This article provides a summary of the items scheduled for discussion at the Children's & Education Select Committee meeting. The agenda included discussion of placement sufficiency, updates on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and a review of elective home education. The committee was also scheduled to discuss and agree on the items for the next meeting.

Buckinghamshire's Response to Placement Sufficiency Challenges

The committee was scheduled to hear from a Buckinghamshire foster carer about their experiences. They were also scheduled to note the programmes of work focused on tackling placement sufficiency in Buckinghamshire and the progress made.

According to a report prepared for the meeting, local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient high-quality placements for their looked after children¹. Since the Covid pandemic, it has become significantly harder to find all placement types for looked after children, and the cost has increased, resulting in a national placement sufficiency crisis.

Buckinghamshire Council has agreed plans and investment for two new programmes of work to deliver:

• 10 new in-house children's homes (32 beds), delivered in phases over the next 3 years (£11.2m capital)
• A net increase of 15 mainstream foster placements by 2026/27 (£1.4m revenue investment year 1)

These programmes are intended to improve outcomes for children by ensuring the council has the appropriate mix of placements in Buckinghamshire to meet their needs. They also aim to improve the stability of placements, place children within Buckinghamshire close to their local networks, and provide high quality accommodation and standards of care.

The report noted that since January 2024, Buckinghamshire has experienced an increase in the overall number of looked after children, after maintaining a stable population of approximately 500 for the last 5 years. The number of looked after children has increased to 530 as of the end of September 2025, which is approximately a 7% increase since January 2024.

The council has successfully registered new homes including Lawrence Lodge and Pineview, and applications have been submitted for a further 2 homes (Evergreen and Coach House) and another application (Springfields – the council's first assessment home) was expected in November 2025.

The Fostering Service has seen a 12% increase in in-house placements and 18 new carer approvals during 2024/25. A 'Perks and Benefits' offer has been launched, valued at approximately £10,000 per household, providing free parking, leisure passes, and family days.

Update on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The Select Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Children's Social Care and Education reforms and their implications for Buckinghamshire once the measures from the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill have been passed by Parliament.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to create new legal duties for local authorities relating to social care and education services. The first part of the Bill is to be delivered via the Families First for Children's Partnership Programme² and impacts on the way in which all local councils and their multi-agency partners continue to support and safeguard children and young people in their local area. The Bill introduces changes to policy and guidance, including the Children Act 1989³, and signals a significant transformational shift in how family help and safeguarding services are to be delivered in the future. The Bill includes measures relating to:

• Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements and Mandatory Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT)
• Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)
• Improved Information Sharing
• Strengthening Kinship Care
• Education reforms

Scoping Document for the Scrutiny Review of Elective Home Education

The Select Committee was scheduled to receive and agree the scoping document for the review of Elective Home Education.

Elective Home Education (EHE), or home educating, is the lawful choice by parents to provide their children with a full-time education outside of a traditional school setting in England. Parents are responsible for ensuring that the education is suitable for their child's age, ability, and aptitude, but are not required to follow the National Curriculum or hold teaching qualifications.

The local authority has a legal duty to be satisfied that children are receiving a suitable education and must make arrangements to identify children who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education elsewhere.

According to published DfE data, a total of 1,690 children and young people in Buckinghamshire were electively home educated at some point during the 2023/24 academic year.

The Integrated SEND Service⁴ is a key stakeholder in EHE and is involved in information sharing and multi-agency working, particularly where there are concerns about the suitability of education. Children's Social Care is also a key stakeholder, especially where there are safeguarding concerns or where a child is open to Child Protection (CP) or Children in Need (CIN).

The Select Committee's review may achieve:

• Raising awareness among committee members of this important area
• Understanding the reasons families opt for home education and the drivers leading to an increase in EHE nationally and in Buckinghamshire
• Understanding, being assured, and making recommendations in relation to safeguarding of EHE children
• Understanding the anticipated new duties relating to EHE, including Child Not in School Register, LA consent to EHE for a child open to Child Protection (CP) or CP enquiries, and changes to assessment of suitability of EHE
• Monitoring any continued increases in EHE requests
• Making recommendations that help ensure parents/carers make informed decisions about EHE
• Ensuring schools and relevant partners understand their duties and input to support multi-agency working and effective join-up and oversight.