This meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to receive updates on a variety of topics including the performance of the Insight and Influence Service, the Virtual School and the Council's performance in delivering services to children and young people, as well as receiving verbal updates about the recent consultation on changes at the Gallions Mount Children's Centre and on proposed changes to Children’s Centres across Royal Greenwich.

Quarter 2 2024-2025 Performance Monitor

The second quarter performance monitor for Children's services was included for discussion and contained details of the council's performance across 5 key areas:

• Children achieve throughout their education
• Supporting children with special educational needs
• Missing education / at risk of falling out of education, employment and training
• Risk outside the home
• Children at risk, suffering harm or in our care

The headline results showed continued improvements across all 5 areas with a notable reduction in the number of repeat referrals within a 12-month period to statutory services, a reduction in missing from home or care incidents and an increase in attendance for those of statutory school age.

The report noted that the number of young people being subject to a repeat child protection plan (CPP) has increased and that the service would continue to monitor this area closely. The Youth Justice Management Board was scheduled to continue to monitor performance and oversee activity in the Youth Justice system.

The number of first time entrants to the Youth Justice System was scheduled to be discussed. It is measured as a rate per 100,000 of 10-17 year olds, and includes a comparator for the council's statistical neighbours¹. The comparator statistical neighbours used in the report are Barking and Dagenham, Croydon, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Lewisham, Manchester, Southwark and Waltham Forest Councils. The report noted that while Royal Greenwich's first time entrant figures remain above the average for England and London, they were lower than the average for the statistical neighbours. There had been a significant increase (29) in the number of first time entrants in the second quarter, and the reasons for this were scheduled to be discussed. The report concluded that, while a number of the offences took place sometime ago, a high proportion of those committing offences are involved in serious and violent crime. The report noted that intelligence suggests other London boroughs are experiencing a similar trend.

The report also noted a number of areas scheduled for more detailed scrutiny later in the year. These include:

• A deeper dive into SEND provision in the January 2025 meeting
• A full report on suspensions and exclusions in April 2025

Insight and Influence Service – Annual Impact Report

The Insight and Influence Service, which is responsible for coordinating the involvement of children and young people in the design and delivery of services across the borough, was scheduled to have its annual impact report considered. The report contained an overview of how the service ensures that the voices of children and young people are heard. This included the following areas of activity:

• Supporting the Greenwich Young People's Council² (GYPC) The Greenwich Young People's Council (GYPC) is a group of elected young people (aged 14 to 18), who represent the views of children and young people from across the borough and to influence decision-making within the Council.
• Supporting and coordinating the various children in care forums across the borough, including the Children in Care Council (CioC), the Junior CioC and the care leavers forums.
• Delivering the Young Advisors programme, a group of young people aged 16-25 who work with the Quality Improvement Division to strengthen the voices of children and young people in council decision making.
• Putting in place structures to support and coordinate participation across the directorate, including setting up the Participation Action Group.

The report also contained a summary of what the service had achieved during 2024. It listed the following achievements:

• Relaunching the Junior Children in Care Council and Care Leavers forums
• Delivering the 'Bright Spots' survey, in partnership with Coram Voice³, which gathered the experiences of children and young people in care across the borough. Coram Voice is an organisation that works with children and young people in and around the care system to make sure their voices are heard.
• Developing the new Children and Young People's partnership plan 2024-2029, following engagement with over 400 children and young people.
• Developing the SEND and Inclusion Partnership strategy, following engagement with over 400 children, young people and parents.
• Developing the Young Carers Strategy, following engagement with young people who have caring responsibilities and their families.
• Supporting three work experience placements, for students known to the Youth Justice Service, within the Directorate.

The report concluded with the following priorities for 2024-2025:

• Supporting the election of the next Greenwich Young People's Council
• Expanding engagement with children in care who are in out of borough placements.
• Enhancing engagement with unaccompanied asylum seeking children
• Developing and delivering the Young Advisors programme
• Strengthening partnerships with the Participation Action Group
• Exploring opportunities to support political scrutiny, informed by the voices of children and young people.
• Continuing to review and strengthen the mechanisms that ensure the voices of children and young people, and their families, are included in Quality Improvement activities.

Annual Virtual Schools Report 2023 - 24

The annual report of Royal Greenwich Virtual School⁴ was scheduled to be considered. The report contains information about the academic performance of children in care across the borough, and how the Virtual School has delivered its duty to promote the education of children in care. A Virtual School is a team of people within a local authority that champion the education of children in care. It has statutory responsibilities to promote the education of children in care, track their attainment and progress, ensure personal education plans (PEPs) are completed and challenge poor practice in schools. The report was scheduled to include the Headteacher's foreword, which highlighted the key successes and challenges of the year. The report noted that the Virtual School was awarded additional responsibility to provide advice and guidance to previously looked after children, care leavers, children known to social care and Post 16 young people in care. The report contained a summary of the work done during 2023/24 to support these groups of young people and how the Virtual School has worked collaboratively with other services and agencies across the borough to provide a range of opportunities to raise attainment, widen horizons, improve attendance, reduce exclusions and enhance the quality of Personal Education Plans.

The report concluded with an update on the impact of the Virtual School's work during the last academic year, including:

• An overall attendance rate for school aged children in care of 91.2%
• The Virtual School had worked with schools to prevent any permanent exclusions of children in care during the year.
• 99% of Personal Education Plans for statutory school age children were completed in the six-month timeframe and 97% termly.
• 100% of Personal Education Plans for Post 16 young people were completed in the six-month timeframe and 96% termly.
• A list of activities and opportunities the Virtual School provided to children in care beyond the classroom. These included the annual Education Achievement Awards, the London Mini Marathon and the annual Jamie’s Farm School Journey.

The report concluded by outlining the following priorities for 2024/25:

• Developing interventions beyond mainstream education
• Developing support for Kinship families⁵ Kinship care is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or friend who is not their parent, for example an aunt or a grandparent.
• Developing a framework for ensuring inclusive practice across Royal Greenwich schools
• Developing bespoke interventions for Post 16 learners.
• Developing provision for unaccompanied asylum seeker young people who are placed out of borough
• Developing partnership working between the Virtual School and Adulthood Services
• Continuing to review and develop the Personal Education Plan quality assurance process
• Developing training and support to meet the needs of neurodiverse children and young people.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Update

The report pack contained a report that provided an overview of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in Royal Greenwich. The report started with a summary of national policy context, including the findings of recent reviews and research into SEND. The report identified a number of key national challenges, including:

• The growth in the number of children being identified with SEND, with numbers of EHCPs doubling in the last decade.
• The growth in demand for placements in special schools and ISPs exceeding the supply of available places.
• The increase in expenditure exceeding the growth in funding, leading to unsustainable financial pressures, particularly for local authorities.
• The increase in the number of Tribunal appeals, as families seek to secure the provision they feel their child needs.

The report also identified the key challenges in Royal Greenwich, which reflected those seen nationally:

• A significant increase in the number of EHCPs, with the cohort expected to reach over 3,000 by the start of 2025.
• A significant increase in requests for EHCPs, exceeding the available capacity of the Educational Psychology Service to deliver statutory assessments. This in turn was delaying the issuing of plans within the statutory 20-week timeframe.
• A lack of sufficient local specialist provision across a range of needs, including ASD, MLD⁶ and SEMH⁷, meaning an increasing number of children are placed out of borough. Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) is a designation used to describe children and young people who experience a wide range of learning difficulties that make it hard for them to access learning. Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) is a category of SEND used to identify those who have difficulties with social interaction and emotional regulation.
• The need to support more young people, with SEND and an EHCP, in their transition to adulthood.

The report also included details of recent initiatives and capital investment that aim to improve the effectiveness, quality and sustainability of SEND provision. This included:

• the approval by the Secretary of State for Education for the Compass Partnership of Schools⁸ (CPS) to establish a new 240 place all through free school for ASD. The Compass Partnership of Schools is a multi-academy trust responsible for a number of schools in the south east of England.
• Plans to open a 128 place provision on Hargood Road for Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 pupils with ASD.
• The transfer of the Oakmere Road Professional Development Centre to Willow Dene Special School⁹ to provide space for additional places. Willow Dene Special School is a school for children aged 3-19 with complex needs, including severe learning difficulties.
• Proposals to relocate SEND outreach services from the Kings Park campus to create additional space for students with autism.
• Plans to establish a new moderate learning difficulties (MLD) provision at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys¹⁰ (WPSB). Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys (WPSB) is a boys’ secondary school, with a co-educational sixth form, in Thamesmead. The school is part of the PolyMAT Trust.
• Proposals to establish a new 19-25 multi-purpose SEND facility at Bexley Road.
• An update on the challenges of secondary transfer for 2024/25, including a 10% increase in the cohort size, a higher proportion of boys (74%), and demand for specialist provision exceeding the available places in Royal Greenwich special schools and designated specialist provisions.
• The establishment of a new internal Independent Travel Training service.
• A summary of the number of tribunals in Royal Greenwich during the last year, showing an increase from 71 in 2023 to 114 in 2024.
• The expansion of the Supported Internship Programme¹¹ to three host businesses¹². Supported internships are study programmes for young people aged 16-24 who have an Education, Health and Care plan and want to move into paid employment. They combine learning in college with a work placement that leads to a paid job, where possible. The report identified the three businesses as being Berkeley Homes, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and 'Greenwich Local Labour and Business'. Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLAB) is an organisation set up to support local business and employment.
• An update on the Council's engagement with stakeholders. This included reviewing and improving communication with schools, improving collaboration between SEND services and schools, expanding the role of the Greenwich Action, Change, Equality¹³ (ACE) participation group to include young people with a wider range of SEND and more young people aged 19-25, and developing a new version of the Local Offer webpages. The Greenwich Action, Change, Equality (ACE) groups in Greenwich provide a platform for children and young people with SEND to share their views.
• A summary of the Council's joint work with Newton¹⁴ to develop a new model of system change for SEND based on a diagnostic. Newton is a global consulting company that works with organisations on business transformation

Gallions Mount Consultation Update

The Panel was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the Gallions Mount Consultation.

Children's Centres Update

The Panel was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the proposed changes to Children's Centres.

Commissioning of Future Reports

The agenda pack contained a draft meeting schedule for the 2024/2025 municipal year, with five meetings planned for the year. The Panel was scheduled to consider the draft schedule and note the proposed items for the next meeting, on 12 March 2025. These items were:

• Annual Education Standards and Achievements.
• A report from the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.
• An update on social worker recruitment, retention and wellbeing.
• An update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).
• An update on Childcare Sufficiency (early years provision).