The Safeguarding and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Staffordshire Youth Justice Plan for 2025-2028 and receive an update on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Key discussions also included the Safeguarding Online Referral Form, school absenteeism and exclusions, and school attainment.

Staffordshire Youth Justice Plan 2025-2028

The committee reviewed the Staffordshire Youth Justice Plan for 2025-2028, which outlines how partners are working to prevent offending by children and support those who receive community or custodial sentences to reintegrate into society. Councillor Nicholas Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, presented the report, highlighting that the plan aligns with national priorities and addresses the duty placed on local authorities by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to set out how youth justice services will be funded and delivered.

Concerns were raised by Tracey Dougherty regarding a slight rise in re-offending rates in October-December 2023. Hazel, a representative from the Youth Justice Partnership, clarified that the national data is often out of date and that their local tracker shows a current re-offending rate of 21%, with a downward trajectory. She explained that data quality recording on the police national computer can cause delays in national updates.

Charlotte Kelly raised questions about the higher allocation of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to boys compared to girls, noting that girls are less likely to be diagnosed with special educational needs and that the average age of diagnosis for girls is significantly higher than for boys. Kelly questioned whether this delay in diagnosis contributes to girls offending due to a lack of necessary support. Hazel acknowledged that children with special educational needs are a risk factor for entering the youth justice system and that girls often mask their issues, leading to later identification. She stated that dedicated education workers assess all children entering the service to identify potential EHCP needs.

Tracey Dougherty also highlighted that Tamworth has the highest youth crime rate in Staffordshire and expressed concern about the lack of activities for young people. She questioned how the council would reach these young people before they resort to crime to get help. Hazel explained that while young people don't commit crimes to get help, crime is often the first time they receive it. She detailed efforts to link with the new Families First Partnership and family hubs for earlier intervention, as well as the success of the Ministry of Justice's Turnaround Fund for early intervention and prevention of anti-social behaviour. Councillor Lilligan added that youth services are being bolstered to provide more engagement opportunities for young people.

Ann Edgeller shared her personal experience and asked if interventions could start earlier than the age of seven or eight, as many children are born into difficult circumstances and seek belonging. Hazel confirmed that a prevention service works with children from as early as possible and that an education roundtable had been held to understand challenges leading to primary school exclusion, with a review of the prevention offer underway to target children even earlier. Nicholas Lakin shared an example of an 18-year-old woman who, despite coming from a loving family, faced significant challenges from birth due to her mother's circumstances, highlighting that intervention can start from birth.

The committee also discussed the identification of children as victims rather than solely criminalising them, particularly in relation to gangs and exploitation. Hazel, whose portfolio includes children being exploited, stated that a balance is struck and that most children are victims of trauma or circumstance. Close work with child exploitation police teams and the Violence Reduction Alliance is ongoing, with referrals made to the National Referral Mechanism for exploited or trafficked children.

Ann Edgeller raised concerns about children in care placed out of county and the support they receive if they end up within the police system. Hazel explained that Staffordshire works with the youth justice service in the area where the child is placed, with a working arrangement for caretaking, while maintaining contact.

Matthew Wallens inquired about the findings from research by Manchester Metropolitan University and how they would translate into practice. Hazel stated the research was presented to the board, and a task and finish group is examining the voices of black and brown children. Wallens also questioned why Manchester Metropolitan University was conducting the study instead of Staffordshire University. Hazel explained that they had been working with a specific researcher who moved universities.

Another question was raised about the lack of detail regarding recommendations mentioned throughout the report. Hazel offered to provide more detail on specific recommendations if asked, and the committee agreed to review the report to identify all references to recommendations.

Tracey Dougherty asked about the impact of social media and screen time on violent and sexual offences, as shown in a graph on page 38. Hazel acknowledged the significant impact of social media on children and young people, particularly since COVID-19, and confirmed that work is being done with parents and schools on safe internet use. She noted that it's a challenge to stay ahead of rapidly evolving social media platforms.

Ann Edgeller raised concerns about funding cuts impacting the number of children supported to stay out of the criminal justice system. Hazel confirmed that while the plan was developed with year-on-year funding, the new Minister for Youth Justice has committed to three-year funding, mitigating this risk.

Charlotte Kelly asked if schools are becoming more trauma-informed and if there is a shift in focus from academics to mental well-being. Hazel stated that restorative and relational practices are used in schools, and trauma-informed training is offered, but that education colleagues would be better placed to answer this.

A question was raised about children being kept in their rooms for over 21 hours a day at Warrington YOI due to staff shortages, and the impact on their mental health. It was clarified that Staffordshire is a customer of Warrington YOI, with only one child currently placed there. The issues at Warrington are a national concern and need to be addressed by central government and the prison service. Safeguarding measures are in place, and concerns are escalated, but much is outside of Staffordshire's direct control.

Charlotte Kelly also inquired about the location of mountain bike leader courses and the child exploitation team coordinators. The mountain bike courses are predominantly in Newcastle and Lichfield, where the youth justice hubs are located. The four child exploitation coordinators operate across two districts each, working from the integrated front door and in their local areas.

Councillor Lilligan asked about efforts to move beyond girls masking their issues and identify their needs earlier. Hazel reiterated the work with education colleagues and the education roundtable, focusing on identifying special educational needs earlier.

Charlotte Kelly raised concerns about prevent strategies in light of the Southport tragedy. Hazel confirmed she sits on the prevent board and that the youth justice lead co-chairs the channel panel, where referrals for individuals showing extremist views are received. She stated that schools are the primary referrers and that there is synergy between prevent and youth justice teams. She clarified that while more children are being referred, this indicates earlier identification rather than increased radicalisation. Lessons learned from Southport are incorporated into national channel training.

The committee agreed to a future meeting to discuss issues raised from an education viewpoint.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Update

Ruth Martin Rogerson, Principal Social Worker and Safeguarding Lead, provided an update on the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). She explained that DoLS, introduced under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, provides a legal framework for individuals who lack the capacity to make decisions about their care and accommodation when their liberty is deprived. The number of referrals has increased by 10-20% annually, largely due to an ageing population and growing needs.

To manage the increasing demand, Staffordshire County Council is using external agencies for Best Interest Assessments, which has proven cost-effective. They have also implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to streamline administrative tasks, resulting in a 40% time saving. The increased use of equivalent assessments for individuals whose circumstances are stable has also helped reduce the need for repeated assessments. Shortened forms have been introduced for repeat assessments, and a new procurement process for an external agency is underway.

Matthew Wallens raised concerns about the number of outstanding DoLS requests, particularly those overdue beyond the 21-day target. Ruth Martin Rogerson reported that the number of outstanding requests had already reduced significantly and that the overdue cases had also decreased. She explained that recent technical issues with the corporate file plan system had caused initial delays, but these were being resolved.

The committee discussed the implementation of Liquid Logic, a new social care system, and its potential to create additional capacity. Ruth Martin Rogerson stated that the benefits are still being quantified but that it is expected to reduce administrative functions.

Charlotte Kelly inquired about when the current efforts to reduce DoLS timescales would lead to manageable levels and adherence to required timelines. Ruth Martin Rogerson indicated that a meeting next week would provide a clearer indication of the impact of using equivalent assessments more effectively. She noted that while demand is increasing, the cost per assessment is decreasing, allowing for more assessments to be completed with the same resources. She also highlighted that Staffordshire performs well nationally in meeting DoLS timescales despite having one of the highest referral rates, attributed to geography, a large elderly population, and a high proportion of self-funders in private care homes.

Sonny Edwards asked if information from care homes is being returned as quickly as RPA is processing outgoing information. Ruth Martin Rogerson confirmed that information flow from care homes is generally effective, with hospitals being less responsive.

A question was raised about the risks of relying solely on a youth-conditioned license, referencing a High Court case. Ruth Martin Rogerson stated she was not sufficiently aware to answer as that case related to under-18s. She also addressed criticism from the High Court regarding Staffordshire County Council being too quick to apply for DoLS without referring to other parties, explaining that a process is in place for senior leader approval before legal applications are made, and that legal advice is sought early.

Safeguarding Online Referral Form

Ruth Martin Rogerson also provided an update on the Safeguarding Online Referral Form. The form was introduced to allow providers to submit non-urgent safeguarding concerns online, improving efficiency and allowing contact centre staff to focus on higher-risk cases. Despite initial technical issues with RPA, which caused a 40% failure rate in submissions, the system has saved approximately 30 hours per week. A move to a new system using Application Programming Interface (API) is planned to resolve these issues. Providers will soon be able to download a copy of their submitted form as evidence.

Matthew Wallens asked how the transition to Liquid Logic would affect the online referral system during local government reorganisation. Ruth Martin Rogerson explained that neighbouring authorities already use Liquid Logic, so Staffordshire's move to it is timely and will ensure consistency for residents.

Charlotte Kelly noted that the system is saving more hours than initially reported and asked about the timeframe for API implementation. Ruth Martin Rogerson indicated that API implementation is expected by the end of the summer.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year. A briefing document on illegal care homes within the county was requested, including details of any such homes and measures being taken to address them. Tracey Dougherty proposed a working group on the impact of social media on children's mental health and violent and sexual offences. The committee also acknowledged the upcoming retirement of Helen Phillips, who has dedicated almost 40 years to Staffordshire.

The committee agreed to add the request for a briefing document on illegal care homes to the work programme. They also agreed to consider a working group on the impact of social media on children's mental health and violent and sexual offences for the next municipal year.

The meeting concluded with discussions on the exclusion of the public for Part Two business.