The Scrutiny Children & Young People Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday 23 January 2024 to review budget challenges, the Education Estates Strategy, and performance dashboards. Key decisions included the removal of a proposed saving from the Children's Social Care staffing budget due to unacceptable risks, and the agreement to monitor the increase of in-house foster provision.

Budget Scrutiny Challenge

The Sub-Committee reviewed two significant budget proposals for 2024/25.

SAV CYPE 001 – Children's Social Care Staffing Budget Realignment (£1.1m)

This proposed saving was to be achieved by maintaining a 7% vacancy rate across the children's social care staffing budget. However, officers presented evidence indicating that increased demand for statutory social work services, exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, insecure housing, rising unemployment, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's needs, meant that maintaining such a vacancy rate would present an unacceptable risk. The Sub-Committee was informed that demand for statutory social work services had risen by 16% in 2022-23, leading to increased caseloads and a 10% rise in child protection plans.

The Director of Children's Social Care explained that social workers needed sufficient capacity to conduct thorough risk assessments and provide effective interventions. The current situation meant that maintaining manageable caseloads and delivering a saving through a 7% vacancy rate was not feasible. Consequently, it was agreed that this saving would be removed from the Directorate's Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2024/25. The Sub-Committee was reassured that this decision was made to protect children and ensure social worker caseloads did not become unmanageable. The £1.1 million saving would need to be found elsewhere in the Council's budget, with an updated MTFS to be prepared. The Sub-Committee recommended that the Scrutiny & Overview Committee ensure the deliverability of any new savings proposals when considering the wider budget.

SAV CYPE 003 – Review of Children Looked After Placements (£0.9m)

This saving was to be achieved by focusing on keeping children safely at home and supporting them in family-based settings when they do come into care. The Sub-Committee heard about the increasing costs of placements, with a significant rise in high-cost placements costing £10,000 per week or more. The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People expressed frustration with the current placements market, noting that referrals had become competitive due to a limited number of spaces.

The Sub-Committee discussed the possibility of developing in-house semi-independent placement provision, with officers explaining the benefits and drawbacks of both private and in-house options, noting the significant upfront costs of developing in-house provision. The Director of Children's Social Care highlighted that decisions for children to be placed outside their family home were made by Heads of Service or the Director of Children's Social Care, with a Care Panel chaired by the Director of Children's Social Care considering in-house provision as a priority. The age profile of current foster carers was noted as a challenge for recruiting and retaining in-house foster carers.

The Sub-Committee was optimistic that the targeted savings would be deliverable, given the work already undertaken in this area. They were reassured that decisions would not be taken purely for financial reasons if they would be harmful to children and young people. Plans to improve the Council's relationship with placement providers through process development and potential 'preferred provider' agreements were also noted. The Sub-Committee agreed that monitoring the Council's efforts to increase in-house foster provision should be added to the Work Programme for 2024/25.

Cabinet Report - Education Estates Strategy

The Sub-Committee conducted pre-decision scrutiny of the Cabinet Paper on the Education Estates Strategy, focusing on the management of surplus school places, Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision, and the proposed Schools' Maintenance Plan.

School Admissions

The Director of Education explained that while schools are the admissions authorities, Croydon Council processes in-year admissions applications and passes them to schools. The Council chases schools for outstanding responses and provides support to families in identifying available school places. Challenges were noted with in-year admissions for Year 11 students, particularly those who had not accessed the GCSE curriculum previously. A working group with head teachers has been established to improve the in-year admissions process. The Council has limited powers to fund tuition while school placements are sought but can write to the Secretary of State to ensure a child is admitted to a school.

School Maintenance

The Head of Service for Early Years, School Place Planning and Admissions discussed modifications to schools to improve heating efficiency and noted that overheating in schools is regulated by the Department for Education and is the responsibility of the schools themselves. The conversion of Saffron Valley Collegiate, Croydon's Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), was discussed, with assurances that this would not delay provision. The Director of Education clarified that Saffron Valley Collegiate is a local authority school with four locations, and additional spaces are commissioned based on individual child needs. Increased demand for alternative provision for younger children following the pandemic was acknowledged. The Sub-Committee requested a list of schools under each planning area and a case study on the impact of prolonged surplus places.

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Provision

The Sub-Committee noted the increasing demand for SEND provision. The Director of Children's Social Care explained that the percentage of children with SEND being assessed within target timeframes had been as high as 100% this year and was consistently above 80%. The Sub-Committee was informed that 10 SEND pupils were receiving alternative packages due to parental choice and access to placements.

Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard

The Sub-Committee reviewed the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard and updated additional 'Red' indicators.

Regarding indicator M37 (Percentage of current Child Protection Plans lasting 2 years or more), the Director of Children's Social Care explained that there was rigorous multi-agency oversight for children subject to subsequent Child Protection Plans. A panel meets monthly to review these cases, and it was predicted that this indicator would begin to improve in the latter half of 2024.

On Appendix B, which detailed 'Red' indicators relating to rising demands and caseloads, the Director of Children's Social Care reassured the Sub-Committee that the service reported monthly on children not seen within timescales. Teams triage cases for visits and work with schools to provide limited safeguarding oversight. Where families refuse visitation, the application of a Child Protection Plan becomes a stronger consideration.

Cabinet Response to Scrutiny Recommendations

The Sub-Committee noted the report detailing Cabinet's responses to its previous recommendations.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2023-24

The Sub-Committee noted the draft work programme and requested information at a future meeting on the impact in Croydon of new London-Wide Early Years funding.

What Difference has this Meeting made to Croydon's Children

The Chair expressed hope that the Sub-Committee's discussions had been helpful in refining the content for the Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report and in encouraging partners to continue developing the 'voice of the child' in their work. The Chair thanked all involved in delivering safeguarding for children and young people in Croydon.