The Children, Families and Education Select Committee of Hillingdon Council met on Thursday, 05 February 2026, to discuss a range of important issues concerning the borough's children and young people. Key topics included the financial health of the council's education services, updates on youth justice strategies, reviews of fostering services, and proposals for changes to school admissions.

Budget and Spending Report

The committee reviewed the 2025/26 Month 7 budget monitoring position, noting that general fund pressures remained at just under £6 million. A positive movement of £1.9 million had been achieved in the in-year Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) position. Savings of £273,000 related to children's homes and increasing residential provision were now considered more secure following the registration of six new children's homes. Members discussed the significant financial pressures, questioning whether they would be addressed through Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) or new government funding. Officers confirmed that the current year's overspend would require EFS, and next year's budget would not be balanced without it. The rising cost of placements was attributed to both the complexity of need and market conditions.

Cabinet Budget Proposals 2026/27

The committee considered the draft revenue budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) proposals for 2026/27 to 2030/31. Officers highlighted the challenging financial climate for local authorities, with rising demand for services, market pressures in social care, and inflation exceeding the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as key cost drivers. While new government funding was forthcoming, it would be phased over three years, not being fully received until 2026/27. Financial reserves had been significantly depleted, making the council unable to balance the budget without EFS, which requires government approval and must be repaid. Savings identified in the report had been rigorously challenged through 'challenge sessions'. A six-week public consultation was ongoing. Members sought clarification on a proposed saving through ceasing SEND key working, with officers explaining that this service was non-statutory and had already been discontinued, with support now embedded within the family help model and other integrated early-intervention structures. The committee noted that comments would be made to Cabinet, acknowledging unanswered questions regarding EFS and the year-end deficit position.

Bi-Annual Performance Report

The committee received the bi-annual performance report for 2025/26. Members sought clarification on a quote regarding subsequent offences before youth justice services intervention, with officers explaining that reoffending is measured only after a child is found guilty. Hillingdon had low numbers of first-time entrants, reflecting effective early intervention. While commending strong performance and low expenditure, members queried two yellow indicators for 'Referrals' and 'Re-registrations for CPP' (child protection plans). Officers noted that rising referral numbers often correlated with increased complexity and risk, and that the council was introducing new multi-agency child protection teams. The report also highlighted that Hillingdon's Early Years net expenditure was lower than the London average due to ongoing expansion projects and delays in Lifelong Learning projects, with expenditure expected to increase as these programmes accelerate.

Family First Partnership (FFP) Reforms – Update

Officers presented an update on the Family First reforms, described as the most significant changes in years, involving close collaboration with the Department for Education (DfE) and strategic partners. A detailed delivery plan had been submitted to the DfE, with quarterly feedback meetings. The Family Help Service had gone live, creating 11 locality-based teams integrated with key workers and social workers. A New Beginnings team had been launched to support families during pregnancy and early infancy, showing early success. The Stronger Families Hub, co-located at the Civic Centre, provided representation from various agencies for multi-agency triage. Eight Lead Child Protection Practitioners had been recruited. Hillingdon's practice of Family Group Decision Making aligned well with the Family Help model and would be strengthened. New data requirements were being addressed with live Power BI dashboards. Schools, including academies, were highly engaged through the Executive Transformation Group and the Safeguarding Partnership Board. A Kinship Steering Group had been established, with a new local kinship offer planned for March 2026. Members commended the initiative, noting strong strategic buy-in from partners, though challenges remained due to system differences. The cultural shift was described as substantial, with families expected to experience fewer changes in workers and clearer, earlier access to support.

Proposed Changes to Published Admission Number (PAN) of Field End Infant School

The committee reviewed the proposal to reduce Field End Infant School's PAN from a three-form entry to a two-form entry, effective from September 2027, to support its financial viability amidst falling pupil numbers. This was noted as a national trend. Officers confirmed discussions with Field End over the past year and monitoring of numbers to ensure financial viability. Several other Hillingdon schools were also expected to propose PAN reductions. Members noted the low response rate to the formal consultation and asked about the impact on the linked Junior School. Officers stated that discussions and consultations had taken place jointly with both schools, and the system was designed to remain flexible for future PAN increases.

Lowering the Age Range of Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School

Officers introduced the proposal to lower Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School's age range to include two-year-olds, aligning with the expansion of early years provision and benefiting disadvantaged families. Members inquired about other schools offering places for two-year-olds and their experiences, with Minet Infant School cited as a positive example. The weighting of parental versus provider opinions in consultations was discussed, with officers clarifying that all respondents were weighted equally. Concerns about increased competition for other providers were acknowledged, but the proposal was framed as offering a varied choice for families.

Fostering Review – Draft Recommendations

The committee considered draft recommendations from a fostering review, which had included witness sessions with officers, foster carers, and young people with lived experience. Emerging themes included communication and information-sharing, matching processes with an emphasis on cultural compatibility, the need for a mentoring/buddy system for foster carers, recruiting specialist foster carers, and ensuring family contact was in the young person's best interest. Other areas for improvement included training and foster carer skills, starter packs for young people entering care, sibling separation, behaviour management and stability, frequent social worker changes, recruitment improvements, diversity of foster carers, placement data, informal networking, and enrichment activities for young people. Officers noted that recruitment materials aimed to be transparent about the realities of fostering, and that the assessment process was rigorous.

Minutes of the Corporate Parenting Panel

Officers highlighted two inaccuracies within the minutes of the Corporate Parenting Panel regarding health assessment statistics and the cohort for education, employment, or training figures. These would be rectified before the minutes were presented for approval at the next panel meeting.

Forward Plan

The committee noted the Cabinet's Forward Plan, which outlines key decisions to be taken by the Cabinet collectively and individually over the coming year.

Work Programme

The committee considered its Work Programme, noting future meeting dates and agreeing to consider the report and any amendments.

Learn Hillingdon Annual Self-Assessment

Debbie Scarborough, Service Manager for Learn Hillingdon Adult Community Education, presented the annual self-assessment report for 2024-25. The service was graded 'Good' by Ofsted in February 2025. The report highlighted the service's success in reaching its target group of disadvantaged adults, with 98% of learners on qualification courses being fully funded and 68% living in the most deprived areas of the borough. Participation and success rates were strong, with attendance, retention, pass, and achievement rates all showing positive trends. Improvements in the year included the introduction of a Quality Improvement Framework, updated course documentation, simplified quality assurance processes, and the establishment of Learner Forums. Areas for improvement identified by Ofsted included consistently using learner knowledge to tailor the curriculum, providing specific feedback for improvement, and more widely promoting the range of personal development activities.

Youth Justice Services Strategy 2024-2029 Update

Kudakwashe Kurashwa, Head of Service for Youth and Adolescent Services, provided an update on the Hillingdon Youth Justice Service (HYJS) Five-Year Strategy. The strategy is underpinned by a child-first ethos, emphasising early intervention, equity, and holistic support, aligning with the council's vision for safe and strong communities and thriving, healthy households. Performance data demonstrated a sustained reduction in First Time Entrants (FTEs) and a significant shift towards proportionate, early intervention responses. Custody rates remained comparatively low, though disproportionality persisted for Black and Mixed ethnic backgrounds. Reoffending rates, while fluctuating due to small cohort sizes, compared favourably with national data. The service also reported strong performance against new Youth Justice Board indicators, including suitable accommodation and education, training, and employment engagement. A defining strength of HYJS is its embedded speech and language therapy offer. The committee noted the progress and strategic direction outlined in the strategy and the continued focus on prevention, early intervention, and restorative justice.

Fostering Review: Findings, Conclusions & Recommendations

The committee reviewed the findings, conclusions, and draft recommendations from the Fostering Review. The review aimed to assess the effectiveness of the new fostering offer, focusing on recruitment, retention, support for foster carers, and outcomes for children in care. Key themes emerging from witness sessions included the need for improved communication, better matching processes, enhanced support for foster carers, and addressing barriers to fostering. The committee agreed to delegate the final wording of the recommendations to the Democratic Services Officer in conjunction with the Chair and in consultation with the Opposition Lead.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The committee noted the Cabinet's Forward Plan, which outlines key decisions to be taken by the Cabinet collectively and individually over the coming year.

Work Programme

The committee considered its Work Programme, noting future meeting dates and agreeing to the proposed schedule.

The meeting concluded at 9:20 pm.