The Thriving Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel of Enfield Council is scheduled to consider several key reports concerning the wellbeing and development of the borough's young residents. Discussions are set to cover the provision of speech, language, and communication needs support, emotional wellbeing and mental health services, the Families First Partnership Programme, and initiatives aimed at preventing offending.

Review of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Offer

A report is scheduled for discussion regarding Enfield's provision for children and young people with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). The document outlines current challenges, including higher demand and costs for these services compared to other London boroughs, with a significant number of children having SLCN or Autism recorded as their primary need in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The report details performance against assessment targets, highlighting efforts to manage backlogs and the ongoing challenge of demand exceeding funded capacity. It also identifies strengths such as skilled practitioners and a strong early years offer, alongside areas for development focused on improving system integration, clarifying roles, and enhancing family experience. The report presents three options for future service delivery: maintaining the current model, partial implementation of recommendations, or a full system redesign.

Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support

The panel is set to receive an update on emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in Enfield, structured around the iThrive framework. The report highlights the borough's social challenges, including deprivation and housing insecurity, which contribute to adverse childhood experiences. It details mental health data, showing trends in social, emotional, and mental health needs, hospital admissions for self-harm, and concerns regarding children in care. The report outlines system changes, including the merger of Integrated Care Boards and the establishment of a Provider Collaborative for Community CAMHS. It also emphasises the vital role of the voluntary and community sector. The update covers initiatives across the iThrive categories: Thriving (e.g., E-TIPSS programme, digital safety guidance), Getting Advice (e.g., partnership networks, The Waiting Room digital platform), Getting Help (e.g., Emotional Literacy Support Assistants, Nurture Groups), Getting More Help (e.g., NLFT CYPMHS updates, neurodevelopmental transformation), and Getting Risk Support (e.g., 24/7 Crisis Response, suicide prevention strategy). The report also details future plans and recommendations, focusing on scaling prevention and early help, strengthening community access, improving specialist pathways, and enhancing risk support and crisis care.

Families First Partnership Programme

A report will be presented on the Families First Partnership Programme (FFP), launched nationally in April 2025 to reform services for children and families by rebalancing the system towards early intervention. The report aims to inform the panel about the FFP programme, share findings from its initial six-month evaluation, and demonstrate that programme delivery is on track. The programme's principles include keeping children with their families, focusing on whole-family support, and prioritising kinship care or foster families over residential care. Expected benefits include more timely and non-stigmatising interventions, improved parental engagement, and a reduction in the number of children entering care. Enfield is adopting a phased approach to the transformation, with Phase One focusing on integrated family help teams and child protection advocacy, Phase Two on a new multi-agency child protection team, and Phase Three on kinship care and fostering.

Preventing Offending

The panel will receive an overview of the work undertaken by the Youth Justice Service (YJS) and its partners to prevent young people from becoming involved in offending and reoffending. The report details YJS performance, including a decrease in First Time Entrants (FTEs) and low rates of custodial sentences and re-offending. It profiles children involved in offending, highlighting similar trends to the previous year with a prevalence of violence, theft, robbery, and drug-related offences. The report notes an over-representation of minority ethnic groups within the youth justice system and outlines tailored programmes to address this. It also details the complex needs and vulnerabilities of children involved with the YJS, with over 50% experiencing emotional/mental health concerns, substance misuse, or criminal exploitation. The report outlines partnership prevention schemes, interventions and support for children involved in offending, and the service's commitment to supporting and safeguarding victims.

Work Programme 2025/26

The panel will be asked to note the Thriving Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel Work Programme for 2025/26. This document outlines the topics scheduled for discussion at future meetings, including updates on safeguarding, school standards, SEND provision, and children in care.