The Children's Trust Joint Committee met on Tuesday 1 September 2026 to discuss the Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service Strategic Plan for 2026-2027, and to review the financial outturn and forecast positions for Northamptonshire Children's Trust for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.

Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service Strategic Plan 2026-2027

The committee was scheduled to consider the Northamptonshire Youth Justice Service (NYJS) Strategic Plan for 2026-2027. This plan, which fulfils a statutory requirement under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, outlines the strategic direction, priorities, governance, and improvement programme for the NYJS. The report detailed that the NYJS aims to prevent offending by children and young people through a Child First approach, incorporating trauma-informed practices and partnership working with police, probation, and health services. The plan highlights achievements such as low use of custody, strong prevention and diversion activities, and a reduction in first-time entrants to the youth justice system. It also acknowledges increasing complexities within the cohort, including exploitation, serious youth violence, neurodiversity, and educational disengagement. The committee was asked to approve the plan and note its strategic priorities, which include embedding Child First practice, strengthening prevention and diversion, tackling disproportionality, improving outcomes for children with SEND and neurodiverse needs, developing restorative approaches, and addressing serious violence and exploitation. The report also detailed the governance, workforce, and financial arrangements supporting the plan's delivery.

Northamptonshire Children's Trust 2025/26 Contract Sum Outturn & Savings

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the financial performance of Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) for the 2025/26 financial year. The report indicated that a contract sum of £185.7 million had been agreed, which included core funding and transformation items. However, due to significant budget pressures within demand-led services, particularly in children's social care, NCT's provisional outturn was forecast to be £31.2 million above the original contract sum. This overspend was attributed to increased demand and placement costs for vulnerable children, workforce pressures including pay awards and agency staffing, and non-placement related care budget demand. The report also noted that 58% of the £12.2 million savings delivery programme had been achieved, but operational pressures had impacted the delivery of the remaining savings. The overall impact on the councils was projected to increase to £32.3 million above the original contract sum when additional items outside the contract sum were considered.

Northamptonshire Children's Trust 2026/2027 Forecast Position and Savings

The committee was also scheduled to review the forecast financial position for Northamptonshire Children's Trust for the 2026/27 financial year. The report indicated that the agreed contract sum for 2026/27 was £200.93 million. However, the forecast outturn as of 30 June 2026 was £228.86 million, resulting in a projected net pressure to the councils of £27.93 million. This pressure was largely driven by an increase in residential placements, with demand and complexity of care packages continuing to rise, leading to an increase in average placement costs. The report detailed that the savings delivery programme for 2026/27, totalling £10.35 million, had achieved £2.73 million (26.4%) by the end of June 2026, with the remaining savings rated as amber and under active monitoring. The report highlighted that residential placements remained the most significant area of financial risk, with a projected overspend of £25.85 million. Mitigating actions, including developing local sufficiency in placements and participating in regional commissioning approaches, were being pursued.