The Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Northumberland Council was scheduled to discuss the Early Help Annual Report 2025, the Annual Representations Report 2024/25, and the School Organisation Plan 2025-2030. The committee was also set to review the Forward Plan of Cabinet decisions and its own work programme.

Early Help Annual Report 2025

The committee was scheduled to receive a summary of the work undertaken by Northumberland's Early Help partnership. This partnership aims to support children, young people, and their families by working with various agencies to help them reach their potential, prevent issues from escalating, and promote healthier lives. The report was expected to detail how these services have evolved to meet local needs and achieve the priorities outlined in the Early Help and Prevention Strategy 2025–2028. Key areas of focus included the Best Start in Life initiative, emotional wellbeing and mental health support, school readiness, SEND support, provision for older children and young people, and promoting healthy relationships and positive parenting. The report was also to highlight achievements in 2025, such as national recognition for engaging fathers and SUDI prevention, the integration of services within Family Hubs, and the development of targeted support for families with SEND.

Annual Representations Report 2024/25

This report was scheduled to be presented in accordance with Regulation 13(3) of The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006, which requires local authorities to submit an annual report on the operation of their complaints procedure. The report was intended to provide feedback on complaints, compliments, and general enquiries received by Children's Services, as well as those referred to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The aim was to identify areas for learning and service improvement. The report was expected to detail how feedback is recorded and processed, present statistical information for 2024/25, outline lessons learned and actions taken, and summarise decisions made by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman concerning Children's Services.

School Organisation Plan 2025-2030

The committee was asked to note the third version of the School Organisation Plan for Northumberland, covering the period 2025-2030. This plan, which will be updated annually, outlines the educational landscape in Northumberland, including the availability of school places in light of the Council's duty to provide sufficient places for resident students. It also details the context of the school system, population data, student forecasts up to 2032/33, and the methodology for school place planning and managing surplus places. The report was expected to highlight changes since the 2021-2024 plan, including an increase in surplus places to 23%, a rise in the number of academies, and a significant increase in the number of children with Education and Healthcare Plans (EHCPs). The plan also addresses capital development in schools and non-mainstream provision, such as SEND, post-16, and Early Years education. The committee was invited to provide feedback on the plan before its circulation to schools and other stakeholders.

Reports of the Scrutiny Officer

Under this agenda item, the committee was scheduled to review the Forward Plan of key decisions made by Cabinet since the previous meeting and the latest Forward Plan itself. Any changes to the Forward Plan were to be reported at the meeting. Additionally, the committee was to consider the work programme and monitoring report for the Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2025/26 period.