The Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Gloucestershire Council met on Thursday 14 May 2026 to discuss progress on Family and Youth Hubs and to consider the results of a consultation on Motion 976, which aims to better incorporate young people's views into council policy-making. The committee also reviewed its work plan and received a briefing on safeguarding.

Family and Youth Hubs

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Family and Youth Hubs initiative. The report on this matter was to follow.

Motion 976: Incorporating Young People's Voice into Policy-Making

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to considering the results of a consultation undertaken in relation to Motion 976. This motion, passed by the Council in November 2025, acknowledges that young people experience policy decisions differently from adults and commits the Council to better understanding and incorporating their views into its policymaking processes.

The consultation, which involved a co-designed survey, aimed to identify young people's specific needs, how their views could be better incorporated, and how the developing Voice, Participation and Co-production strategy could inform this process. The report presented the findings of a survey conducted in April 2026, which indicated that young people generally have low confidence that the Council listens to or acts on their views. Key priority areas for engagement identified by young people included transport, school and home education policies, and health and wellbeing. The survey also highlighted a preference for simple, accessible engagement mechanisms, such as short online surveys and school or youth-based engagement, delivered in trusted settings with clear information and a guarantee that their views would be listened to and acted upon. A strong expectation for visible feedback, such as You said, we did updates, was also noted.

The report recommended several actions to strengthen youth participation, including adopting a corporate standard for youth participation aligned with the Hear by Right framework, integrating youth voice into existing Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) and decision-reporting templates, and using a proportionate engagement pathway matched to the scale and impact of decisions. It was also recommended that You said, we did feedback be a mandatory element, published in a youth-friendly format, and that these processes be aligned with the future operating model following Local Government Reorganisation.

The report also detailed the methodology used for the survey, which was launched between 7 and 20 April 2026, with 132 responses received. It noted limitations in the survey's demographic representation, particularly regarding age, and acknowledged the need for future activities to reach less-connected young people.

Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children's Partnership Briefing

The committee was scheduled to receive a private briefing on local learning reviews, rapid reviews, and Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews conducted by the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children's Partnership.

Performance of Commissioned Provider

An update was scheduled to be provided on the performance of children and family centre and youth support provision. This was to include a specific focus on performance in relation to youth hubs in the Stroud area, with the possibility of this discussion taking place in a closed session due to the commercially sensitive nature of the issues.

Work Plan Review

The committee was also scheduled to review its work plan and consider suggestions for future items. The work plan included upcoming scrutiny items such as an annual update on Special Guardianship Orders and Kinship Caring, feedback on the SEND Specialist Sufficiency Strategy, and the Quarter 4 2025/26 Performance Report. Future items for consideration included addressing school attendance issues and supporting young carers.