The Children, Education and Families Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee of Bromley Council met on Tuesday 8 September 2026. The meeting's agenda included discussions on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan update, budget monitoring, the capital programme, and the Bromley SEND Reform Plan. Attendees also reviewed the Children, Education and Families Risk Register and considered information items.

Appointment of Co-opted Member

The committee was scheduled to discuss the appointment of a co-opted member for the 2026/27 municipal year. The report recommended the appointment of Ms Sam Gower as the Catholic Representative, nominated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark Commission for Schools and Colleges. Ms Gower's background includes two years as a Trust Relationship Officer for the Archdiocese's Education Service and previous roles as a headteacher in Catholic schools within the Diocese. Co-opted members are intended to bring specific expertise and represent key stakeholder groups to the committee's work.

Matters Outstanding and Forward Work Programme

The committee was set to review progress on actions arising from previous meetings and to consider the Forward Work Programme for the upcoming municipal year. Appendix A of the report detailed outstanding matters, including the provision of costs associated with SEND Tribunals, which had been completed and circulated to members. Appendix B outlined the proposed work programme for 2026/27, detailing planned reports and activities such as the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan Q2 Update, Budget Monitoring, and Capital Programme Monitoring. The committee was invited to comment on this schedule and suggest any necessary changes.

Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan – 2026/27 Q1 Update

This report presented the first quarter update on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan for 2026/27. The plan focuses on delivering strategic priorities for children and families in Bromley, aligning with the Council's Transformation Programme and Corporate Strategy, Making Bromley Even Better. The plan is structured around five priority outcomes: Safeguarding, Affordable Homes, Life Chances and Wellbeing, Supporting Multi-Agency Working, and Ensuring Efficiency and Effectiveness. The report highlighted key achievements for Quarter 1 across various service areas, including high uptake of funded places for vulnerable two-year-olds, strong performance in early years settings, progress on school place planning, and initiatives to address disadvantage and close attainment gaps. Updates were also provided on the expansion of Mental Health Support Teams, the development of a new children's homes mental health service offer, therapeutic support for children in care, early intervention and family support services, and the Bromley Safeguarding Children Partnership's work on domestic abuse training.

Budget Monitoring 2026/27

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise the budget monitoring position for the Children, Education and Families Portfolio as of June 2026. The report indicated a projected overspend of £1,782,000 on the controllable budget. Key areas contributing to this overspend included the Education Division, particularly SEN and Inclusion, and Adult Education, due to staffing pressures and income shortfalls. Children's Social Care also showed an overspend, primarily driven by the cost of residential placements and staffing pressures, despite efforts to increase permanent staff levels. A significant in-year overspend was also noted for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), largely attributed to high needs block costs related to placements. The report detailed the government's commitment to writing off 90% of historic SEND deficits, with Bromley working to secure these funds. The committee was asked to note these projections and the unmitigated full-year impact of cost pressures going into 2027/28.

Capital Programme Monitoring - Quarter 1 2026/27

This report provided a summary of the capital expenditure and receipts following the first quarter of 2026/27, focusing on changes within the Children, Education and Families portfolio. The Executive was to consider a revised capital programme for 2026/27 to 2030/31. Key proposals included re-phasing of £7,556k from 2026/27 and 2028/29 into future years due to revised expenditure estimates. Additionally, an increase of £6,891k was proposed, primarily due to supplementary capital funding for the Education Capital Programme and Devolved Formula Capital Grant. Appendix A detailed the revised capital programme for the portfolio, while Appendix B provided comments on individual scheme progress.

Spending by Primary, Secondary and Special Maintained Schools in 2025/26

The committee was presented with information on the revenue and capital balances held by Primary, Secondary, and Special Maintained Schools as of 31 March 2026, with a comparison to the previous year. The report indicated that the average level of revenue balances for Primary Schools was 12% of their School Budget Shares, a slight decrease from the previous year. Secondary School balances decreased from 2% to 1%, while Special School balances decreased from 4% to minus 9%. The report noted that schools with uncommitted balances exceeding 8% were required to provide justifications and plans for reducing these balances. It also highlighted that one school had a deficit balance as at 31 March 2026.

Bromley SEND Reform Plan

This report provided an update on the Bromley SEND Reform Plan, developed in response to national SEND reform requirements and the DfE's Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper. The plan outlines a strategy to shift Bromley's SEND system towards earlier intervention, inclusive mainstream practice, and coordinated partnership delivery, aiming for improved outcomes and financial sustainability. The plan, submitted to the DfE in June 2026, is linked to potential additional High Needs Block funding of up to 90% of the Dedicated Schools Grant deficit. The report detailed expected outcomes, including moderated EHCP growth, increased mainstream inclusion, reduced reliance on independent provision, and improved value for money. The committee was asked to note the plan's progress, expected outcomes, financial implications, and to provide comments for consideration by the Local Area Partnership and SEND Governance Board.

Children, Education and Families Risk Register – 2026/27 Q1 Update

The committee received an update on the Children, Education and Families Risk Register for the first quarter of 2026/27. The register identifies high-level departmental risks, which are underpinned by more detailed divisional registers. Key risks discussed included the failure to deliver the Children's Services Financial Strategy, failure to deliver effective children's services, recruitment and retention challenges, and risks associated with SEND Transport and SEND Reforms. The report detailed existing controls and further actions required to mitigate these risks. For SEND Transport, progress was noted on procurement for a new framework contract. For Youth Offending, an updated service plan was being prepared for submission to the Youth Justice Board, and consultation on proposed reforms was underway. Regarding Out of Borough Placements, the opening of the new children's home, Solace Rise, was highlighted. For School Attendance, the report noted the DfE's forthcoming changes to attendance regulations following the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act.

Bromley Children and Families Reform Programme: Implementation of the Best Start in Life, Family Hubs and Families First Partnership Programme

This report provided an overview of the national Children's Social Care Reform Programme, including the Best Start in Life Programme, Family Hubs, and the Families First Partnership Programme. Bromley's proposed approach was to implement these reforms through a single, integrated Children and Families Reform Programme, aiming for borough-wide implementation by April 2027. The report outlined a phased implementation strategy, with Community Vision in Penge serving as the primary test-and-learn site. The future operating model was described as being organised around four locality-based Family Hubs aligned with Neighbourhood Health Team footprints, providing a continuum of help, support, and protection. This model integrates universal services, Family Help, and safeguarding arrangements.

Corporate Parenting Annual Report

This report provided an annual update on the progress of children in care and care leavers in Bromley, assessing achievements against the Corporate Parenting Strategy. The report highlighted a slight increase in the rate of Children Looked After per 10,000 population, though still below the national average. It noted a disproportionate representation of children from Black, Asian, or mixed heritage groups in the care population. The report detailed challenges in fostering sufficiency nationally and Bromley's efforts to recruit and retain foster carers, including innovative schemes like Weekender and the therapeutic fostering service Encompass. It also reported a decline in the number of young people in residential care and progress in developing in-house residential provision. The report covered education outcomes, with a high percentage of children in care attending 'Good' or 'Outstanding' schools, and discussed efforts to address extra-familial harm and exploitation. For care-experienced young people, the report detailed the expansion of the 18+ Leaving Care Service, efforts to improve education, employment, and training (ETE) outcomes, and the provision of support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. The suitability of accommodation for care leavers was reported as 99%, with a reduction in young people aged over 21 remaining in placements. The report also detailed participation activities for children in care and care leavers, including a Corporate Parenting Fun Day, summer programmes, and celebration events.

Children, Education and Families Risk Register – 2026/27 Q1 Update

The committee was presented with the Children, Education and Families Risk Register for the first quarter of 2026/27. The register outlines key departmental risks and the controls in place to mitigate them. Several risks were highlighted for further action, including SEND Transport, where procurement for a new framework contract was underway. For Youth Offending, an updated service plan was being prepared for submission to the Youth Justice Board, and consultation on proposed reforms was ongoing. Regarding Out of Borough Placements, the operational status of the new children's home, Solace Rise, was noted, with an Ofsted outcome pending. For School Attendance, the report mentioned forthcoming changes to regulations following the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act.

Children's Scrutiny Dataset Part 1 (Public) Report

This report provided a regular update on the performance of children's services as of June 2026. The committee was asked to comment on the outturns of key performance indicators and associated management commentary. Several indicators were noted as performing below expectation. The number of in-house foster households recruited was below target, although further recruitment was in progress. The stability of placements for Children Looked After showed an improving trend, but remained slightly below statistical neighbours and national averages. Average caseloads within the Referral and Assessment Service were higher than desired due to increased demand, complexity of referrals, and staffing pressures. The report also included data on referrals to Children's Social Care, the percentage of statutory assessments completed within timescale, the number of children subject to Child Protection Plans, and the percentage of those with allocated social workers. Performance data for Children Looked After and Care Leavers was also presented, including rates per 10,000, the number of children in care, and the percentage in suitable accommodation. Education, employment, and training (ETE) figures for care leavers were also included.