The Children and Young People's Scrutiny Commission met to review the Ofsted inspection report on support for care leavers and discuss the implementation of the Families First Partnership reforms. The Commission noted the positive Ofsted findings for care leavers, with areas for improvement identified in supervision consistency and health record provision. It also reviewed the progress of Hackney's significant transformation of children's social care services under the Families First Partnership programme. The Commission reviewed and noted its work programme for the remainder of the municipal year 2026/27, with key confirmed items and items still being scoped. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th July 2026 were noted and agreed, and the action tracker was reviewed.

Ofsted Inspection Report: Support for Care Leavers

The Commission reviewed the Ofsted focused visit report from June 2026 concerning Hackney's care leaver services. The report was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting that Leaders have strengthened services for care leavers since the last ILACS inspection in 2024 and that care leavers benefit from warm, trusting and purposeful relationships with practitioners who are ambitious for them. ¹ Diane Benjamin, Director of Children's Social Care, and Laura Blini, Head of Corporate Parenting, presented the findings.

Ofsted noted that Hackney's systemic, trauma-informed and anti-racist approach is evident throughout leadership, policy and practice. ² The report commended the stable and committed workforce, with most practitioners describing their workloads as manageable, allowing them to build meaningful relationships with care leavers. The opening of the Hackney Care Leavers Hub, Sonder Space, in June 2025 was highlighted as a positive development, providing a welcoming environment for young people.

However, Ofsted identified two areas for continued improvement:

• Consistency of supervision provided to practitioners: While managers' oversight was generally effective, supervision was not always held within the authority's expected timescales.
• Provision of health summaries to care leavers: Care leavers do not consistently receive a summary of their health history as they move towards greater independence.

The council has already begun work on these areas, including implementing new IT systems for health records and introducing a new check-in with Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) for young people at 18 and a half.

During the Q&A, Councillor Emmanuel Onapa asked about the setup allowance for care leavers, and officers explained that while accessible, the process for accessing the Setting Up Home Allowance could be lengthy, and solutions were being sought to streamline it. Councillor Izzy Costello-Cortez raised the issue of a small number of care leavers aged 18-21 not being allocated a named practitioner, which was attributed to various reasons including young people returning to family support and not wishing to engage with services. The council confirmed that all such young people had now been allocated a practitioner. Councillor Rolf Dekker inquired about the accessibility of Sonder Space, particularly for those living outside Hackney, and officers discussed ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and explore collaborations with other boroughs. Concerns were also raised about mental health provision and waiting times for therapeutic support, with officers detailing the in-house clinical services and efforts to navigate the adult mental health system. The issue of care leavers not being in education, training, or employment (NEET) was also discussed, with acknowledgement of it being a national challenge and ongoing work to create opportunities. Councillor Cathy Troupp asked about data gathering and benchmarking for future inspections, and officers outlined the statutory data reporting and quality assurance processes in place.

Families First Partnership Programme

The Commission received an update on the implementation of the Families First Partnership (FFP) reforms, which represent a significant overhaul of children's social care. Diane Benjamin, Director of Children's Social Care, Lisa Aldridge, Head of Safeguarding, Learning and Improvement, and Mags Wild, Head of Service for Family Help, presented the progress.

The FFP aims to transform children's social care by prioritising early intervention, improving multi-agency collaboration, and empowering family networks to prevent crises. Key changes include the establishment of a single, neighbourhood-based Family Help service, merging targeted early help and Child in Need services, and the creation of a multi-agency Child Safeguarding Team. The reforms also focus on strengthening family-led decision-making and adopting a systemic, trauma-informed, and anti-racist (STAR) practice model.

Hackney launched its new Family Help service on 5th May 2026, reorganising staff into teams based in four Children and Family Hubs. A specialist Safer Paths - Preventing Harm Outside the Home Team is also being established to support children most vulnerable to extra-familial harm. The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) has been renamed the Multi-Agency Support Hub (MASH) to be less intimidating.

The Child Safeguarding Team, comprising Child Protection Leads and soon to be joined by experts from the Police, Health, and Education, began a soft launch on 10th August 2026. The Family Meeting Service, previously outsourced, has been brought in-house and will offer a continuum of family-led decision-making support. A new parental advocacy service is also being established to support parents at Child Protection Conferences.

Co-design with families and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations has been central to the implementation, with efforts made to reach diverse communities and build trust. Challenges were acknowledged, including workforce recruitment and retention, and the need for sustainable long-term funding for new roles. The council is working to embed its STAR practice model through comprehensive training programmes.

During the discussion, Councillor Rolf Dekker asked about measuring the impact of these changes, and officers detailed the use of quantitative and qualitative data, alongside co-design with families, to evaluate outcomes. Concerns were raised about ensuring the voices of harder-to-reach families were heard, and officers explained strategies for building trust through VCS partners. Councillor Emmanuel Onapa inquired about police involvement in MASH and accountability, with officers detailing the governance structures. The implementation of the STAR framework and its impact on disproportionality were discussed, with officers acknowledging that while much activity is underway, shifts in statistical data are still being sought. The timeframe for seeing the impact of these reforms was estimated at 12 to 18 months.

Work Programme

The Commission reviewed and noted its work programme for the remainder of the municipal year 2026/27. Key confirmed items include discussions on childcare sufficiency, children and education performance monitoring, and housing support for children with SEND. Items still being scoped include young people's engagement with decision-making, behaviour management and school inclusion, NEETs, and the impact of heat and climate change on schools. Councillor Laura-Louise Fairley raised concerns about the timing of the school estate strategy discussion, suggesting it might be too late to implement changes before the next heatwave. Councillor Noah Birksted-Breen also highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change impacts on schools, particularly for children with SEND. The Commission agreed to note and agree the work plan, with a commitment to further scoping and agreement on the red-flagged items.

Minutes of the Last Meeting and Action Tracker

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th July 2026 were noted and agreed. The action tracker was also reviewed, with updates provided on outstanding actions, including a letter to the DfE regarding the Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy safeguarding review and arrangements for a site visit to Mossbourne.