The Children's, Young Persons & Education Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council is scheduled to meet on Monday 21 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes discussions on fostering, sufficiency and placement stability, as well as an update on the progress of North Northamptonshire Family Hubs. The committee will also review its forward plan.

Fostering, Sufficiency and Placement Stability

A significant item scheduled for discussion is the current position regarding fostering, placement sufficiency, and placement stability within Northamptonshire Children's Trust. The report pack indicates that the Trust is experiencing increasing demand for children's services, with 1,235 Children in Care as of July 2026. This rise in numbers is accompanied by a greater complexity of need, particularly among adolescents and children requiring specialist therapeutic support, which contributes to challenges in the fostering and residential placement market.

The report highlights that fostering remains the Trust's largest and most crucial placement resource, with 302 approved fostering households currently supporting 388 children. Family-based care is identified as providing the best opportunity for children to experience stable relationships and remain connected to their communities. Consequently, increasing fostering capacity and supporting placement stability are central to the Trust's sufficiency strategy.

Despite these pressures, placement stability is reported as positive, with only 9.3% of children experiencing three or more placement moves in the previous 12 months. The report also notes that the fostering service met its £250,000 savings target in 2025/26 through increased use of in-house placements and reduced reliance on more costly alternatives. The committee is expected to be informed about the ongoing work to increase local placement availability and reduce dependency on external provision.

The report outlines that the Trust is developing 18 children's home beds and 69 supported accommodation beds to strengthen local sufficiency. It also details the Trust's adoption of a Transforming Sufficiency Programme which aims to establish a whole-system approach to sufficiency across prevention, edge of care services, entry into care, placement commissioning, fostering, residential provision, permanence, and transitions from care. This approach is intended to improve outcomes for children and young people through better coordination of services, stronger local sufficiency, and a reduction in reliance on high-cost external placements.

North Northamptonshire Family Hubs Progress Update

The committee is also scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the North Northamptonshire Family Hub Programme. This programme is a key part of the wider Family Help transformation agenda and aims to provide integrated support for children, young people, and families.

During 2026, North Northamptonshire completed the rollout of its four locality-based Family Hub Networks, aiming to provide a consistent and equitable universal offer across Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, and East Northamptonshire. Progress has also been made in strengthening digital infrastructure, implementing new case management systems, and developing a Digital Front Door to improve access to information, advice, and guidance.

The report is expected to outline emerging evidence of the impact of Family Hubs in supporting families through early intervention and prevention. It will also detail key developments during 2026 and future priorities for the continued development of integrated support. The programme is entering Years 5, 6, and 7 of the Department for Education's Transformation Programme, with continued investment supporting the embedding of the Family Hub model and wider children's reforms.

The Family Hubs are increasingly operating as the local delivery platform for national and local priorities, bringing together Family Help, Best Start in Life, SEND, and Families First Partnership reforms through a locality-based model. This approach is designed to provide a more joined-up system of support, improve access to services, reduce duplication, and ensure families receive coordinated support at the earliest opportunity. The report is expected to highlight that between 2024/25 and 2026/27, Family Hub services supported 786 children and families across North Northamptonshire, with high levels of activity recorded in Kettering and Wellingborough.

Forward Plan

The committee will also review its Forward Plan. The Chair has advised that a refreshed Children, Young People and Education Scrutiny Work Programme is currently being developed. Members are invited to submit ideas for topics to be included in this future work programme.