The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on Wednesday 4 March 2026 to discuss childhood immunisations, the Corporate Parenting Annual Report, and the Education Standards Report. Key decisions included noting the report on childhood immunisations and the Corporate Parenting Annual Report, and noting the Education Standards Report with a request for further information.

Childhood Immunisations

The panel discussed actions being taken to improve immunisation levels, including staff training and a local communications campaign in areas with low uptake. It was noted that while MMR vaccine uptake at five years old showed a dip, by reception age, 84.4% of children in Merton were vaccinated. The panel was informed that community pharmacy provision of MMR vaccinations would end in three months due to the commissioning process, but efforts would be made to maximise the remaining time for catch-up clinics. Reasons for low vaccination uptake included parental choice, lack of awareness, difficulties accessing GP appointments, and vaccinations received abroad. The panel requested data on vaccination uptake trends over the past five years to compare with pre-pandemic periods and understand Merton's ranking against other London boroughs. The council's collaboration with schools to identify children with incomplete immunisation records was also highlighted.

Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024/25

The panel discussed improvements in placement stability for children in care, attributing these to listening to children's voices, the Mockingbird Model of Fostering, provider quality assurance, and the Virtual School's support. The challenge of supporting care leavers not in education, employment, or training (NEET) post-18 was acknowledged, with the Virtual School's dedicated EET worker and the Care Leavers' Covenant with London Councils highlighted as key support mechanisms. The council's efforts to create employment and work experience opportunities for care leavers, including an annual takeover day, were noted. The panel queried the delivery of Initial Health Assessments (IHAs) within statutory timescales, with planned administrative system changes to move away from paper-based processes. It was noted that 100% of IHAs were completed on time by the end of 2025. The process for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) being placed in education within three working days was discussed, acknowledging the complexities in understanding their needs. A foster carer retention strategy was being developed, and a data error regarding the recording of placement distances was identified, with an analysis to be provided.

Education Standards Report - Celebrating Success

The panel noted an error in the cover report for this item, with a new version to be issued. Discussions covered the council's collaboration with other London boroughs on communications regarding the new Ofsted inspection framework. Officers explained a focus on practical support and memory development to improve creative writing scores, noting Merton's climb in national rankings for this area. The panel inquired about post-pandemic home schooling rates, acknowledging it as a national trend but less prominent in Merton, and that parents have the right to electively home educate. The situation regarding children missing education (CME) was discussed, with a panel reviewing CME cases and admission forms, and noting that families moving in and out of London boroughs contributed to this. Persistent absence rates were improving in primary and secondary settings but not in special schools, with factors like mental health impacting attendance in the latter. The panel noted preparations for upcoming Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms, with Merton already meeting the ambition for 94% attendance for children with SEND. Plans for expert teams and professional development for teachers were mentioned. The panel heard that attendance across all wards had declined, with children on free school meals showing higher non-attendance rates, linked to cost-of-living pressures and mental ill-health. Merton's suspension rates were noted as the fifth lowest nationally and declining in secondary education.

Departmental Update

The Executive Director confirmed that a briefing would be sent to panel members on how the council would prepare for any industrial action.

Performance Monitoring

The panel noted the report.

Work Programme

The Chair requested that members submit reflections on the previous work programme and suggestions for future topics to the Scrutiny Officer by the end of March. Deferred items were suggested for consideration in the next work programme, along with space for reviewing SEND reforms.