The Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) strategy, and to review progress on care proceedings and public law outlines. The committee was also scheduled to review decisions taken by the cabinet, and the committee's work programme.

SEND Strategy

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Northumberland SEND Partnership Strategy 2025-2028, a joint responsibility of education, health and social care services. The strategy was developed with input from education, health and social care officers, the Parent Carer Forum, parental groups, schools, and young people. The strategy is supported by findings from the most recent Northumberland Parental SEND Survey, the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, and the SEND Self Evaluation document.

The report pack stated that the strategy considers each of the Northumberland Corporate Plan Priorities. For example, it was written that the strategy contributes to achieving value for money by:

securing best value in distributing the Dedicated Schools Grant and High Needs budget. Grant funded projects in Children's Social Care such as supporting residential adaptations and in Education school build and infrastructure developments are modelled to be more inclusive and meet needs of children and young people closer to their home and community such as Barndale by the Sea development in Amble through value engineering.

The report pack stated that inclusion has been, and will continue to be the cornerstone of Northumberland's approach, with the Northumberland Inclusive Education Services supporting children, young people and their families, as well as schools and services.

The strategy includes four strategic priorities:

• Strong leadership and clear systems for SEND
• Putting Children, Young People and Families First
• Getting the right help at the right time
• Making sure Children and Young People with SEND have their needs met as close to home as possible

Care Proceedings and Public Law Outline Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to discuss the progress made by Northumberland Children's Social Care during 2024–2025 in delivering timely and effective pre-proceedings and care proceedings work. The report highlights the focus on achieving early permanence for children and details key service developments and regional collaboration.

The report pack stated that Northumberland continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to achieving early permanence for children, prioritising enabling children to remain safely at home or within their extended network, aligned to Signs of Safety, Northumberland's relational practice model.

The report pack also provided updates on a number of service developments:

• The Pre-Birth Team: The team was established in 2022 to support early pre and post birth assessments, planning and intervention for unborn children at risk of significant harm. The team have concluded Care Proceedings for 23 babies.
• Specialist Assessment Team: In June 2024, Northumberland created a small, county wide specialist assessment team based at the Family Hub in Cramlington. The team works with children who are supported within a pre and care proceedings framework, completing specialist parenting and sibling assessments as well as capacity to protect assessments.
• Kinship Team: The team expanded in 2025 with two additional social workers and two family support worker posts. Northumberland have published a Kinship Local Offer, developed strong partnerships with community and charity networks, and adopted the CoramBAAF Form K for all kinship assessments.
• Family Group Conferencing: A countywide Family Group Conferencing team was launched in September 2025 to support families where children are subject to pre-proceedings.

Reports of the Scrutiny Officer

The committee was also scheduled to note the decisions taken by Cabinet since the previous Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Meeting, and the latest Forward Plan of key decisions.

The report pack included a list of decisions taken by the cabinet since the last meeting, including:

• Advance Northumberland (Ltd) Financial Restructuring
• Northumberland Line Update
• Ashington Regeneration Programme Update
• Blyth Extra Care Facility
• Extra Care Housing - Procurement of Care & Support contracts
• Financial Performance 2025-26 - Position at the end of June 2025
• Hartford Bridge Traveller Site Kitchen Refurbishment
• Woodhorn Structural Works
• Gainshare Top Up Vouchers
• Food & Feed, Safety & Standards Service Plan 2025/26
• Adopting a new constitution for the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE)

The committee was also scheduled to consider the work programme and monitoring report for 2025/26 for the Family and Children's Services OSC.