The Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee met on Monday 14 September 2026 to discuss the SEND reform update and the Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report. The committee also began to shape its work programme for the upcoming municipal year.

SEND Reform Update

Lisa Fraser, Director of Education, presented an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform programme. The national reform, driven by the Department for Education's Schools White Paper, aims for earlier intervention, stronger mainstream inclusion, and improved multi-agency working. Tower Hamlets has submitted its own SEND Reform Plan, awaiting feedback from the Department for Education, which could see 90% of the borough's high needs block overspend reimbursed if approved.

Key aspects of the national reform include a shift towards earlier, needs-led support, with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) reserved for the most complex cases. New Individual Support Plans (ISPs) will be introduced for pupils with less complex needs, guided by new inclusion standards and a duty for schools to create inclusion strategies. A tiered system of support will be implemented, alongside a £1.6 billion inclusive mainstream fund and an £1.8 billion 'experts at hand' service to strengthen early support in schools.

Locally, Tower Hamlets is developing an 'Experts at Hand' model, which will involve Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) of approximately 10 schools, each with a lead convener school. These LAPs will be supported by multi-disciplinary teams comprising specialists such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, and Occupational Therapists. Early years provision will be aligned with Best Start Family Hubs, and post-16 settings will be coordinated through New City College.

Concerns were raised by councillors regarding the potential for reforms to be perceived as cost-cutting measures, the timeliness and quality of EHCPs, and the involvement of schools in the development of the reform plan. Ms. Fraser assured the committee that the focus remains on needs-led support and that schools were consulted as much as possible within the tight timescales set by the DfE. She also highlighted improvements in EHCP timeliness, with 62.5% of assessments completed within 12 months, and ongoing efforts to ensure quality assurance.

The committee also discussed the high proportion of children with EHCPs in Tower Hamlets, which is the third highest nationally. While acknowledging this presents a challenge, Ms. Fraser noted that national reforms aim to reduce the number of EHCPs by focusing on earlier intervention for less complex needs. The report also highlighted that 45% of children with EHCPs are from a Bangladeshi background, and while this reflects the borough's demographics, the underlying reasons for this are being investigated.

Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2025-26

Roly Hunter, Strategy Manager for the Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Children Partnership (THSCP), presented the annual report for 2025-26. The report detailed the partnership's work in safeguarding children, focusing on two key priorities: Adolescent Safeguarding and Think Family.

Significant achievements included the finalisation of a draft Adolescent Safeguarding Strategy and action plan, and the development of a multi-agency data dashboard to track interventions. The partnership also responded to a Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) on child sexual abuse in the family environment, developing an action plan to address areas for improvement. Multi-agency audits were conducted, including one on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), and learning from national reviews such as I Wanted Them All to Notice and Race, Racism and Safeguarding Children was being embedded.

Challenges identified included budget pressures, workforce capacity limitations, and the increasing complexity of safeguarding issues such as online harm and mental health. The report also noted the impact of national reform activity on partner agencies.

Sarah Parker, the Independent Scrutineer, provided reflections on the partnership's development, highlighting strengthened professional challenge, increased openness in dialogue, and a growing focus on the difference the partnership makes to children's lives. She emphasised the importance of developing integrated partnership intelligence and the value of direct engagement with children and young people. Housing was identified as a significant theme, with potential for improved safeguarding collaboration between the council and Registered Social Landlords.

The report also detailed the work of the Young Scrutineers, Jasmine and Sakinah, who have been involved in shaping services by engaging with young people on issues such as the recommissioning of the youth offer and discussing safeguarding with the police.

Key areas of focus for the partnership in 2026-27 include child sexual abuse and exploitation, suicidal ideation and self-harm, online safety, and data and evidence-led practice.

Draft Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee Work Programme for 2026/27

The committee discussed the draft work programme for the upcoming municipal year. Rosie Whillock, Scrutiny Officer, outlined the process of developing the programme, which involved consultation with officers, a scrutiny member workshop, and community engagement to gather residents' views.

Members were invited to suggest new lines of inquiry. Councillor Victoria Lupton raised concerns about post-16 attainment in the borough, noting that it is less strong than in neighbouring boroughs. She proposed a review of educational outcomes, including A-level attainment, Russell Group and Oxbridge admissions, higher education progression rates, and apprenticeships. Councillor Mads Churchhouse suggested weaving in the issue of young people's frustration at not being able to access work opportunities within the borough, despite the presence of Canary Wharf.

Councillor Iqbal Hossain requested that the council investigate the underlying reasons for the high number of EHCPs among the Bangladeshi community. Councillor Sadiqur Rahman clarified that while the number of EHCPs might appear high, it is in proportion to the larger Bangladeshi child population in the borough.

Other suggestions included a review of pupil place planning and falling school rolls, a challenge session on the renegotiation of the council's PFI contracts for schools, and an evaluation of the impact of services transitioning in-house.

The committee agreed that these suggestions would help shape the final work programme, which will be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval.

The next Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee meeting was scheduled for 9 November 2026.