The Children's Services Scrutiny Panel met to discuss the council's SEND ¹ strategy, review meaningful measures of children's services, consider the outcome of an Ofsted inspection of a children's home, and plan a scrutiny review on the voice of the child in SEND and social care plans. The panel approved the proposed work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

SEND Inspection and Re-drafted SEND Strategy

The panel received a report summarising the recent SEND Area Inspection in Tameside and outlining the strategic response through the re-drafted SEND 0–25 Strategy. Councillor Leanne Feeley, Executive Member (Lifelong Learning and Culture), Jill Colbert OBE, Strategic Director of Children's Services, and Hilary Cook, Head of SEND, were present to discuss the report. The report highlighted priority actions requiring urgent attention to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The SEND 0-25 Strategy sets out how the local area will work together to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Children's Services Meaningful Measures

The panel received a report identifying key measures in place to review the impact of Children's Services activities. Councillor Teresa Smith, Executive Member (Children and Families), and Jill Colbert OBE, Strategic Director of Children's Services, presented the report, which aimed to support practitioners in choosing and using outcome measures, providing recommendations on best practice to enable more effective and child-centred support, services, and systems. The Childrens Services Meaningful Measures - July 2025 report included data on various indicators, such as the rate of children subject to an early help episode, the rate of child in need, and the rate of children subject to a Child Protection Plan.

Stockport Road Children's Home Ofsted Inspection Outcome

The panel received a report detailing the recent Ofsted inspection of the Stockport Road Children's Home. Councillor Teresa Smith, Executive Member (Children and Families), Jill Colbert OBE, Strategic Director of Children's Services, and Deborah Smolka-obrien, Acting Head of Service for Regulatory Services, were present to discuss the report. The Ofsted report rated the home as Good, noting that children said they were happy living there and that staff provided a warm and loving environment. Inspectors noted that:

Children say that they are happy living in this home. Since the last inspection, no child has moved into or out of the home. This has helped children to feel settled and enabled staff to develop strong relationships with them. As a result of being settled, children are making progress in all areas of their lives.

The report also highlighted areas for improvement, including ensuring that decisions about children's wishes and feelings, especially regarding holidays and friends sleeping over, are individual for each child and not made as part of a blanket policy.

Voice of the Child in SEND and Social Care Plans Scrutiny Review

The panel received a report providing an overview of potential options for the approach to the Voice of the Child in SEND and Social Care Plans Scrutiny Review. Councillor Jacqueline Owen, Chair of the Children's Services Scrutiny Panel, and Georgia Latham, Scrutiny Manager, presented the Voice of the Child in SEND and Social Care Plans Scrutiny Review - Options Paper. The report presented four broad approaches for structuring the review:

• Focus on a specific theme
• Broad overview with light-touch approach
• Phased deep dive
• Integration with wider outcomes

The panel was invited to consider the four proposed options for structuring the scrutiny review and agree on an approach.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The panel received a report setting out planned agenda items for future meetings and forward plan items within the panel's remit. Councillor Jacqueline Owen, Chair of the Children's Services Scrutiny Panel, and Georgia Latham, Scrutiny Manager, presented the Scrutiny Work Programme Report. The panel was recommended to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings. The panel approved the proposed work programme and approach for the 2025/26 municipal year. Councillors Jacqueline Owen, Brenda Warrington, Charlotte Martin, and Betty Affleck were nominated to sit on the proposed Scrutiny Review Panel on the voice of the child in SEND and Social Care Plans.