The Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission of Hackney Council is scheduled to meet on Monday 15 June 2026. The meeting agenda includes a review of childhood immunisation programmes in Hackney, an update on support for young parents, and discussions regarding the commission's future work programme.

Childhood Immunisations in Hackney

The commission is set to review local arrangements for childhood vaccinations in Hackney. The report pack highlights that vaccination coverage rates in England for children aged five were below the World Health Organisation's recommended 95% target for all routine childhood immunisations. London has the lowest childhood immunisation rates regionally, and Hackney has among the lowest coverage rates for all childhood immunisation programmes of all unitary authorities in England. Recent outbreaks of measles and meningitis have raised concerns, and the commission will seek assurance on the effectiveness of local surveillance systems, vaccination programmes, and efforts to address inequalities in vaccination uptake. The session aims to outline the strategic and financial framework for childhood immunisations in City & Hackney, describe the roles and responsibilities of various agencies including City & Hackney Public Health, the Integrated Care Board, Vaccination UK, Primary Care, and the UK Health Security Agency, and present local data and trends on childhood immunisation coverage. It will also cover the local and regional response to recent childhood illness outbreaks and preparedness for future outbreaks, as well as local efforts to address low vaccination coverage and reduce disproportionalities.

Support for Young Parents

The commission is scheduled to note the Cabinet's response to the commission's suggestions for service development and improvement regarding support for young parents. Previously, the commission scrutinised support for young parents (under 25) in Hackney and identified concerns with the Enhanced Health Visiting Service (EHVS), including poor engagement, low service uptake, and inadequate data collection. The Cabinet members for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture, and Children's Services and Young People have responded to the commission's six recommendations. Their response details work undertaken with Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to improve data and performance reporting, refresh understanding of evidence for intensive health visiting, collect service user feedback, and conduct benchmarking against other local authorities. The response also outlines efforts to improve service model clarity, implement co-production, enhance data accuracy, sharpen focus on local inequalities, and develop a more effective communication and engagement strategy.

Work Programme Development

The commission will discuss the development of its work programme for the 2026/2027 municipal year. This process involves public engagement surveys, consultation with stakeholders including non-executive members, Cabinet members, senior officers, statutory partners, and voluntary and community sector organisations, as well as engagement with young people's consultative forums. The commission will also consider its key scrutiny functions, such as monitoring performance and budgets, and review new legislation or emerging national policies and strategies. Topics suggested for scrutiny will be collated for discussion and agreement at a future meeting. Two items have already been agreed for active scrutiny at the start of the new municipal year: Childhood Immunisations in Hackney and an Update on the Child Safeguarding Practice Review of Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy. The work programme for 2025/2026 and actions and follow-ups from the commission's work are attached for review.

The meeting will also include the confirmation of the Chair and Vice Chair for the municipal year 2026/2027 and the confirmation of the Overview & Scrutiny Business and Procedure Rules for the commission. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 16 March 2026 are also scheduled for noting.