The Children and Young People's Scrutiny Panel met on Thursday, 4th January 2024, to discuss the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2022-2023 and the Council's draft budget for 2024/25 and its five-year Medium Term Financial Strategy. The panel also reviewed Haringey's education results for 2023 and noted an update on the work programme.

Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2022-2023

The panel received the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2022-2023, introduced by David Archibald, Chair of the Haringey Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP). Mr Archibald expressed confidence in the improvements made in service delivery and the collaborative work between the Council and its partners in safeguarding children. He acknowledged that continuous learning and improvement are necessary, with audits and reviews providing opportunities for reflection.

Concerns were raised about the accessibility of reports for parents whose first language is not English. Officers stated that the HSCP Executive Board would work to ensure future reports are more accessible. The panel was also informed about efforts to engage schools more effectively in decision-making, including the recruitment of a former headteacher to the Board and plans to seek further engagement with other headteachers. Safeguarding partners meet every six weeks, and a regular newsletter is distributed. School governors are advised to raise safeguarding issues with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and their school's safeguarding leads.

The panel discussed the challenges faced in multi-agency working, with Mr Archibald noting that while the three statutory partners have distinct roles, their safeguarding agendas significantly overlap. He added that partners work well together, and any challenges in inter-agency collaboration are rapidly overcome. The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families emphasised that safeguarding is a shared responsibility and that partners take their roles seriously. It was noted that the Board operates within the Council's structure, with the Council providing most of the funding, but it is fundamentally a multi-agency partnership with an independent chair.

Scrutiny of the 2024/25 Draft Budget & 5 Year Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-2029

The panel reviewed the Council's draft budget for 2024/25 and its five-year Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2024-2029. Neil Sinclair, Head of Finance (People), presented the report, highlighting an overall budget gap of approximately £16.4 million, largely attributed to demand pressures, particularly in Adult Social Services. Finance teams are working to close this gap before presenting a balanced budget to the Cabinet in February. The challenging financial landscape for local authorities nationally was acknowledged.

Within Children's Services, demand pressures and increasing service costs present challenges. These include the reorganisation of SEND transport. A new savings proposal related to the transition of young people into adulthood is presented as a growth proposal in Adult Social Care but a saving within the Children's budget. Approximately £3 million in growth proposals for Children's Services over the next three years reflects additional investment due to the high cost of children's social care placements and inflationary pressures. The capital programme for Children's Services includes £64 million in new investment, primarily for school infrastructure, including addressing RAAC¹ and other maintenance issues.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families noted that the draft budget for Children's Services shows a £600,000 overspend, a significant reduction from the Q1 position, and described this as an impressive achievement reflecting substantial improvement. The growth in transition services is a key development, anticipated to be transformative for young people with SEND and provide cost savings. National pressures are impacting Children's Services, with concerns raised about the increasing prevalence of private equity in the children's social care market. The Dedicated Schools Grant² is not reflected in these budget papers as it is allocated directly to schools.

The panel welcomed the achievement of last year's savings and the near-balanced budget position for Children's Services. They sought assurances regarding the extent to which further savings might be extracted from these services to address the overall budget gap. The Cabinet Member stated that the service only proposes savings that can be achieved, focusing on residential accommodation, which is costly. The Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Social Care echoed this, emphasising the balance between efficiencies and child safety. The service is pursuing an insourcing model, including a proposal for a new mother and baby residential unit. The Head of Finance confirmed a collaborative approach to budget setting, with growth budgets allocated for demand-led increases.

Officers confirmed that no additional savings proposals are currently expected from Children's Services. The Cabinet Member reiterated that there are limited areas for cuts in Children's Services due to statutory responsibilities and the need to maintain child safety, referencing the recent Good Ofsted inspection rating. Savings programmes around SEND, such as the Safety Valve programme, are ongoing. The panel concluded that there is little room for manoeuvre within the Children's budget and no obvious areas for additional savings.

Regarding RAAC³ and school infrastructure, discussions with the Department for Education (DfE) are ongoing, with a commitment to cover capital costs, though no funding has been received yet. Officers highlighted the risk of revenue costs incurred by schools due to RAAC, which the government may not fully cover, including temporary classrooms, IT, and catering.

The Cabinet Member stated that the allocated budget is the available budget, and growth funding for 2022/23 and 2023/24 has helped eradicate historical overspends. Regarding non-statutory services, the Cabinet Member expressed a desire to avoid cuts but could not provide firm assurances.

Officers advised that the draft budget had been subject to consultation, and responses would inform the final budget, with no scope for further consultation due to the February deadline. The Cabinet Member emphasised that budget challenges are a national issue.

Clarification was sought on the new revenue saving proposal for a transition service, with officers explaining it aims to support young people with SEND transitioning to adulthood by establishing an in-borough programme. The profiling of savings reflects the workload across teams and the support needs at key age points. Accelerating these savings is limited by the detailed background work required. The Cabinet Member added that this saving recognises that investing in young people's support generates future savings in adult social care, covering health, relationships, independent living, and employment. Finance confirmed the savings profile is based on projected transitions over six years, with corresponding growth in Adult Social Care.

In response to a query about reviewing the capital programme due to revenue costs, the Head of Finance stated that no further amendments are planned following an extensive review.

The panel resolved to recommend to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee that no further savings should be extracted from Children's Services, particularly in light of recent successes like the positive Ofsted inspection.

Haringey Education Results 2023

The panel received an update on Haringey's educational attainment for the 2022/23 school year. Councillor Brabazon, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, introduced the report, highlighting the positive work of the Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) in improving school standards. It was noted that Haringey performs above the national average in almost all areas, with 98% of schools rated good or outstanding following the resumption of inspections post-Covid.

James Page, Chief Executive of Haringey Education Partnership, presented the results as the best ever achieved for Haringey's young people, with all primary measures scoring above the national average. KS2 results met the London average for the first time. Despite Haringey being the fourth most deprived borough in London, its results do not reflect this. KS4 and KS5 results have improved against 2019, considered an astonishing achievement given the impact of Covid.

Discussion highlighted HEP's success in fostering a collaborative network of schools that are open to sharing and critical challenge, with strong school leadership. The importance of trust from headteachers and a focus on classroom practice were emphasised.

A panel member inquired about data on schools' effectiveness in creating well-rounded individuals. The Cabinet Member noted the significant role of Early Years provision in socialisation, with 98-99% of providers rated good or outstanding. Mr Page mentioned Ofsted's personal development judgment as the closest available metric, with all schools achieving a good or outstanding rating in this area. Pendarren's role in personal development was also highlighted.

Regarding capitalising on success amidst budget pressures, Mr Page explained that HEP, as a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Council, brings in external money to subsidise its work and offer additional support. Officers noted that grant funding is under pressure, but HEP's trading arm absorbs some of these pressures. The risk of failing schools becoming academies and the local authority absorbing deficits was also mentioned.

Concerns were raised about schools' ability to recruit and retain governors due to workload and financial pressures, with a co-opted member suggesting a risk of school closures. The Cabinet Member acknowledged the difficulty in attracting governors but noted HEP's support. Mr Page confirmed the National Governors Association's acknowledgement of a worsening situation regarding representation and diversity on governing bodies. The importance of connecting governing bodies and supporting aspiring leaders to become governors was stressed.

The panel noted the update.

Work Programme Update

The panel noted the update on the work programme.

Dates of Future Meetings

The next meeting is scheduled for 20th February 2024.