The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss performance indicators, and to consider their work programme for the coming year.

Performance Indicators

The committee was scheduled to review a report on performance indicators for the year ending March 2025. The report included data on referrals, re-referrals, the Building Stronger Families team, children missing from care, child and family assessments, section 47 enquiries¹, child protection conferences and plans, children in care, health and dental reviews, and care leavers.

The report highlighted areas of good performance, such as:

• A low percentage of referrals outcomed in over three working days (2.1%), against a target of 5%.
• A decrease in re-referrals to social care within 12 months of the last referral ending (12.9% compared to 23.1% the previous year).
• A reduction in the number of missing episodes involving children and young people.
• A high percentage of assessments completed within the 45-day timescale (89.4%).
• A decrease in the number of child protection plans started (140 compared to 196 the previous year).
• 100% of child protection and children in care cases being allocated to a qualified social worker.
• A decrease in the number of children in care (265 as of March 2025, a reduction of 11.6% compared to March 2024).
• A high percentage of initial children in care reviews carried out in timescale (95.0%).
• A high percentage of care leavers in suitable accommodation (96.7% of those aged 19-21 and 95.7% of those aged 22-25).

However, the report also identified areas needing improvement, including:

• A failure to meet the 90% target for referrals completed within one working day (actual performance was 79.5%).
• A failure to meet the 95% target for Initial Child Protection Conferences held within 15 working days (actual performance was 76.9%).
• An increase in the percentage of children starting a child protection plan after ceasing a previous plan within two years (12.1% against a target of 6%).
• A failure to meet the 90% target for child protection statutory visits completed within 10 working days (actual performance was 76.3%).
• A failure to meet the 90% target for statutory visits for children in care completed in timescale (actual performance was 83.7%).
• An increase in the percentage of children in care having three or more placements within the previous 12 months (13.3% against a target of 10%).
• A failure to meet the 68% target for children in care aged under 16 who have been looked after for at least 2.5 years being in their current placement continuously for at least two years (actual performance was 53.3%).
• An increase in the percentage of children in care placed 20 or more miles away from home (12.1% against a target of 10%).
• A failure to meet the target for dental check-ups for children in care (69.4% completed).
• A high percentage of care leavers aged 19-21 and 22-25 deemed to have no education, employment or training (NEET).

The report included a recommendation that:

the performance information provided in this report is reviewed and noted, and relevant queries raised with the appropriate Assistant Director.

Work Programme 2025-2026

The committee was scheduled to consider the draft work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. The draft programme included quarterly performance monitoring, annual reports from various services and organisations such as Adoption Tees Valley, and updates on topics such as the Children and Young People's Plan, exclusion and suspension, school avoidance, transitional services, transport policy, safeguarding, childcare sufficiency, SEND strategy, and child poverty.

The report stated that any member seeking to add a new item to the work programme would need to complete a quad of aims , and included a copy of the council's forward plan for information.