The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Ealing Council met on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, to review performance updates and future plans. Discussions were scheduled to cover the Youth Justice Service, the work of the Safer Ealing Partnership, and the proposed scrutiny arrangements for the upcoming year.

Youth Justice Service Performance Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the performance of the Youth Justice Service (YJS) against its 2024-27 Strategic Plan. The report was expected to highlight national policy changes that may impact the YJS, as well as areas of success and forthcoming risks. The YJS operates under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, with the principal aim of preventing offending and re-offending by children and young persons. It is a multi-agency team comprising professionals from Ealing Council, the Police, Probation, Education, and Health services, coordinated by the local authority.

The report was set to detail the YJS's priorities, which include a Child First approach, early intervention, improving Education, Training, and Employment (ETE) engagement, parental support, addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), tackling Serious Youth Violence, reducing disproportionality, and improving health outcomes for young people. The profile of children referred to the YJS typically involves boys aged 15-17, with a significant proportion being Black British or Black Caribbean. Common offences include violence, robberies, knife offences, and drug-related crimes.

Performance data was to be presented, comparing 2023/24 with 2024/25, with a focus on reducing re-offending rates, which were reported to be outperforming London and national averages. The report was also to address the trend of increasing First Time Entrants (FTEs) into the criminal justice system, often with more severe offences. Custody and remand rates were to be reviewed, with efforts to support children within the community as an alternative to custody highlighted. The positive impact of ETE pathways on preventing future offending was also to be discussed.

The committee was to be informed of policy changes impacting the YJS, including the transition of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) into the Ministry of Justice, and new initiatives from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) such as a Youth Deferred Prosecution initiative. Government guidance on referring knife offences to the YJS was also to be covered. The report was expected to detail the financial breakdown of the YJS budget, highlighting contributions from various agencies.

Scrutiny of the Safer Ealing Partnership

The committee was scheduled to review the work of the Safer Ealing Partnership (SEP), Ealing's Community Safety Partnership (CSP), established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The SEP's annual report for 2024-25 was to be presented, detailing outcomes and service delivery across the partnership, including contributions from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), London Fire Brigade (LFB), Environmental Health and Trading Standards, and the Youth Justice Service.

The report was expected to cover policing in Ealing, outlining the structure of the West Area Basic Command Unit (BCU) and performance trends in key crime categories. Notably, reductions in robbery and knife crime with injury were to be highlighted, alongside concerns regarding increases in sexual offences and drug offences. Neighbourhood policing, including the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, was to be discussed, alongside efforts to keep town centres safe through initiatives like Operation Martello.

The London Fire Brigade's (LFB) activities were to be reviewed, including incident attendance, primary and secondary fires, road traffic collisions, and Home Fire Safety Visits. Challenges such as rising fire activity in domestic settings and the increase in lithium battery fires were to be addressed. The work of the Safer Communities Team, responsible for investigating anti-social behaviour (ASB) and environmental nuisance, was to be detailed, including ASB casework, enforcement activity, and noise nuisance investigations. The report was also to cover the Ealing Community MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference), which manages complex cases of ASB and hate crime.

Violence reduction strategies, including the VRU MyEnds Partnership Programme and the VRU Robbery Fund, were to be presented, alongside details of secured multi-year funding from MOPAC & VRU LCPF. Environmental Health and Trading Standards' regulatory work, including licensing, food safety, and workplace safety, was to be discussed, with a focus on joint working with the Police. Street Scene, fly-tipping, and waste management efforts were to be outlined, including the This is our home, not a tip campaign and vehicle removal initiatives. The council's response to Tackling Male Violence Against Women and Girls (MVAWG), guided by the 2024-27 MVAWG Action Plan, was to be reviewed, including prevention, community engagement, and the development of a One Stop Shop model. Services for drug and alcohol users, delivered by RISE and EASY, were to be detailed, including prevalence data, treatment progress, and outreach activities. Prevent work, aimed at countering radicalisation, was to be presented, along with the borough-wide Hate Crime Strategy development. Contextual Safeguarding, focusing on risks outside the family home, and the work of the Youth Justice Service were also scheduled for discussion.

Scrutiny in 2026-27

The committee was to consider the proposed scrutiny arrangements for the upcoming year, 2026-27. The report indicated a continuation of the structure that aligns scrutiny panels with Strategic Directorates, a model that has received positive feedback for focusing on strategic issues and fostering relationships between senior officers and scrutiny chairs. A proposed change was to ensure a report on the housing improvement plan is brought to each Housing and Environment panel meeting, to demonstrate scrutiny of the housing function as required by the social housing regulator. The report also noted that elections in May would likely lead to changes in scrutiny membership and chairing arrangements, with induction and training planned for new members. Three items were proposed for carry-over from the current year: scrutiny of Houses of Multiple Occupation, scrutiny of Broadway Living and Broadway Living Registered Provider, and a review of Audit and Scrutiny complementary working practices. Members were invited to put forward suggestions for future scrutiny items.