The Children and Young People Select Committee were scheduled to discuss budget savings, the findings of a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigation, and a recent Ofsted focused visit, as well as agreeing their work programme for the coming year.

Ofsted Focused Visit

The committee was scheduled to note the findings of a focused visit from Ofsted¹ on 30 April and 1 May 2025. The visit, which was carried out in line with the Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS) framework, looked at the council's arrangements for children in need or subject to a protection plan. The inspection focused on:

• children on the edge of care
• children subject to a letter before proceedings
• the quality and impact of pre-proceedings interventions, such as family group decision-making meetings
• children in need at risk of family breakdown
• management oversight
• supervision
• the continuous professional development of the workforce
• performance management
• quality assurance

The report noted the service's strong multi-agency partnerships and a clear focus on relational practice, but identified that the timeliness of pre-proceedings Public Law Outline (PLO) family meetings needed to improve. The report also noted that the council was already aware of this and had plans in place to address it.

Budget Savings

The committee was scheduled to review draft proposals for budget reductions of £30 million for 2025/26 and 2026/27, which are needed to address a budget shortfall.

The report pack broke down the savings into those requiring member decisions and those that could be implemented by officers.

Savings proposals requiring member decisions included:

• Health care packages and short breaks: A saving of £800,000 in 2026/27 was proposed through a revised approach to health funding contributions and better use of in-house resources.
• Placement Sufficiency cost saving: A £6.29 million saving in 2026/27 was proposed through reducing the number of children in care, investing in 'edge of care' support, and opening new semi-independent care and children's homes.
• Improved Enforcement of Existing Road Safety Restrictions: A saving of £300,000 in 2025/26 and £700,000 in 2026/27 was expected through improved enforcement of existing road safety restrictions.
• Bereavement Services: An increase in fees and charges in line with other councils was expected to save £238,888 in 2026/27.
• Chief Executive's Management Proposals: Structural changes within the Chief Executive's Directorate were expected to save £70,000 in 2025/26 and £686,000 in 2026/27.
• Corporate Savings - Target Operating Model Review: A review of the council's operating model was expected to save £1.6 million in 2026/27.
• Register Office Income: Increasing income relating to Citizenship, Wedding and Civil Partnership Ceremonies through above inflationary price increases to non-statutory fees and the promotion of the service through marketing and comms activities was expected to save £40,000 in 2026/27.
• Employers Pension Contribution Reduction (General Fund): A 1% reduction to the 2025/26 employers pension contribution rate was expected to save £1.2 million in 2026/27.
• Review the council tax reduction scheme operation and thresholds up to the maximum 75% award: A review of the council tax reduction scheme was expected to save £1 million in 2026/27.
• Employers Pension Contribution Reduction (HRA): A 1% reduction in the 2025/26 employers pension contribution rate was expected to save £125,000 in 26/27.
• Temporary Accommodation Cost Reduction: Activities to reduce the number of households becoming homeless, reduce the cost of temporary accommodation, and increase the number of households moving out of temporary accommodation were expected to save £2.494 million in 2026/27.

Savings proposals requiring officer decisions included:

• Central Services DSG reduction mitigation: A review of various central and statutory education functions was expected to save £175,000 in 2026/27.
• Education Estates, Compliance and Contracts: A review and restructure of the team was expected to save £65,000 in 2026/27.
• Alignment of implementation of early years entitlements: Allocating £75,000 from the grant to support services currently funded by the General Fund was expected to save £75,000 in 2025/26.
• Optimising Home School Transport: Maximising transport-related opportunities through various strategies was expected to save £400,000 in 2026/27.
• Supporting Families Grant: The removal of the Supported Families Analyst function was expected to save £100,000 in 2026/27.
• Enablement Efficiency: Trialling initiatives to improve efficiency was expected to save £118,000 in 2025/26 and £239,000 in 2026/27.
• Progression and Next Steps (PANS): Continuing to review high-cost residential placements for Adults with a Learning Disability was expected to save £400,000 in 26/27.
• Maximising Wellbeing at Home: Efficiencies were expected to save £400,000 in 2025/26.
• Reduction in provisions: Removing the additional discretionary compensation payment that mirrors the statutory redundancy formula was expected to save £500,000 in 2026/27.
• Cessation of old BT Lines: Cancelling old (analogue) BT phone line connections was expected to save £140,000 in 26/27.
• Reduction in Internal Audit budget held for ad-hoc investigations: A reduction in the contingency budget for the use of contractors within the Internal Audit service was expected to save £55,000 in 26/27.
• Reduction in Assurance budgets (other than internal audit) held for ad-hoc investigations: A reduction in contingency funds currently held for use with contractors to provide ad hoc investigation work in the other Assurance services was expected to save £53,000 in 26/27.
• Passenger services team: Rebalancing work towards term time only capacity through natural turnover was expected to save £43,203 in 25/26 and £28,167 in 26/27.
• Anti-Fraud & Corruption Team: A review of the staffing budget and not recruiting to the post vacated by the recent retirement of an experienced investigator was expected to save £26,461 in 25/26 and £14,539 in 26/27.
• Corporate Contact Centre Chatbot: Cancelling the current arrangements for the provision of a Chat Bot on the Council website was expected to save £23,220 in 26/27.
• Insourcing Health & Safety Risk Assessments: Insourcing the asbestos compliance assessments by training, and developing the internal team and reducing the frequency of externally commissioned risk assessments was expected to save £42,000 in 25/26.
• Insurance Provisions & Reserves: Reducing the balance of the insurance Risk Management Reserve to £2m was expected to deliver savings of £140k p.a. over a ten year period.
• Treasury Management Adjustments: The slippage of the capital programme delivery has resulted in both avoided planned additional borrowing and slightly higher than forecast levels of capital reserves, which was expected to save £1,000,000 in 25/26.
• Recharge of the pension investment and administration costs: Increasing the recharge from the Council to the Pension Fund to match the level of cost incurred in undertaking these functions of the Fund was expected to save £100,000 in 25/26.
• Ensuring cost recovery under tenancy agreements: Recharging tenants of council assets for utilities and other rechargeable costs as set out in tenancy and lease agreements was expected to save £100,000 in 25/26 and £100,000 in 26/27.
• Laurence House Opening Times: A reduction in the opening hours of Laurence House was expected to save £55,000 in 25/26 and £53,000 in 26/27.
• Community Services management efficiencies: A collection of budget efficiencies across a range of service budgets in Community Services was expected to save £280,000 in 25/26.
• London Councils changes to penalty charge notices: Changes to parking and traffic penalty charges were expected to save £800,000 in 25/26 and lose £100,000 in 26/27.
• Parking Contract - Cost Reduction: A re-procurement of its parking contract was expected to save £500,000 in 25/26 and £500,000 in 26/27.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman findings

The committee was scheduled to consider a report detailing the findings of a LGSCO investigation into the council's management of statutory children social care complaints. The LGSCO investigated after two complaints highlighted issues with the process. The investigation found 'Fault causing injustice' and made four recommendations:

• Write to complainants who did not proceed to stage two of the procedure, due to fault of the council, and invite them to do so.
• Complete stage two of the procedure for the 12 complainants whose stage two investigations were ongoing.
• Ensure staff involved in fulfilling the children's statutory complaints procedure understand what is required to progress a complaint to stage two.
• Update the relevant scrutiny committee on the progress made towards ending the delays for complainants, through the use of an action plan, that is regularly reviewed.

The report pack included an action plan to deliver the changes required to drive improvement in this area, which will be overseen by the Executive Director and the division directors fortnightly.

Select Committee work programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss its priorities for the 2025-26 municipal year and agree a work programme for the year. The draft work programme included suggestions from committee members, council officers, and issues arising from previous scrutiny. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee met with the Young Mayor and Advisors to discuss the issues facing young people and their views regarding what the Committee should consider during the year.

Suggestions from officers included:

• Corporate Parenting Strategy
• Ofsted focused visit
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman findings

Suggestions from committee members included:

• Evolution of the Youth Alliance
• Families First for Children Initiative
• Update on Family Hubs
• Drumbeat School's SEN outreach service
• The experience of care experienced young people
• Children's social care case management
• Roll numbers and pupil place planning
• Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Issues arising as a result of previous scrutiny included:

• Children's social care improvement
• Post-16 destinations, information, advice and guidance
• SEND provision and demand and inclusion
• School standards
• Attendance, exclusions and managed transfers
• Children and young people's emotional well-being and mental health
• Race Equality in Education
• Children's Safeguarding Partnership

Issues raised by the Young Advisors included:

• Availability of, and access to, the constructive leisure-time activities young people want and quality facilities therefor
• Support and pathways for young creatives
• The revision of the All-Age Autism Strategy
• Connecting young people with relevant and quality career and personal development opportunities