The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee's agenda for Wednesday 22 July 2026 included discussions on the implications of new legislation, the provision of supported accommodation for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and updates on early intervention programmes. The agenda also featured a review of the committee's work programme and a call-in regarding a key decision on supported accommodation.

Call-In of Key Decision: Supported Accommodation for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)

The agenda included a call-in of a key decision made by the Strategic Director (Children and Education Services) on 2 June 2026, concerning the appointment of a provider for supported accommodation for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC). The call-in, initiated by several councillors, raised concerns regarding Manchester City Council's interpretation of its statutory duties under the Children Act 1989, the financial significance of the decision, and its potential impact on the local housing market.

The terms of the call-in detailed a series of questions and areas for scrutiny, including:

• The council's legal duty to provide accommodation and support to eligible care leavers up to the age of 21.
• The need for a case-by-case audit of the current and proposed cohorts, including their history of entry, ages, and whether they legally accumulated the mandatory 13 weeks of looked-after childhood care within Manchester before their 18th birthday.
• Verification of proof of age and the assessment process for UASC, questioning whether assessments were conducted by Manchester City Council or the Home Office.
• The gender breakdown of the UASC cohort.
• Whether UASC are considered 'care-leavers' in the spirit intended by the 1989 Children Act, which was originally designed to support British children in the care system.
• The assessment of the decision's effect on the local housing market and concerns that the scheme prioritises asylum seekers over local people facing a housing crisis.
• Clarification on whether UASC remain in accommodation until their immigration status is settled or if they are placed on Manchester Move while their status is unsettled.
• An assessment of whether the Section 23C supply to UASC reduces the availability of local or social housing for local young people.
• Scrutiny on the number of British-born care leavers displaced from Manchester Move or local housing due to this scheme.
• A comparison with equivalent schemes for British-born care leavers regarding support and housing.
• Concerns were raised about a briefing note stating that 49 out of 50 current UASC housed by Manchester Settlement were aged 18 and over, questioning the controversial assessment of individuals over 18 as children.
• The cost to the Manchester taxpayer of £1.2 million for 55 units.
• A call for more scrutiny on the tendering process and value for money.

The report accompanying this item outlined the council's position, emphasising its statutory duties under the Children Act 1989, including Section 20 and Section 23C, which mandate support for eligible young people regardless of background. It also detailed the procurement process, contract history with Manchester Settlement since 2013, and the competitive tender for the new five-year contract. The report highlighted that the council receives Home Office grant funding to offset costs and that the block contract model is considered more cost-effective than spot purchasing. It also addressed concerns about the age assessment process, stating it is robust and legally compliant, with a significant percentage of referrals assessed as adults. The report also detailed the allocation of social housing, noting that care leavers receive approximately 8% of lettings through Manchester Move and are prioritised due to corporate parenting responsibilities.

The committee was to consider the relevant matters, debate the issues, and decide whether to support the decision, refer it back to the Decision Taker with or without recommendations, or refer it to the Council.

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 – Implications for Schools and Children's Social Care

The committee was scheduled to receive a report providing an overview of the key provisions within the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. This legislation, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, represents a significant reform of children's social care and education legislation. The report was to highlight the strategic implications for schools, children's social care services, and local authorities, noting that Manchester is preparing for implementation.

Key areas of reform covered by the Act include children's social care, safeguarding, education, school attendance, admissions, and academy regulation. The report was to detail Manchester's progress in implementing these changes, including the Families First Partnership Programme, which aims to deliver integrated safeguarding arrangements, manage attendance and children-missing-education duties, and expand support for care leavers and kinship carers. Specific implications to be discussed included:

• Family Group Decision-Making: The Act mandates local authorities to offer family group decision-making meetings before initiating care proceedings, aiming for earlier help and increased involvement of wider family networks. Manchester's existing Family Group Conference Service is being scaled up.
• Kinship Care Duties: Local Authorities are now required to publish and maintain a formal Kinship Local Offer, detailing the support available to kinship families.
• Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPT): These teams, involving police, social workers, health, and education partners, are intended to improve coordination and consistency in safeguarding practice.
• Support for Children in Care and Care Leavers: The Act strengthens statutory responsibilities, with enhanced support available up to the age of 25, including stable accommodation, education, training, and employment.
• Children's Placement Sufficiency and Market Reform: The legislation introduces regional cooperation arrangements to improve the planning and commissioning of children's social care placements.
• Information Sharing and Data: The Act provides a stronger legal basis for information sharing and introduces a framework for a single unique identifier for children.
• Education Reforms: This includes strengthened safeguarding responsibilities for education settings, significant changes to Elective Home Education (EHE) oversight, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools. Measures to limit branded school uniform items to reduce financial burdens on families were also to be noted.

The committee was to consider and comment on these provisions, their implications, and the progress of implementation.

Best Start In Life and Healthy Babies Hub Programme

An update was to be provided on Manchester's Early Intervention and Prevention Services and the implementation of an integrated neighbourhood model. This model aims to support children, young people, and families through a citywide Best Start for Life Family Hub Network, strengthening access to early help, prevention, and family support within local communities.

Key aspects of the programme include:

• Citywide Family Hub Network: Establishing Family Hubs and Family Centres in every neighbourhood to ensure consistent access to support.
• Co-production Principles: Building on existing co-production with children, families, and partners to ensure delivery is influenced by their voices.
• Integrated Neighbourhood Model: Designing a responsive model that meets the requirements of the Best Start for Life Healthy Babies Strategy and national ambitions for child development.
• Proactive Outreach: Reaching out to underserved communities through local organisations and parent champions.
• Seamless 0-19 (25 SEND/Care Leaver) Offer: Bringing together early intervention, prevention, and family support services into a single, child-centred offer.

The report was to highlight progress in scaling up the programme, including the establishment of new Family Hubs and the development of new commissioning arrangements. It was also to detail the redesign of Early Intervention & Prevention services into an integrated structure and the establishment of a Best Start in Life Healthy Babies Board for strategic oversight. The programme aims to improve child development, strengthen parent-child relationships, enhance maternal and family wellbeing, improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities, facilitate earlier identification of need, and foster better family and community support.

The committee was to note the progress made in scaling up the Family Hub Programme and redesigning Early Intervention and Prevention services.

Overview Report

The committee was to receive an overview report from the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit. This report typically provides details of key decisions falling within the committee's remit, an update on actions resulting from previous recommendations, and the committee's work programme. Members were to review this information and agree any necessary amendments to the work programme. The report indicated that there were no outstanding recommendations from previous meetings. It also included an extract from the Register of Key Decisions, highlighting decisions relevant to the committee's remit, such as the appointment of providers for the Manchester PlayZones Programme, the supported accommodation contract for UASC, and the appointment of providers for the Best Start Family Hubs.