The Children's Services Scrutiny Sub-Committee convened to discuss the effectiveness of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy and to review the Sub-Committee's work programme for the year. The Sub-Committee agreed to note the content of the Corporate Safeguarding Assurance report, and also agreed to the items to be presented at the meeting on 5 February 2026.

Corporate Safeguarding Assurance

The Sub-Committee agreed to note the Corporate Safeguarding Assurance report. The report provided an overview of how Lambeth Council is embedding safeguarding awareness and accountability across its services, following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) action plan.

Councillor Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, explained that the assurance report provides oversight of how the council is embedding safeguarding awareness, accountability, and learning from the IICSA, and that the council has a safeguarding partnership to ensure safeguarding is treated as a collective responsibility.

Brenda Mcinerney, Acting Director of Practice, Performance and Partnerships, Children, Families and Education, highlighted key areas of strength identified in the assurance process, including trauma informed libraries, and improvements in joint planning with housing for vulnerable children. She also noted that an independent audit of corporate safeguarding was due to be completed in November, and that work was underway to ensure 100% compliance with mandatory safeguarding training for council staff.

Councillor Sarah Cole asked about how to encourage better take-up of training in the voluntary sector. Brenda Mcinerney responded that the Lambeth Safeguarding Partnership has a strengthened training offer, and that the voluntary and community sector now makes up the bulk of attendees at training sessions.

Councillor David Oxley raised concerns about the safeguarding of children in temporary accommodation, particularly when housed out of borough. Brenda Mcinerney responded that the council has improved its data on households in temporary accommodation, and that decisions around placing vulnerable adults or households with children in temporary accommodation go through a corporate temporary accommodation panel. Andrew Carter, Corporate Director of Children's, Families and Education, added that housing colleagues have a duty to ensure their staff are trained and are considering the needs of children within the requirements of housing law.

Councillor Kind noted the need for elected members to recognise the threshold of when a case becomes a child protection case, and not to treat housing disrepair as a child protection matter.

2025/26 Children's Services Scrutiny Sub-Committee Work Programme

The Sub-Committee agreed to the following items to be presented at the 5 February 2026 meeting:

• Children's Services Budget Scrutiny and key pressures
• Education attainment and persistent absence (as a combined report)
• Pupil Place Planning (for information)

The Sub-Committee received updates on outstanding actions, including the annual families survey, corporate safeguarding training, and the Ofsted update. Sophie Garner, Director of Education and Learning, explained that only 80 responses had been received for the annual families survey, and that officers were working with the Lambeth Parent Forum to review the survey and make it more accessible. She also noted that officers would circulate a breakdown of the demographic data in relation to children who were electively home educated.