The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee of Islington Council met on 4 November 2025 to review several key reports on child safeguarding and early years support. The committee discussed the Islington Safeguarding Children Annual Report, the Start for Life Programme Update, the Child Protection Annual Report, and the Work Programme.

Islington Safeguarding Children Annual Report

The committee received an update on the Islington Safeguarding Children Partnership (ISCP) Annual Report for April 2024 to March 2025. This report details the partnership's work in safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. Key priorities for the partnership include addressing structural inequalities, supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, tackling neglect and parental factors, and strengthening early intervention and prevention. The report highlights the appointment of Ben Mant as the new Independent Scrutineer, who will provide critical challenge and advice to the partnership. The committee was informed of two Outstanding inspections for Islington's Children and Young People services: the Youth Justice Service by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation and the ILACS Inspection of Children's Social Care by Ofsted. The report also detailed the financial contributions to the ISCP, noting that the local authority remains the primary funder, with lower contributions from the police and probation services than recommended by statutory guidance.

Start for Life Programme Update

An update was provided on the Start for Life Programme, which is part of the broader Family Hubs initiative funded by the Department for Education. This programme aims to provide integrated support for families from conception up to the child's second birthday, with a focus on parenting support, infant feeding, early language and home learning environments, and perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships. Islington has three physical Family Hub buildings and works in partnership with various organisations, including Whittington Health and University College London Hospital (UCLH). The report highlighted an increase in Bright Start registrations, with 99.1% of families with children under five now registered. There has also been a significant increase in engagement with fathers and male carers in perinatal mental health support. The programme aims to ensure a skilled and culturally competent workforce, with ongoing training and development initiatives. However, the report noted that the time-limited nature of the national funding poses a risk to service sustainability beyond March 2026.

Child Protection Annual Report

The committee reviewed the Child Protection Annual Report for April 2024 to March 2025. As of March 2025, the Safeguarding and Family Support Service was working with 941 children in need, 291 children looked after, and 123 children with child protection plans. The report indicated that 83% of child protection plans were due to emotional abuse or neglect. A significant finding was the over-representation of Black Caribbean and Mixed ethnic groups across various categories of children's services, including those in need, on child protection plans, and looked after. The report detailed the outcomes of the Ofsted Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS), which rated Islington's overall effectiveness as Outstanding across all areas. The report also outlined the governance arrangements for safeguarding children, including the Safeguarding Accountability Meetings, Corporate Parenting Board, and the Islington Safeguarding Children Partnership (ISCP). The committee was informed about the completion of two Local Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPRs) and three Rapid Reviews during the reporting period. The report also highlighted the ongoing work of the Partners in Practice team, which supports other local authorities in improving their children's social care services. Performance data indicated a decrease in the number of children entering the care system and a reduction in reoffending rates for young people in the Youth Justice Service. However, concerns were raised about the over-representation of certain ethnic groups within the child protection system and the increasing number of girls going missing.

Work Programme

The committee noted the Work Programme for 2025/26, which outlines the topics to be discussed at future meetings. Key items include performance reports, updates on corporate parenting responsibilities, youth services, school results, and scrutiny reviews. The next meeting is scheduled for 15 December 2025.