The Children and Young People's Services Scrutiny Committee met on 10 September 2025, to discuss several key issues impacting children and young people in West Sussex. The committee assessed the support for children at risk of exploitation, scrutinised the response to children reported missing from home or care, and reviewed the financial and performance position of children and young people's services. The committee also reviewed its work programme for the coming months.

Children at Risk of Exploitation

The committee assessed the response and support for children at risk of contextual safeguarding¹, grooming, or child exploitation, focusing on policies, procedures, practices, and performance. Key discussion points included:

• Identification of Risks: The committee examined how children at risk of exploitation are identified, whether risks are identified early, and the impact of preventative measures.
• Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) process: The committee heard that the MACE process is well-established in West Sussex and recognised by all agencies. It provides a framework for reviewing a child's contextual risk and implementing multi-agency actions.
• Performance Data: In the last year, 1,099 Child Exploitation Screening Tools have been completed and 1,937 children have been reviewed within MACE. Currently, 176 children are open to the MACE process, with varying risk ratings.
• Child Criminal Exploitation: Child Criminal Exploitation features more predominantly than Child Sexual Exploitation in MACE across all risk ratings.
• Ethnicity Data: The Child Exploitation Sub-Group reviewed MACE ethnicity data and found an over-representation of Black and Global Ethnic Majority groups compared to West Sussex population data, indicating increased vulnerability to exploitation in these groups.
• National Audit Office Report: The committee was informed that the findings of the independent report from the National Audit Office on Group-based Children Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are being assessed.
• Family First Partnership Programme: West Sussex Children's Services have been selected to be part of a pilot for the Risk Outside the Home Programme (ROTH).
• National Referral Mechanism (NRM): West Sussex has been awarded the opportunity to become a new pilot site, implementing in September 2025, to allow for more timely decisions to be made for children and adults who have been the victims of Modern-Day Slavery or Trafficking Offences.
• Partnership Prevention Panels: West Sussex County Council has also obtained grant funding from the Violence Reduction Partnership to set up Partnership Prevention Panels.

Children Reported Missing from Home or Care

The committee assessed the multi-agency response and support for children who go missing or are at risk of going missing, including policies, procedures, practices, and performance.

Key discussion points included:

• Voice of Young People: The committee considered how the voices of young people who go missing are captured and used to inform practice and improve outcomes, including reducing repeat missing episodes.
• Missing Children's Team: The Missing Children's Team is part of the Serious Youth Violence, Missing and Child Exploitation Team embedded within the Integrated Front Door (IFD).
• Return Home Interviews (RHIs): Statutory Guidance sets out that children should be offered a Return Home Interview from an independent professional.
• Performance Data: Between July 2024 and June 2025, 1,033 children went missing 4,047 times.
• Frequently Missing: Children who go missing more than 3 times in 90 days are considered Frequently Missing.
• Partnership Arrangements: Children who are Frequently Missing are often referred to the Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) process.
• Families often outline that they do not report their children missing because they do not want police to attend the family home. Black and Global Ethnic Majority families report that they do not want to bring their children to the attention of the police.

Performance and Resources Report - Quarter 1 2025/26

The committee reviewed the County Council's budget pressures, proposed budget reductions, and Capital Programme for 2025-26 within its remit for the period April-June 2025.

Key discussion points included:

• Financial Outturn: The 2025/26 financial outturn position for the Children, Young People and Learning portfolio budget is forecasting an overspend of £9.870m (4.2%) after the inclusion of planned in-year savings totalling £4.850m.
• Performance Measures: Of the 16 performance measures, 5 measures are reporting as 'green', 5 as 'amber' and 6 as 'red'.
• Children's Homes: Two of the County Council's children's homes were recently graded Outstanding following Ofsted inspections[^2]. [^2]: Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people, and services that provide education and training.
• West Sussex House Project: The West Sussex House Project was officially registered with Ofsted as a supported accommodation provision.
• Exceptional People in Care (EPIC) Summer Awards: The achievements of children and young people in care, care leavers and children in kinship care were celebrated at the EPIC Summer Awards.
• Children and Young People's Plan 2026-2029: Children, young people and families in West Sussex were invited to share their thoughts and ideas to help develop the Children and Young People's Plan 2026-2029.
• Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG): The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Reserve, at the beginning of the 2025/26 financial year, stood at a £123.2m deficit.
• Savings Delivery: There are £6.527m of savings to be delivered within the portfolio in 2025/26.
• Capital Programme: The Children and Young People, Learning and Skills Capital Programme agreed a programme totalling £25.750m for 2025/26.

Work Programme Planning

The committee agreed its draft work programme and highlighted possible items for future scrutiny, including:

• Review of Primary School Places
• Twineham Primary School
• Youth Strategy Outcome of needs assessment
• Performance and Resources Report Q2 2025-26
• Scrutiny of any Budgetary Implications

The committee also agreed to add a review of the outcomes of the implementation of the Travel Assistance Policy for 19-25-year-olds with an EHCP², and that the Youth Strategy scheduled for November 2025 be reviewed as soon as possible. Officers were also requested to supply data on which academy trusts control which schools in West Sussex.