The Children's Services and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, the Bexley Children's Social Care Workforce Development Strategy, and the Local Area SEND Monitoring Visit. The committee also reviewed the Work Programme, including the Bexley Status Report and Budget Monitoring Report.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

The committee received an update on the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, which aims to provide healthy food and enriching activities during school holidays to children eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM). The programme, funded by the Department for Education (DfE), has seen a steady increase in booked and attended places since its inception in 2021. In the Summer 2025 programme, 109% of available places were booked, with 96% attended, involving 11,626 children. The programme also utilises up to 15% of its budget for flexible funding to support vulnerable families not eligible for FSM, including care-experienced young people, young carers, and children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Feedback from providers, parents, and children highlighted the programme's positive impact on social skills, confidence, and the development of new talents, such as hair braiding, sewing, and sports. Many parents expressed gratitude for the respite and the opportunity for their children to participate in activities they could not otherwise afford. The programme has also supported providers in business growth and enhanced their reputation.

Looking ahead, the DfE has confirmed funding for the HAF Programme until at least March 2029. Bexley Council has implemented a revised funding methodology to ensure funds are spent only on attended places and has improved the allocation of funded places for vulnerable families, particularly those with SEND. The council also continues to seek feedback from families to ensure the programme meets their needs.

Bexley Children's Social Care Workforce Development Strategy

The committee received an update on the Bexley Children's Social Care Workforce Development Strategy, which aims to ensure a skilled, experienced, and committed workforce. The strategy, updated to cover 2023-2026, aligns with the wider Council People Strategy and the Future Bexley transformation programme. National challenges in recruiting and retaining social workers were acknowledged, with recent DfE statistics showing an increase in the number of child and family social workers in post and a decrease in agency workers and vacancies.

Bexley's Children's Social Care has been recognised by Ofsted for its manageable caseloads, extensive training offer, and career pathways that retain staff. The council has strengthened its marketing presence, particularly on social media, and has seen success in converting agency workers to permanent roles. The strategy includes a Social Work Academy, which supports Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) through their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) and offers ongoing post-ASYE support. The Teaching Partnership has also been successful in hosting pre-qualifying learners and developing Practice Educators.

The report highlighted the importance of staff wellbeing, with the continued use of a dedicated wellbeing room and training on vicarious trauma. The Leadership Academy offers development for senior practitioners and team managers. The permanent workforce in Children's Social Care stands at 82%, with a target to increase this further. The turnover rate has decreased, and there has been a significant reduction in the number of agency workers. The sickness absence rate has marginally increased, and further analysis is underway.

Local Area SEND Monitoring Visit

An update was provided on the outcome of the local area SEND monitoring visit. While the feedback letter from Ofsted was awaited, officers expressed their commitment to addressing any findings. The committee noted that the publication of the SEND inspection report had been delayed until 11 May, citing local elections as the reason, which was met with disappointment by members who felt this was unfair given the hard work invested.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its Work Programme for the remainder of the municipal year. No additional items were proposed for the Annual Work Programme. The committee considered the Bexley Status Report for Quarter 3 (October-December 2025), noting several indicators relevant to Children's Services and Education. These included the number of referrals received by Children's Social Care, the rate of children in need, and the rate of children subject to a child protection plan, all of which showed a downward trend or were below expected ranges. However, the percentage of care leavers accessing employment, education, or training remained below the target. The use of custody by young people was noted as being above the expected range, although lower than national and regional comparators.

The committee also reviewed the Budget Monitoring Report for Period 9 (December 2025), which indicated a forecast overspend of £2.234m for Children's Services. The overspend is primarily attributed to increased costs for supporting children with disabilities, intensive packages of care at home, and specialist placements for children in care. The Education budget also forecasts an overspend, largely due to SEN Transport costs and a shortfall in income from traded services.

The Chairman of the Corporate Parenting Board provided an update on recent discussions, including a presentation by a young care leaver and the involvement of two new young directors. The committee also noted the ongoing work of the Joint Sub-Group on the SEND Priority Action Plan.

Declarations of Interest

Councillor Jeremy Fosten declared a personal interest as a family member works for Fleet Education Services, a contractor providing tuition to the Council. Councillor Peter Craske declared a personal interest as a family member has an EHC plan.