The Croydon Council's Children and Young People Scrutiny Sub-committee met to discuss the Children, Young People & Education (CYPE) Directorate's transformation, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transport, and performance data. The committee requested a report on the expansion of enhanced learning provisions and resolved to write to Ofsted about delays in registering children's homes.

Here's a more detailed look at the key discussion points:

CYPE Directorate Transformation

The committee received an update on the Helping Families Thrive plan, which aims to improve services, manage demand, increase effectiveness, and improve efficiency within the directorate. Simon Townend, Head of Performance and Business Improvement in children and young people in education, outlined the plan's five work streams: early intervention, sufficiency, workforce, culture and leadership, data and digital, and the Family First Partnership.

• Early Intervention and Prevention: Shelley Davis, Director of Education, highlighted the focus on intervening with families at the earliest opportunity, with the Samuel Corridge Taylor Centre acting as a hub for older children and young people. She noted that 253 families had engaged with family hub processes.
• Sufficiency: David Fry, Head of Home Funding and Sufficiency, discussed the development of children's homes, including Precious House, which is awaiting Ofsted registration. He also detailed plans for a second home in South Norwood, designed for children with complex needs.
• Fostering Service: The committee heard that Croydon is close to levelling out the number of foster carers leaving the service with those being recruited. The council is also seeing an increase in kinship carers¹.
• Workforce, Leadership and Culture: This is an enabling work stream focused on staff engagement and leadership. Since January, 49 agency staff have become permanent Croydon officers, and agency staff now account for 12% of the social work workforce, down from 19% a year ago.
• Data and Digital: This work stream is focused on using AI and digital tools to support colleagues in managing their workload.
• Families First Partnership: Julie Daly, Head of Service, Families First Development and Implementation, explained that this national programme aims to bring together targeted early help and child in need work, with the goal of intervening earlier for families.

Financial Implications

The committee discussed the financial modelling used to estimate savings and cost avoidance. Councillor Andrew Price, the Chair of this subcommittee, questioned how the model was designed and how robust the savings estimates were. It was explained that the modelling is based on various factors, including the number of children in care, the cost of placements, and engagement with the market.

The committee also discussed the cost savings associated with the shift project, which is a specific model of intervention with children who are on the edge of criminal activity. Róisín Madden, Director of Children's Social Care, explained that the project is funded by grant funding from the MHCLG² and match funded by Croydon Council.

IMPOWER Contract

The committee discussed the decision to end the contract with IMPOWER, a strategic delivery partner. It was explained that while IMPOWER had provided valuable analysis and tools, it was felt that they were no longer providing additional value. Ending the contract saved just over £2 million, which has been reinvested into other parts of the children's transformation.

AI Transcription

The committee heard that a pilot programme using AI transcription is underway, with over 280 active users making an average of four and a half hours of recordings per week. The feedback so far has been positive, with staff reporting that it is helping them to manage their workload and have better conversations with families.

Children's Homes

The committee raised concerns about delays in Ofsted registration for Precious House, a new children's home. Councillor Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed asked about the cost of the delay and the timetable for moving children into registered local places. It was explained that the delay is costing the council approximately £80,000 a month, and that there are currently seven children in unregistered provision. David Fry, Head of Home Funding and Sufficiency, said that he was in contact with Ofsted daily to try and expedite the registration process.

Councillor Maddie Henson, vice chair of this committee, asked whether the council anticipated similar issues with the South Norwood home. Officers said that they were looking at how they could structure the contract with the provider differently to allow for a smoother transfer of staff.

Accommodation for Care Leavers

The committee discussed the market pressures on accommodation for care leavers, including the costs of private rented accommodation and the availability of affordable housing. Officers outlined the mitigations in place, including contracts with social housing providers and private organisations, and the development of new accommodation.

SEND Transport

Shelley Davies, Director of Education, and Daniel Shepard, Head of Independent Travel, presented an update on SEND transport. They noted the increasing demand for the service, driven by the rise in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). They highlighted the challenges of placing children in provisions that meet their needs and the importance of collaboration between education and transport teams.

The committee heard that the majority of reception-aged children have been placed in the borough, supported by the creation of new special school placements. There has also been a reduction in out-of-borough placements.

Daniel Shepard, Head of Independent Travel, presented data showing the cost savings achieved through in-borough placements and optimisation work with schools.

Performance Data and Health Visiting KPIs

The committee reviewed the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard and Health Visiting KPIs. Councillor Danielle Denton noted that the percentage of care leavers in employment, education and training is above target.

The committee raised concerns about the number of young people entering the criminal justice system for the first time. Róisín Madden, Director of Children's Social Care, explained that this is a challenging area, but that the youth justice service is working to divert young people from future offending and reduce re-offending rates.

The committee also raised concerns about the health visiting stats, particularly the percentage of new births receiving a visit within 14 days.

Recommendations

• The committee requested a report on the expansion of enhanced learning provisions (ELPs).
• The committee resolved to write to Ofsted to express their concern about the delays in registering children's homes and to offer their assistance in expediting the process.
• The committee requested that the March health visiting report include data on the percentage of new births receiving a visit within 14 days.
• The committee requested more information on workforce and leadership culture in December.