The Young People, Learning and Employment Policy and Scrutiny Committee met on Tuesday 05 March 2024 to discuss the Local Safeguarding Children's Partnership Annual Report and the provisions for migrant families in Westminster. Key recommendations were made regarding safeguarding practices, particularly concerning social media's impact on children, and the need for improved conditions and support for asylum-seeking families.

Local Safeguarding Children's Partnership Annual Report

The committee reviewed the Local Safeguarding Children's Partnership (LSCP) Annual Report for 2022-2023, which detailed the work undertaken by the multi-agency partnership across Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster. Emma Biskupski, LSCP Business Manager, alongside Sarah Newman, Bi Borough Executive Director of Children's Services, and Aileen Buckton, LSCP Independent Chair and Scrutineer, responded to questions on a range of safeguarding issues.

Discussions covered the support available for children exposed to violence, including domestic violence, and the correlation between such experiences and school attendance, special educational needs, and engagement in crime. The committee also explored relationships with schools regarding safeguarding, the role of police in primary schools, and the Safer Schools Programme. The presence of mental health issues in young children post-COVID-19, the challenges with the Council's Early Help Offer, and initiatives to improve this were also discussed.

Further topics included a Childhood Recovery Plan, support for schools dealing with increased challenging behaviour, and strategies to address high figures of obesity and tooth decay in Westminster. The committee examined the difficulties in assessing overall performance trends across multiple partnerships and how the cost-of-living crisis exacerbates safeguarding issues. Safeguarding in residential settings, the influence of social media on young children, potential staffing cuts by the Integrated Care Board (ICB), and the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) pilot project were also on the agenda. Safeguarding issues within schools related to misogyny and Ofsted's approach were discussed, alongside an analysis of children eligible for Free School Meals compared to the London average.

Recommendations made by the committee included:

• Ensuring safeguarding issues related to social media and its impact on children are included in future LSCP reports.
• Implementing the newly created 'school navigator' role in all schools and continuing to explore the possibility of placing social workers in schools.
• Advocating for the Safer Programme to be moved into primary schools and encouraging more regular contact between schools and the police as part of the Children's Strategy.
• Continuing to prioritise school attendance and the reasons for repeated absence as part of safeguarding efforts for children.
• Monitoring the effects of misogyny in schools, the issues highlighted, and the interventions being deployed to address them.

Requests for further information included:

• Westminster Children's Services' quarterly social care performance data.
• Data from the NRM pilot, including whether it covers familial exploitation and the types of exploitation being identified.
• An explanation for why the percentage of children living in poverty is lower than the percentage of children in receipt of Free School Meals in Westminster, and clarification of Free School Meal eligibility criteria.
• Information on how school attendance is monitored as part of safeguarding and a relevant report from the Department for Education.

Provisions for Migrant Families

The committee received a report on the provisions for migrant families in Westminster, with Sarah Newman, Bi Borough Executive Director of Children's Services, Aaron Hardy, Principal Policy Officer, and Councillor Aicha Less, Cabinet Member for Communities, Children and Public Protection, providing responses to questions.

The discussion focused on the length of time asylum-seeking families spend in contingency hotel accommodation and the distressing impact of delays in the Home Office processing asylum seeker leave to remain applications. Concerns were raised about empowering asylum seekers to report issues in hotels without fear of penalty, and the disparities in accommodation and food quality across different hotel sites. The lack of culturally specific and nutritional food, and the inability for families to prepare their own meals were highlighted.

The committee heard about the support provided by charities such as Unfold, and the Council's power to make complaints to the Home Office regarding accommodation standards, food quality, and hygiene. The disruption caused to children's education when families are moved due to safety issues was discussed, along with the ultimate responsibility for ensuring asylum seekers' needs are met. The importance of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, the role of Family Navigators, and the types of trauma experienced by asylum seekers were also key discussion points. The weekly funding of £8.83 for asylum seekers and the Council's responsibilities when families secure private housing were addressed. The government's plans to close contingency hotels and the potential for families to be moved before receiving a positive asylum application were also considered. Concerns were raised about Clearsprings' internal safeguarding processes and the Council's limited involvement. The number of asylum-seeking young people in Westminster secondary schools and the provisions for younger male asylum seekers arriving alone were discussed, alongside the need for specific support for male asylum seekers in hotels to improve mental health and wellbeing. Opportunities for asylum seekers to volunteer were also explored.

Recommendations made by the committee included:

• The Council continuing to make robust representations to the Home Office regarding poor conditions, food quality, and safety in contingency hotels.
• The Council continuing to advocate for alternative providers offering higher standards of accommodation for asylum seekers.
• The Council continuing to actively encourage ESOL learning for all ages of asylum seekers and supporting the facilitation and quality of these classes.
• The Council investigating specific provisions for asylum-seeking men in contingency hotels to offer meaningful activities and a supportive space.
• The Council exploring volunteering opportunities for asylum seekers, such as within parks and outdoor spaces, in partnership with charities like Unfold.
• The Council endorsing the recommendations of the Hounslow report 'On Hold' to improve conditions for asylum seekers.
• The Council continuing to work to accommodate children locally in schools when they are decanted from contingency hotels, minimising disruption to their lives.

A request for further information was made:

• For the Committee to receive information on the length of stay for migrant families in contingency hotels, including those moved before receiving a positive application.

Work Programme

The committee noted that this was the last meeting for the 2023/24 municipal year and that a Work Programme meeting would be held on 14 May to plan the next municipal year's programme, following the Cabinet Member Annual Updates in April 2024.

Other Business

The committee noted that the Care Leavers report, originally scheduled for discussion, would not be received at this meeting as it was still to be agreed by the Task Group. This item will be brought to a future meeting.