The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) met to discuss the recent Ofsted inspection of children's services, the Children Looked After Sufficiency Strategy, and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The board also reviewed its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

Inspection of Leeds City Local Authority Children's Services

The Scrutiny Board received a report on the recent Ofsted inspection of Leeds City local authority children's services, which took place between 30 June and 4 July 2025.

The report highlighted that Leeds had been awarded an overall judgement of 'Outstanding' by Ofsted for the delivery of these services for the third consecutive time. The inspection assessed:

• The impact of leaders on social work practice with children and families - Outstanding
• The experiences and progress of children who need help and protection - Good
• The experiences and progress of children in care - Outstanding
• The experiences and progress of children care leavers - Outstanding
• Overall Effectiveness - Outstanding

The report identified areas for improvement, including:

• The quality and accuracy of children's records
• Consistency in the response to all children experiencing neglect

Children Looked After (CLA) Sufficiency Strategy Update

The Scrutiny Board received an update on the council's Children Looked After (CLA) Sufficiency Strategy, which was initially considered at the board's meeting on 18 July 2024. The strategy aims to ensure sufficient placement capacity to meet the needs of children looked after.

The report provided updates on four ambition areas:

• Families First: Supporting children to be brought up in families or family-based settings where safe and possible.
• Fostering: Ensuring all children who need and can live in a fostering family have access to foster carers in Leeds.
• Residential: Ensuring all Leeds children who need residential care can access local, nurturing, stable homes that are rated good or outstanding.
• Supported Accommodation: Ensuring young people progress into and through independence with access to the right high-quality accommodation and support.

The report noted progress in each area, including the expansion of kinship care, the work of the Reunification Team, and the opening of additional Small Group Living homes. Future priorities include reviewing the use of Special Guardianship Orders and undertaking thematic recruitment events to increase representation within the Foster4Leeds foster carer community.

SEND - Education, Health and Care Plans - Update Report

The Scrutiny Board received an update on the provision of EHCP support in Leeds, following an inquiry by the board in the 2023/24 municipal year. An EHCP is a legal document for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), outlining their needs and the support required.

The report highlighted a significant increase in demand for EHCP assessments, with a 50% increase in requests between 1 January and 30 May 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. This increase in demand has led to challenges in meeting statutory timescales.

The report detailed service improvement work being undertaken, including:

• Increased assessments
• Diversification of resource deployment
• Improvements in assessment processes
• Improvements to digital support
• Increased focus on mediation and complaint resolution
• Improvements in partnership working

The report also noted that additional financial resources have been committed to support these improvements.

Work Programme

The Scrutiny Board considered its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. Councillor Billy Flynn, Chair of Scrutiny Board (Children and Families), informed the board that the Post 16 SEND Transport item would be considered in October, and a replacement report would be developed for the September meeting.

The board reviewed the [minutes of the Executive Board meeting on 16 July 2025][App 2 - 160725 Exec Board Minutes.pdf], noting key decisions and areas for potential scrutiny activity.