The People Scrutiny Committee of Derbyshire Council was scheduled to receive an overview of Children's Services and discuss future options for delivering Derbyshire Adult Community Education Services (DACES). The meeting agenda also included provisions for public questions and the confirmation of previous minutes.

Overview of Children's Services

The committee was scheduled to receive a verbal report providing an overview of Children's Services. No further details regarding the specific content of this report were available in the provided documents.

Future Options to Deliver Derbyshire Adult Community Education Services (DACES)

A significant portion of the meeting was set to focus on the future delivery of Derbyshire Adult Community Education Services (DACES). This discussion was informed by a consultation process that ran from December 18th, 2025, to February 22nd, 2026, which received 1189 responses from members of the public, current learners, and Derbyshire County Council (DCC) staff.

Following the consultation, several strategic directions were identified for the service. These included:

• Agreeing a strategic emphasis on a core curriculum focused on basic skills, vocational pathways, wellbeing, and confidence building.
• Developing a place-based delivery model to maintain a local presence while establishing community hubs and targeted outreach.
• Supporting affordability and inclusion measures, such as adjustments for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)¹, caring assistance, learning support, and blended learning approaches.
• Providing wraparound support, encompassing pastoral care, confidence-building, digital assistance, and clear progression routes.

Concerns were raised during the consultation regarding the cost of courses being a barrier for learners. It was noted that Derbyshire County Council has a discretionary fund that can be used for childcare, equipment, and transport. However, there were discussions about ensuring this support was promoted effectively without misleading users, as funding is assessed on eligibility.

The committee was also expected to consider how to better promote the courses on offer, as feedback suggested that only two courses appeared to be full on the council's website. The consultation responses were intended to inform the resolution of this concern. A report detailing the future options for DACES was scheduled to be presented to Cabinet in July.

Public Questions

The agenda allowed for a maximum of 30 minutes for public questions. Members of the public who are registered electors, council tax payers, or non-domestic tax payers in Derbyshire were eligible to submit questions to the committee or attending council officers. The procedure for submitting questions required written notice by noon three working days before the meeting, including the questioner's name and address, and the name of the person to whom the question was directed. Questions could be rejected if they exceeded 200 words, were not about a matter for which the committee had responsibility, were defamatory, frivolous, offensive, substantially the same as a previous question, or required the disclosure of confidential information. Written answers were to be provided for any questions not answered within the allocated time.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to confirm the non-exempt minutes of the previous People Scrutiny Committee meeting held on May 1st, 2026.