves.

Early Help Offer

The committee received an update on the progress of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which aim to provide integrated support for families with children from conception to age two. Susannah Beasley-Murray, Director Supporting Families, presented the report, highlighting the establishment of four Family Hubs across the borough, with health visiting and midwifery services now co-located. The initiative has seen significant engagement, with over 4,000 families attending launch events and a strong online presence.

Mohammed Jolil, Head of Service for Early Help, detailed the programme's vision to create a village for child support, emphasizing inclusivity and well-being. He outlined the hub-and-spoke model, with four main hubs supported by 12 additional sites, particularly in more deprived areas. The report highlighted extensive outreach efforts, including 43 outreach events and 419 articles promoting the hubs. Over 200 partners and volunteers have signed up to a shared behaviour framework, and 348 staff have received training in areas such as oral health and young carers' awareness.

Usage of Children and Family Centres has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with over 15,800 families using services in the last year. There has been a 68% increase in early health assessments for targeted families. The programme has identified 97 expectant mothers who may benefit from perinatal mental health support and has referred them to specialist services. 140 staff from partner organisations have been trained to deliver parenting intervention programmes, with 773 families receiving such support. National recognition for the work has come from visits by Dame Andrea Ledstone, the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, and the Department for Foreign Office and Commonwealth. Surveys indicate 98% of users feel welcome, and 78% are satisfied with the services.

Councillor Rebaka Sultana raised concerns about the accessibility of services in the middle of the borough, to which Mohammed Jolil responded by explaining the hub-and-spoke model and the aim for families to be within pram distance of a centre. He also detailed the use of data, including live birth data and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) information, to target hard-to-reach families.

The committee also discussed the impact of the pandemic, with concerns about families' willingness to enter public spaces and the impact on children's social and language development. Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning, confirmed that the council has a positive change centre for supporting perpetrators, victims, and children affected by domestic violence, and a repair model to skill up practitioners.

Inspection Preparation: Children's Social Care

Susannah Beasley-Murray, Director Children's Social Care, presented an update on the council's readiness for the upcoming Ofsted inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS). She stated that the council is eagerly awaiting the inspection, which is expected to be a short inspection due to a previous good rating. The inspection will focus on three main areas: the experiences and progress of children who need help and protection, the experiences and progress of children in care, and the progress of care leavers. Leadership, both corporately and politically, will also be scrutinised.

The report highlighted the council's strengths, including a clear vision and practice framework, a dedicated workforce, a supportive and challenging culture, effective leadership, and a strong focus on early intervention. Areas for continued focus include domestic abuse, harm outside the home, neglect, partnership enhancement, cultural and diversity integration, and the transformation of Early Help into Family Hubs.

The council has been actively preparing through monthly improvement boards, fortnightly Better Together meetings, weekly staff briefings, and a robust audit programme. Peer reviews and an annual engagement meeting with Ofsted in March 2024 have indicated no significant concerns. The report detailed key performance indicators (KPIs) for children's social care, showing generally positive trends in management oversight, case management, and visits, although some areas like single assessments and CIN visits showed slight dips. Care leaver performance remains strong, particularly in employment, education, and training (EET) and suitable accommodation.

Councillor Harun Miah asked about the council's support for commissioned services for 16 and 17-year-olds to become Ofsted regulated and how the council is working with local partners to secure employment, education, and training (EET) opportunities for care leavers. Susannah Beasley-Murray explained the pragmatic approach taken regarding the registration of supported living accommodation and confirmed that the council is actively working to increase apprenticeships and job opportunities for care leavers, including securing match funding for new apprentice posts.

SEND Inspection Preparation and Improvement Update

Lisa Fraser, Director of Education, and Dr. Tina Sode, Head of Special Educational Needs, presented an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) inspection preparation and improvement efforts. They outlined that Tower Hamlets, along with Hounslow, are the last two London local areas awaiting their Area SEND inspection. The inspection will place significant weight on feedback from children, young people, and parents, and will also evaluate alternative provision. Recent inspections of other local authorities have highlighted themes such as EHCP timeliness and quality, long waiting times for health assessments, and a lack of multi-agency working.

The council has developed a SEND self-evaluation, established a multi-agency inspection preparation group, and is assembling data and evidence for Annex A. Progress has been made against the Written Statement of Action (WSoA), with recognition from the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England. Key improvements include the development of an EHCP advice tracker, a review of annual reviews, and exceeding ASD discharge targets. Waiting times for ASD assessments have reduced, and early years therapies models have been launched.

Areas for improvement focus include finalising the SEND and Inclusion strategy, improving internal systems for EHCP timeliness and quality, and addressing the High Needs deficit. Priorities for the next 12 months include implementing the Inclusion framework, supporting children at transition points, and streamlining the local offer. The report highlighted strengths such as strong partnerships, excellent schools with high inclusion rates for pupils with SEND, and well-established relationships with parents and carers.

Councillor Rebaka Sultana raised concerns about the timeliness of Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), noting that this has been an ongoing issue for five years. She questioned which partners contribute to delays. Steve Reddy, Corporate Director of Children's Services, acknowledged the concern and explained that while improvements have been made, increased demand has outpaced additional resources. He confirmed that the Mayor is establishing a task and finish group to address this issue and seek additional resources.

The gender imbalance in EHCPs, with 72% male and 28% female, was also discussed. It was noted that this reflects the national picture, with girls often having undiagnosed SEND and being better at masking their needs. The council is focusing on workforce development and teacher training to better identify these signs.

Regarding transport costs for children and young people with SEND, the council is implementing strategies to improve route planning efficiency and is consulting with parents. A consultancy review is underway to propose changes to operations and policies.