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Children's, Young Persons & Education Scrutiny Committee - Monday 21st September, 2026 7.00 pm
September 21, 2026 at 7:00 pm Children's, Young Persons & Education Scrutiny Committee View on council website Watch video of meetingSummary
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The Children's, Young Persons & Education Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Monday 21 September 2026 to discuss fostering, sufficiency, and placement stability, as well as the progress of the North Northamptonshire Family Hubs Programme. The committee approved the minutes from their previous meeting and noted the progress and future priorities for both key areas.
Fostering, Sufficiency and Placement Stability
The committee noted the current position regarding children in care, fostering sufficiency, placement stability, and placement demand within Northamptonshire Children's Trust. They acknowledged the continued increase in the number of children in care and the associated challenges of increasing complexity of need, placement sufficiency, and market pressures within fostering and residential care. The positive contribution of fostering, kinship care, and local provision in supporting improved outcomes and placement stability was highlighted. Progress in increasing local sufficiency through fostering recruitment and retention, development of kinship care, strengthening support for carers, expansion of local children's homes, and growth in supported accommodation was also noted.
The committee supported the Trust's ongoing whole-system approach to reviewing pathways for children and young people, aiming to ensure they receive the right support at the right time and that resources are utilised effectively. It was noted that reducing reliance on high-cost external residential placements remains a key strategic priority, requiring continued collaboration across various council functions. Future sufficiency planning will consider opportunities to strengthen specialist fostering provision and targeted placement support for children with more complex needs. The committee requested that officers ensure the accuracy of statistics regarding foster care vacancies and provide an update in 12 months on the Fostering, Sufficiency and Placement Stability programme.
North Northamptonshire Family Hubs Progress Update
The committee received an update on the North Northamptonshire Family Hubs Programme, noting the progress made in implementing the Family Hub Network model and ongoing transformation activities. The emerging impact of Family Hubs in supporting children, young people, and families through early intervention, prevention, and partnership working was acknowledged. The planned priorities for the next phase of delivery, including continued integration with Family Help, Families First Partnership, Best Start in Life, and SEND reforms, were also noted.
Forward Plan
The committee noted and approved the work programme for the committee.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Fostering, Sufficiency and Placement Stability
Recommendations ApprovedThe Children, Young Person & Education Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council noted the current position regarding children in care, fostering sufficiency, and placement stability. The committee approved recommendations on 21/09/2026. Officers were requested to report and update data on foster care vacancies and provide a 12-month update on the Fostering, Sufficiency and Placement Stability programme.
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Minutes of the meeting held on 13th July 2026
Recommendations ApprovedThe Children's, Young Person and Education Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council approved the minutes of their 13th July 2026 meeting on 21st September 2026. The committee endorsed and challenged the delivery of the SEND Reform Plan, reviewed performance reporting on EHCP demand, inclusion, waiting times, and parent satisfaction, and sought assurance on the impact of the Experts at Hand model and Inclusion Partnerships. They also scrutinised financial sustainability and value for money, requesting an annual update report on the SEND reform plan's progress.
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Forward Plan
Recommendations ApprovedThe Children, Young Person & Education Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council noted and approved the work programme for the committee on 21 September 2026. The approved work programme includes scrutiny of Pupil Place Planning, Dedicated Schools Grant Allocation, Local SEND Reform Plan, ILACS Inspection Report, Homes for Children update, Family Hubs Update, and Children's Social Care Sufficiency Strategy.
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North Northamptonshire Family Hubs Progress Update
Recommendations ApprovedThe Children, Young Person & Education Scrutiny Committee resolved to approve recommendations on 21/09/2026. The committee noted progress in implementing the Family Hubs Programme, its emerging impact on families, and planned priorities for future delivery. These priorities include continued integration with Family Help, Families First Partnership, Best Start in Life, and SEND reforms.
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