The joint meeting of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee and the Children and Young People's Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to review performance data, discuss the meaning and pathways of care, and examine progress on outcomes for children supported by the Haringey Youth Justice Service. An update on an Ofsted focused visit was also on the agenda.

Performance Report for Quarter 3 2024/25

A report was scheduled to provide an analysis of performance data and trends for looked-after children. This report, covering the first three quarters of 2024/25, aimed to offer an overall assessment of Children Looked After (CLA) to help members evaluate progress in key areas. At the end of February 2025, there were 316 children in care, a decrease of 18 since September, though the rate remained higher than the London average. The report noted a decrease in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and a fall in children becoming looked after due to family in acute stress. It also detailed the reasons for children ceasing to be looked after, the number of children aged three or under in care, and the status of care plans and pathway plans for older children. The report also covered placement stability, with 9% of children having had three or more placements in the last 12 months, and highlighted that 65% of placement changes were part of a planned care plan. Health assessments and dental visits for looked-after children were also presented, with 90% having up-to-date health assessments and 88% having had dental visits. The report also provided figures for care leavers, detailing their categories, engagement with local authorities, and their participation in Education, Employment, or Training (EET). It also outlined the provision of suitable accommodation for care leavers and the status of Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) for children in care.

What Does Care Mean?

This report was intended to highlight to members what being in care means for children and young people. It was scheduled to examine the pathways into care, review progress on placement stability, and focus on the experiences of care leavers, independent living, and mental health. National research indicates that children entering care often experience significant harm, trauma, and neglect, with the emotional impact of separation being compounded by multiple placement moves. The report was set to outline the various pathways into care in Haringey, governed by the Children Act 1989, including voluntary agreements (Section 20), Interim Care Orders (Section 38), Care Orders (Section 31), Police Protection, and Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs). It was also to present the demographics of children entering care, including age, gender, and heritage, and detail the types of placements available, such as kinship carers, foster carers, and residential placements. The report was also to discuss placement stability, noting that 91.5% of children had experienced two or fewer placement moves in the last 12 months, and that long-term placement stability for children under 16 had increased. The report was also to cover the support provided to care leavers, including education, employment, training, independent living skills, and mental health services.

Care Leaving in London

This report was scheduled to provide members with an update on the care experience across the London region. It was to detail the development of a Pan London Care Leavers Compact, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) recovery funding in 2021, which aims to increase consistency, breadth, and quality in the support offered to London's care leavers. The work is delivered by LIIA and Partnership for Young London, with governance through a Care Leavers Trust Board. The report was to outline progress made, including free prescriptions, TfL travel discounts for care leavers, and housing commitments from local authorities. It was also to discuss momentum and wider ambition for regional programmes, covering thematic areas such as health, education, training, employment, relationships, and housing, with specific consideration for former UASC needs. The report was to include findings from the LIIA Care Leaver Survey 2024, highlighting key considerations and practices in housing, education, training, employment, health, and relationships.

Progress Report on Outcomes for Children in Care Supported by Haringey Youth Justice Service

This report was scheduled to inform members of the progress made through targeted work to improve outcomes for children in care who are also supported by the Youth Justice Service (YJS). It was noted that as of March 2025, 25% of the youth justice cohort were children in care, equating to 17 children. The report was to highlight that for the majority of outcome areas, children in care open to the YJS continue to have poorer outcomes than those not in care. Improvements were noted in four areas: more children in care being in education, training, and employment; improved health; a reduction in drug offences committed; and a reduction in offending by family members. Challenges to improving outcomes were identified, including fluctuating legal status, children being placed outside the borough, frequent placement changes, and differing responsibilities across services for out-of-borough placements. The report was also to detail the work of a multi-agency task and finish group reviewing outcome measures and expanding targeted interventions. It was also to reference the recent inspection of Haringey Youth Justice Service, which received an overall grading of 'good with outstanding features'.

Verbal Update - Ofsted Focused Visit

A verbal update was scheduled regarding a recent Ofsted focused visit. No further details were provided in the agenda documents.