The Children and Families Cabinet Panel met on Wednesday 10 June 2026 to review the Quarter 4 performance report and discuss the Hertfordshire Youth Justice Plan for 2026-28. The panel noted a strong overall performance in children's services despite increasing demands, with several areas achieving their best-ever results. The Youth Justice Plan was discussed in detail, with a focus on priorities such as embedding a child-first approach, addressing disproportionality, enhancing support for victims, and improving data analysis.

Quarter 4 Performance Report

Joanna Hunt, Performance Manager for Children's Services, presented the Quarter 4 performance report, highlighting key achievements and areas for attention.

• Early Help: While the number of Family First assessments and children supported decreased compared to the previous year, there was a quarter-on-quarter increase from Q3, indicating a potential positive trend. The Supporting Families Programme, formerly the Troubled Families Programme, concluded with 100% of its target achieved for 2025/26.
• Youth Justice: There was a decrease in the number of children entering the Youth Justice System for the first time, and a reduction in blade-related offences. However, the percentage of youth court disposals resulting in custodial sentences saw a slight increase. The report also noted a rise in young people aged 16-18 involved in the Youth Justice System who were not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
• Contact, Referral and Assessment: The rolling year rate of referrals accepted into children's social care remained stable and below national and regional averages, reflecting a strong early help offer. The percentage of Child and Family Assessments completed within the 45-day timescale remained high, keeping Hertfordshire in the top quartile nationally.
• Child Protection: The percentage of children supported by an Initial Child Protection Conference within 15 days showed improvement, although it remained in the fourth quartile nationally. The number of children supported by a Child Protection Plan increased compared to the previous year. However, the percentage of children on a second or subsequent Child Protection Plan also saw a slight increase.
• Children Looked After (CLA) and Care Leavers: The overall number of CLA increased, driven by a rise in non-separated migrant children, though separated migrant children saw a reduction. Hertfordshire achieved its best-ever year-end performance for CLA experiencing three or more homes, placing it in the second quartile nationally. The percentage of care leavers aged 17-21 in Education, Employment, or Training (EET) reached its highest point, placing Hertfordshire in the top quartile nationally for the first time.

During the discussion on the performance report, several members raised concerns and sought clarification on various aspects:

• Staff Vacancies: Janet Jones, Director of Children and Families, addressed concerns about hard-to-fill roles, outlining strategies for recruitment and retention, including a focus on work-life balance, supervision, and career development. She noted that over 30 new social workers trained in-house would be starting in September.
• NEET Figures: Miranda Gittos, Director of Specialist Services and Commissioning, explained the cross-departmental working group and action plan in place to improve NEET figures, emphasizing the role of the Corporate Parenting Board.
• Foster Carer Retention: An update was provided on foster carer retention, noting that Hertfordshire benchmarks well nationally, with a lower resignation rate than the national average.
• Placement Costs: Councillor Paula Hiscocks raised concerns about the overspend on children's services, particularly the rising cost of placements. Officers assured the panel that Hertfordshire has a strong sufficiency strategy and is working to secure in-house, high-quality placements.
• Long-Term Stability: Councillor Hiscocks also expressed concern about the dip in long-term stability for children looked after, but officers clarified that this figure actually indicated fewer placement moves, signifying greater stability.
• Initial Child Protection Conferences: Miriam Swainston inquired about the fluctuation in ICPC timeliness, and officers explained it was due to a mixture of factors, including the complexity of child protection cases, potential worker error, capacity issues, and changes in family circumstances.
• Adoption and Special Guardianship Orders: Councillor Hiscocks questioned the lower numbers in adoptions and SGOs. Officers explained that this was partly due to a strong focus on kinship care, which is often preferred by the courts, and the high threshold for adoption decisions.

Hertfordshire Youth Justice Plan 2026-28

Lydia Phillips, Youth Justice Service Manager, presented the Hertfordshire Youth Justice Plan for 2026-28. The plan, developed collaboratively with partners, outlines two golden threads: Voice of Children, Families and Victims and Disproportionality and Anti-Racist Practice. It also details four key priority areas: enhancing the Youth Justice Partnership Board's effectiveness, strengthening early intervention and diversion, improving support for victims, and enhancing data maturity.

Key points from the discussion included:

• Knife Crime Reduction: Nigel Bell welcomed the reduction in knife crime figures but sought assurance that efforts were sufficient and reaching all police forces. Lydia Phillips confirmed that the serious violence strategy was being refreshed and that the Youth Justice Service was actively involved in this process.
• Disproportionality: The issue of disproportionality, particularly concerning ethnic minorities, was discussed. Janet Jones, Director of Children and Families, acknowledged it as a significant concern and highlighted ongoing work and commissioned training to address it.
• Custody Rates: The low number of children receiving custodial sentences was noted as a positive outcome of early intervention and multi-agency working.
• Diversionary Activities: Councillor Louise Price inquired about the number of children being diverted and the data collection process. Lydia Phillips explained the various diversionary routes and confirmed that figures were tracked.
• Support for Young People: Councillor Kirsty Taylor-Moran raised concerns about low-level anti-social behaviour and asked how councillors could support initiatives. Lydia Phillips highlighted the 'Turnaround' programme and the role of schools in referrals.
• County Lines and SEND: Dee Hart raised concerns about county lines and the high percentage of young people with undiagnosed SEND. Lydia Phillips outlined the multi-agency approach to tackling county lines and the dedicated Speech and Language Therapist now in post to support SEND needs.
• Spaces for Appointments and Youth Services: Paula Hiscocks suggested exploring the use of community spaces for appointments and highlighted the importance of youth services. Officers acknowledged the challenges in finding suitable spaces and the ongoing work to support children in accessing positive activities.
• Care Leavers in Youth Justice: Paula Hiscocks expressed concern about the proportion of looked-after children within the youth justice system. Officers explained that this reflects the complex needs of children in care and the robust support systems in place, emphasizing that care experience is a factor in disproportionality.

The panel voted to note and comment on the performance report, recommend the Hertfordshire Youth Justice Plan 2026-28 to Cabinet, and recommend to Cabinet that Cabinet recommends to Full Council the approval of the Plan.

The meeting concluded with a reminder about the Virtual School Children Looked After Awards event.