The Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on 9 December 2025 to discuss safeguarding, education, and the well-being of children and families in Camden. The committee will review the annual reports from both the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership and the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, and will also discuss the directorate's performance and a forward work programme.

Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report

The committee will consider the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership's (CSCP) annual report for 2024-25. The report will review the CSCP's impact on safeguarding arrangements across Camden, and has been submitted to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

The report states that the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) is jointly led by:

• Camden Council
• NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB)
• The Central North Basic Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service
• Camden Learning

The report also sets out the CSCP's objectives, which include:

• Ensuring a prompt and effective multiagency safeguarding response
• Collaboration and accountability between agencies
• Prioritising child first practice
• Promoting a learning culture
• Ensuring quality assurance and performance management
• Using data and intelligence to address safeguarding risks

The report also identifies three safeguarding priority areas for 2023-25:

• Re-engaging vulnerable children in education, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Mental health in the family
• Children Looked After and those that are Care Experienced

The report also notes that in 2024–25, Camden strengthened links with other strategic partnership boards to align priorities, share learning, and support joined-up planning.

The report also highlights the importance of multi-agency challenge, and gives examples of how agencies work together to identify risks, share learning, and hold each other accountable.

The report also provides key performance information from lead safeguarding partners, including:

• Health: All Health Trusts in Camden are rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Camden Council – Children's Services: Camden Council's children's services were rated Outstanding by Ofsted in April 2025.
• The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS): The MPS launched a five-year Children's Strategy in September 2024, introducing a Child First policy.
• Early Years Provision and Schools: 99% of Early Years provisions and 100% of school are rated either 'good' or 'outstanding' by Ofsted.

The report also discusses elective home education, the voice of the child within safeguarding arrangements, safeguarding in the community, themes from local serious incidents and reviews, the Children and Families Contact Service, family help, child protection, violence against women and girls (VAWG), children looked after, vulnerable adolescents, child exploitation, children going missing and youth violence and knife crime.

The report concludes with reflections and priorities for 2025-26, which include:

• Overseeing the development and implementation of national social care reforms
• Strengthen victim support and transitions
• Address disproportionality in safeguarding responses
• Enhance early identification and multiagency coordination
• Seeking safeguarding assurance across early years settings, schools, and universities
• Monitor the impact of the cost-of-living crisis

The committee is asked to comment on the outcomes achieved by the CSCP, provide feedback to the local statutory safeguarding partners for children, and note the report.

Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families

The committee will also discuss the annual report from the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, Councillor Marcus Boyland. The report will provide an overview of work and achievements across various areas, including schools and learning, health for children and families, adult and community learning, children's services and safeguarding, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, corporate parenting, and early years and family hubs.

The report notes that Camden's education system remains a model of excellence and inclusion, with all schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. In the 2024-2025 academic year, pupil achievement exceeded national averages and the gap between disadvantaged and advantaged pupils was amongst the smallest in the country.

The report also notes that in April 2025, Camden's Children's Services were rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

The report also highlights innovation in Camden's education offer, including the launch of four Opportunity Centres, including the AI Campus Opportunity Centre in partnership with Google.

The report also notes that music continues to play a transformative role in Camden's education offer, and that Camden's Healthy Schools and nutrition programmes are vital in helping children learn, grow and flourish.

The committee is asked to comment on and note the contents of the report.

Cabinet Member Update - Jobs, Young People and Culture

The committee will receive an update from the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture, Councillor Sabrina Francis, focusing on Camden's Youth Hubs. The report notes that Youth Hubs are a model of service delivery which were rolled out in 2010 to ensure there is a network of youth service providers in each locality.

The report notes that there are 3 youth hubs in Camden:

• Somers Town Youth Centre
• Netherwood Youth and Family
• Highgate Haven Youth hub (formerly Fresh Youth Academy)

The report also sets out the service offer within Youth Hubs, which includes:

• Open access youth provision
• Careers and Connexions
• FWD Young People's Drug and Alcohol Service
• Targeted one to one youth support

The report also provides data on Youth Hubs, noting that in 2024–25, a total of 805 young people accessed Camden's three youth hubs, and that of these, 273 achieved Recorded Outcomes, and 189 earned some form of accreditation.

The committee is invited to review the information presented and raise any questions for clarification.

Insight, Learning and Impact Report: Children and Learning Directorate – Quarter 2/Mid-Year 2025-26

The committee will discuss the Insight, Learning and Impact Report for Quarter 2/Mid-Year 2025-26, which focuses on performance across the Children and Learning Directorate. The report is divided into three main sections: a summary table highlighting key responses from services, a more detailed narrative of individual service responses, and a data dashboard in Appendix A.

The report includes information on challenges, opportunities and learning in the following areas:

• Children's Prevention, Safeguarding and Family Help
• Early Years and Family Hubs
• Integrated Youth Support Services
• Education, Commissioning and School Organisation
• Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion Service
• Virtual School, Participation and Progression Service
• Adult Community Learning
• Centre for Relational Practice
• Systemic Family Therapy (SFT) Service
• Quality Assurance (QA)
• Practice and Learning
• Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Service

The committee is asked to note the report, including the most recent data and trends and the emerging challenges identified.

Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee's Work Programme and Action Tracker 2025/26

The committee will review its work programme for 2025-26 and an action tracker, which provides an update on actions requested at previous meetings.

The future meeting dates for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year are noted as:

• 13 January 2026
• 23 February 2026

Councillor Sylvia McNamara, Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee, will determine if there is any other urgent business to discuss.