The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 3 June 2026 to review the Overview Report, which included the recommendations monitor, key decisions, and the committee's work programme. The committee also received minutes from previous meetings and discussed future work programming.

Overview Report and Work Programme

The committee reviewed the Overview Report, which detailed the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, and the committee's work programme. There were no outstanding recommendations from previous meetings. The committee noted the register of key decisions, which included upcoming decisions on projects such as the Manchester PlayZones Programme, the provision of transport for the Manchester Schools Swimming Programme, and the management of a children's home. The committee also agreed to amend the time for the 3 June meeting to 2:00 pm and approved the work programme for the forthcoming year. A work programming session was held following the formal meeting to determine the committee's agenda for the next twelve months.

Minutes of Previous Meetings

The committee approved the minutes from the previous meeting held on 4 March 2026. They also received and noted the minutes from the Ofsted Subgroup meeting held on 25 February 2026.

Ofsted Subgroup Discussions

The Ofsted Subgroup had met on 25 February 2026 to discuss Ofsted inspections of Manchester schools and daycare providers. The subgroup received updates on recent inspections, noting that 96% of daycare providers were judged as good or better. Discussions also covered the revised Ofsted inspection framework, with concerns raised about the potential for the framework to unfairly impact schools in more challenging contexts. The subgroup agreed to consider Ofsted inspection reports for childminders at their next meeting. The subgroup also noted their Terms of Reference and Work Programme.

Recognition of Achievements

The committee's Chair, Councillor Wakefield, welcomed attendees and paid tribute to Councillor Bell for their long-standing commitment to chairing the committee. Councillor Julie Reid, the Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, was also thanked for her work, and recognition was given to the Ofsted outstanding rating achieved by the council's children's services and the designation as a UN Child-Friendly City.

Future Meetings

It was noted that future meetings of the committee would likely take place in the antechamber to allow for more informal and focused discussions. The committee aims to maximise free reading time to facilitate in-depth scrutiny and questioning. Councillor Jill Lovecy raised the need to elect a chair for the Ofsted subgroup, which was agreed to be addressed at the next meeting along with the terms of reference for the subgroup.