Decision

1. 1

The Committee considered a joint report of the Director of Children’s Services  and Executive Director City Futures setting out for noting the developing Sheffield NEETs Reduction and Prevention Strategic Action Plan as the city’s framework for strengthening youth participation, reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, and improving progression into education, skills and employment.

The paper places the Council’s statutory participation responsibilities for 16- and 17-year-olds, including its responsibilities to support young people with SEND up to age 24, within the wider city agenda for post-16 progression, employment, skills and economic inclusion.

The report set out the need to establish clear member oversight of progress, risks and outcomes through an agreed governance arrangement, while ensuring that any future proposals requiring funding or formal decisions return through the appropriate governance route. It was noted that an addendum containing a revised set of recommendations had been published and circulated.

1. 2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

(a) notes the developing Sheffield NEETs Reduction and Prevention Strategic Action Plan 2026–2028 as the city’s shared framework for improving participation, reducing the number of young people who are NEET and strengthening progression for young people aged 16–18, including support for young people with SEND up to age 24; and 

(b) agrees that Member oversight and future decision making should be through the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee, and that Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the relevant policy committees will provide oversight to support coordinated delivery.

1. 3

Reasons for Decision

1. 3.1

The recommendations are proposed because they will:

·       Note the developing Sheffield NEETs Reduction and Prevention Strategic Action Plan as the city’s framework for strengthening participation, preventing young people from becoming NEET and supporting sustainable progression into education, training and employment.

·       Recognise the cross-cutting nature of the challenge, which extends beyond the Council’s statutory participation duties and requires coordinated action across education, SEND, skills, employment, health, youth and community services.

·       Establish clear member oversight of progress, risks and outcomes through an agreed governance arrangement, while ensuring that any future proposals requiring funding or formal decisions return through the appropriate governance route.

1. 4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

1. 4.1

Alternative Option 1: Continue with existing officer and partnership arrangements without additional member oversight

The Council could continue to deliver Sheffield’s response to supporting young people not in education, employment or training through the existing officer and partnership arrangements, including the internal officer-led 16–18 (16–24 SEND) Participation and Performance Board, the partnership-led Sheffield NEETs Taskforce and the wider employment and skills arrangements linked to SESAB. These arrangements provide mechanisms for delivery, performance monitoring, partner engagement and escalation.

However, this option is not recommended as the sole approach. The Strategic Action Plan is focused on the Council’s statutory participation responsibilities, but the wider response to NEET extends across education, SEND, youth support, skills, employment, economic inclusion, health and communities. Continuing without a defined member oversight route would not adequately address the cross-cutting nature of the issue and could result in fragmented or duplicated reporting across several policy committees.

1. 4.2

Alternative Option 2: Allocate responsibility to a single existing policy committee.

The Council could allocate future oversight solely to either the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee or the Economic Development, Skills and Culture Policy Committee.

This option would provide a clear reporting destination but is not recommended because neither committee’s remit encompasses the full scope of the work. The Education, Children and Families Policy Committee has a strong interest in statutory participation duties, SEND, inclusion and outcomes for young people. The Economic Development, Skills and Culture Policy Committee has a strong interest in employment, skills, progression and economic participation. Allocating the work solely to either committee would not, by itself, provide the cross-cutting oversight required for the overall strategic response.

1. 4.3

Alternative Option 3: Direct reporting to the Strategy and Resources Policy Development and Forward Planning and public committee meetings to consider the statutory, educational, employment, skills and community dimensions of the work.

Preferred approach

Direct reporting to the Strategy and Resources Policy Development and Forward Planning route, with reporting to public committee meetings where decisions or formal assurance are required, would provide stronger strategic oversight than continuing solely through existing officer arrangements or allocating the whole agenda to one policy committee. The Committee is therefore asked to agree the preferred governance route. 

The Strategy and Resources Policy Development Committee would provide strategic oversight and assurance while existing officer and partnership arrangements would continue under the preferred approach.