The Children and Families Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review concerning the use of restrictive practices in a school for children with additional needs. The committee was also scheduled to review the committee's forward plan and action tracker.

Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review - Restrictive Practices

The committee was scheduled to review a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) into the use of restrictive practices, including seclusion, in a school for children with additional needs. This review, published in July 2026, examined the experiences of 38 children with special educational needs between 2014 and 2017 at Whitefield School. The report detailed findings of excessive, inappropriate, and degrading restrictive practices, a closed institutional culture, and weaknesses in leadership, governance, and oversight.

The review made nine recommendations for educational settings and the wider safeguarding partnership, aiming to strengthen practice, governance, accountability, and assurance. A national recommendation was also made to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel seeking greater clarity on the responsibilities of the Department for Education, local authorities, and academy trusts.

The Waltham Forest Safeguarding Children Partnership (WFSCP) had accepted the review's findings and developed a multi-agency action plan based on four key principles: supporting affected individuals and families, sharing learning and developing the workforce, strengthening governance and accountability, and providing assurance across the safeguarding system. The action plan was scheduled to be reviewed, with two-thirds of actions reported as in progress or complete. Key progress activities included engagement with affected individuals and families, dissemination of learning through briefings and education networks, and assurance-seeking from schools regarding their policies and practices on restrictive interventions. Governors and trustees were also to be briefed on new guidance.

The report highlighted that the children affected by the events had special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), a group known to experience heightened safeguarding vulnerabilities. The review also identified issues relating to disproportionality and the experiences of children from Black and global majority backgrounds. The implementation of the action plan was seen as an opportunity to strengthen safeguarding arrangements for children with additional needs and ensure equality, diversity, and inclusion considerations were reflected in workforce development and service improvements.

The committee was scheduled to review the information within the report, note the findings of the LCSPR and the WFSCP response, and identify any additional areas for future reporting.

The Scrutiny Report

The committee was also scheduled to review The Scrutiny Report, which included an update on the committee's forward plan for the municipal year and an action tracker from the previous meeting. The forward plan outlines the committee's work programme, and members were invited to suggest items for the 2026-27 cycle. The action tracker captures tasks requested by the committee for officers to complete, with updates on their progress. The committee was invited to review the action tracker.

Additionally, the committee was scheduled to review the Recommendation Tracker, which captures the committee's conclusions on how services should change or improve. The report indicated that recommendations made in the previous meeting might not have a full response by the current meeting, but an indication of whether the recommendation is accepted or not would be captured.

The report also listed key decisions falling under the committee's remit that were published in the Cabinet Forward Plan. These included Commissioned Taxi Transport, Short Breaks Recommissioning, and 16+ Semi Independent Accommodation & Support Services for LAC. The committee was invited to review the Climate Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan for the remainder of the municipal year and was reminded of the Scrutiny prioritisation tool to help decide on the suitability of proposed items for scrutiny.