The Children, Families and Education Select Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the budget and spending report, a fostering review scoping report, the Corporate Parenting Panel minutes, the forward plan and the work programme.

Budget and Spending Report

The committee were scheduled to review the 2024/25 outturn position and the 2025/26 month 4 budget monitoring position. According to the report pack, the 2024/25 outturn position for services within the remit of the Children, Families and Education Select Committee reflected an overspend of £2.5m against budget. This overspend was said to be:

nearly wholly related to care provision to looked after children as a result of demand outstripping the budget strategy growth for the service.

The report pack also stated that the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) total Block for the Maintained Schools was reporting an in-year deficit of £15.0m at outturn, which was a significant improvement from the £28.7m reported at outturn 2023/24.

The savings requirement for 2024/25 for the services overseen by the committee was £1.643m, and at the time of the report £0.286m (17%) of the savings and interventions were recorded as banked.

The forecast for service operating budgets as at Month 4, within the remit of the committee, indicated an overspend of £3.9m, representing an adverse movement of £0.2m from Month 2.

The savings requirement for 2025/26 was £4.998m, and as of Month 4, £2.372m (48%) of the savings and interventions were being recorded as banked or on track for delivery.

Fostering Review

The committee were scheduled to discuss a scoping report on fostering. The review aims to assess the effectiveness of the new fostering offer in Hillingdon and explore opportunities for improvement through a focus on recruitment and retention, support for foster carers, and outcomes for children in care.

The terms of reference suggested for the review included:

• Understanding the needs and experiences of children in foster care.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of current recruitment and retention strategies, and support available to foster carers, including the impact of the new fostering offer.
• Identifying barriers to fostering for potential carers and children in care, and to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Formulating recommendations to Cabinet aimed at strengthening Hillingdon's fostering provision, thereby improving outcomes for children in care.

The review was scheduled to consider the Children Act 1989, the Children Act 2004, the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010, the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010, the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the National Minimum Standards and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.

Corporate Parenting Panel Minutes

The committee were scheduled to note the minutes of the Corporate Parenting Panel meeting held on 29 July 2025.

Forward Plan

The committee were scheduled to review the Cabinet's forward plan, which sets out key decisions to be taken by the Cabinet and Cabinet Members over the coming year.

Work Programme

The committee were scheduled to consider their work programme and