The Scrutiny Committee of Kent County Council met on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, to discuss group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE), the revenue and capital budget forecast outturn for Quarter 1, and SEND reform and sustainability. Key discussions included noting the Quarter 1 budget position with a projected £21.4 million revenue overspend, and discussing the SEND reform plan and its associated funding.

Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation

The committee extensively discussed the council's and its partners' effectiveness in identifying, preventing, and responding to group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Kent. This discussion was informed by the Casey National Audit, which highlighted that CSE is likely under-identified and undercounted nationally due to incomplete and inconsistent data. Kent County Council (KCC) and its partners have established statutory, strategic, and operational arrangements, including multi-agency partnerships like the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership (KSCMP), to address these risks.

However, the report acknowledged limitations in current prevalence and impact data, emphasizing that exploitation is often hidden and not always disclosed or recognised. KCC's response to the Casey Audit includes strengthening data collection and analysis, improving information sharing between agencies, interrogating local safeguarding data, and enhancing multi-agency scrutiny. Kent Police, through its CSE Taskforce, is actively investigating and disrupting group-based CSE, with 15 active cases and 53 suspects identified. The force has also implemented a victim and survivor strategy and is promoting the national 'I Am Ready' campaign to encourage the reopening of past cases.

Members raised concerns about the difficulty in reporting concerns, the underuse of the exploitation toolkit, and the potential impact of Brexit on international information sharing, particularly regarding the Eurodac database for age assessments of unaccompanied children. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the collection and analysis of demographic data, including ethnicity, of both victims and suspects, with a call for greater transparency and evidence-based scrutiny.

Following a lengthy debate, the committee noted the assurance provided by existing arrangements and acknowledged data limitations. The committee endorsed continued oversight of the Casey benchmarking actions and the multi-agency Child Exploitation Strategy. A recommendation was made to the executive to examine whether a dedicated select committee or short-focused inquiry should examine the Casey report and ensure recommendations are implemented. Further recommendations included reviewing the effectiveness of the exploitation toolkit, looking at youth work for 15-17 year olds, and ensuring the prominence of Family Hubs in reporting. The committee also recommended writing to the government to explore restoring access to European databases like Eurodac.

Revenue and Capital Budget Forecast Outturn – Quarter 1

The committee reviewed the Quarter 1 Revenue and Capital Budget Forecast Outturn Report for 2026-27. The report indicated a projected revenue overspend of £21.4 million, representing 1.3% of the overall budget. The most significant overspend was within Children, Young People & Education (CYPE), totalling £13.0 million, primarily due to increased costs for looked-after children placements and reliance on external market provision. Adult Social Care & Health also showed a projected overspend of £9.1 million, attributed to undelivered savings and service pressures.

Conversely, the capital programme forecast showed an underspend of £32.0 million, largely due to rephasing of projects, with significant rephasing noted in Growth, Environment & Transport and Chief Executive's Department. The report highlighted that the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) faces a significant deficit, forecast to increase to £238.5 million, although a High Needs Stability Grant is anticipated pending the approval of KCC's SEND reform plan.

Members engaged in detailed questioning regarding the realism of forecasts, the impact of the SEND reform plan on the CYPE budget, and the reasons behind the overspend in children's placements, particularly the rising costs of residential care. Concerns were also raised about the potential for increased costs due to deferred capital projects and the accuracy of savings targets. The committee discussed the challenges of managing the SEND deficit, the reliance on independent schools, and the role of tribunals.

A recommendation was made for the committee to review the contract arrangements for looked-after children care and support placements due to a significant increase in costs. This recommendation was put to a recorded vote and did not pass. The committee ultimately noted the report and agreed to revisit the budget position in Quarter 2.

SEND Reform and Sustainability

The committee received a presentation on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform and sustainability efforts in Kent. The presentation outlined the timeline and significant work undertaken by KCC and its partners in response to the Department for Education's (DfE) SEND reform white paper and Ofsted's 2025 inspection of Kent's SEND services.

Ofsted judged Kent's SEND services as Grade 2, indicating inconsistent opportunities and outcomes for children with SEND, a finding that was considered a fair reflection of the current situation and an improvement from previous inspections. The report highlighted strengths in areas such as the completion of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which are now consistently around 70% within the statutory deadline, and a greater focus on mainstream school inclusion.

The presentation detailed the challenges faced in developing the SEND reform plan, including late guidance from the DFE and the impact of the Ofsted inspection. However, KCC has received confirmation in principle that the draft SEND reform plan is sufficiently clear to allow for high-needs funding deficit payments to be released, a significant contribution to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit.

Members discussed the funding of SEND services, with KCC and schools expected to spend around £850 million on SEND services between 2026 and 2027. Concerns were raised about the increasing costs of independent school placements and the potential for a postcode lottery in provision. Officers explained ongoing work to improve consistency in service delivery across Kent, citing examples such as a unified speech and language therapy contract and the county-wide rollout of the This Is Me neurodiversity programme.

A recommendation was made for the committee to write to the Secretary of State for Education to urge acceleration of the Whitstable and Swanley special school projects. The discussion also touched upon the financial implications of SEND provision, including the reliance on independent schools and the aspiration to increase in-house provision through Special Resource Provisions (SRPs).

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme, noting upcoming items for future meetings. Members were encouraged to submit suggestions for future agenda items through the agenda setting process to ensure comprehensive scrutiny of important issues. The next meeting was scheduled for 9 December 2026.