The Education, Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission met on 10 March 2026 to review the progress of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy, the Child Protection Annual Report, national developments in children's social care, and foster carer recruitment and placement sufficiency. Key decisions included noting the progress of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy, agreeing to the Child Protection Annual Report, noting the report on children's social care reforms, and agreeing the report on foster carer recruitment and placement sufficiency.

SEND and Inclusion Strategy

The Commission reviewed the progress of Newham's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Inclusion Strategy for 2023-2028. Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Sustainable Transport, and Alexander Webley, Co-Director of Education and Inclusion, presented the update. It was highlighted that the Local Area Partnership is no longer subject to a Written Statement of Action, indicating strengthened leadership, governance, and accountability. The strategy focuses on five key priorities: strengthening early identification and intervention, building robust partnership data, enhancing access to high-quality specialist support, preparing children and young people for adulthood, and co-producing local services. The Commission noted the improvements in reducing waiting times for therapy services and the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), although national workforce pressures remain a challenge. The report also detailed progress in alternative provision reform and post-16 sufficiency, including significant investment in specialist facilities. The Commission was informed about the government's proposed SEND reforms, which Newham is well-positioned to address due to its existing inclusive practices.

Child Protection Annual Report

Victor Cook, Assistant Director of Quality Assurance, presented the Child Protection Annual Report for 2024/25. The report indicated a decrease in children with child in need plans and child protection plans, and a reduction in the children in care rate, reflecting earlier intervention and support for families. However, some global majority groups remain over-represented in the figures, leading to disproportionality within the children's social care and youth justice systems, which is being addressed through a dedicated working group. The report highlighted that children's services were rated as Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in November 2025, with particular praise for the consistent services, effective response to risk, excellent support for children in care and care leavers, and strong leadership. Governance arrangements were detailed, including the Safeguarding Assurance Meetings, Corporate Parenting Board, and the Newham Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP). The NSCP has established new priorities, including tackling racism, inequality, and disproportionality, and a focus on early intervention and prevention. The Commission noted the report and the positive outcomes achieved.

Children's Social Care: National Developments and Local Response

Councillor Sarah Ruiz and Laura Eden, Corporate Director of Children and Young People, presented the report on national developments in children's social care and Newham's local response. The national reforms, stemming from the 2021 Independent Review of Children's Social Care, aim to shift focus from crisis response to prevention and early support. Newham's Newham 27 programme, set to begin in Summer 2025, will focus on four outcome areas: keeping families together, supporting children with their family networks, ensuring children are safe in and out of their homes, and providing stable, loving homes for children in care and care leavers. Key workstreams include expanding family shared decision-making, unifying services into a Family Help Service, strengthening kinship care support, and establishing Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams. Pilot Family Help Teams and Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams are planned to launch in East Ham ward in May 2026. The Commission noted the report and the council's proactive approach to these significant reforms.

Foster Carer Recruitment and Placement Sufficiency

Mahfuzul Khan, Director of Early Help and Safeguarding, and Councillor Sarah Ruiz presented the report on foster carer recruitment and placement sufficiency. The report highlighted sustained pressure on placement sufficiency, driven by a high proportion of adolescents in care, an ethnicity mismatch between children and carers, and continued reliance on Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs). Newham is focusing on a strengthened local recruitment model, expanding specialist offers like the Mockingbird programme, and enhancing carer support to improve stability and reduce IFA dependency. Recruitment activity in 2024/25 resulted in 8 new fostering households and 4-5 connected persons approvals, with a conversion rate of 4.28% from enquiry to approval, which compares favourably to national averages. The report detailed efforts to recruit from underrepresented ethnic communities, including Black African, Somali, and Bangladeshi communities, and to attract younger carers. The Mockingbird constellation is operating well, providing structured peer support and crisis prevention. The Commission noted the report and endorsed targeted recruitment to address identified gaps.

Performance Dashboard

The Commission reviewed the Education, Children and Young People's Services Key Performance Indicator Dashboard. Discussions covered various metrics, including EHCP timeliness, school suspensions, knife crime injury victims, first-time entrants to the Youth Justice System, and re-referral rates. Concerns were raised about the high rate of suspensions in some schools and the disproportionality in re-referral rates for Black and Black British children. The Commission noted the dashboard and the ongoing efforts to improve performance across these areas.