The Children, Education and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee of West Northamptonshire Council was scheduled to discuss the provision of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), an update on the SEND Priority Action Plan, and the council's approach to school place planning. The committee was also set to review performance data for the One West Northamptonshire Plan and consider its work programme.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in West Northamptonshire

The committee was scheduled to consider the latest position on CAMHS provision and waiting times for access to services. A report detailed the services available across West Northamptonshire, operating under the THRIVE model, which aims to integrate care from multiple commissioners and providers. The report indicated that CAMHS is one component of a broader mental health and well-being service offer. It highlighted improvements in CAMHS waiting times, with access times for initial appointments reduced to eight weeks for routine appointments and seven days for urgent appointments, meeting the recommended referral to treatment time of 18 weeks. The report also noted the expansion of Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in schools and the continued investment in local Wellbeing Cafes, which operate seven days a week and support an average of 143 young people and their families monthly. The report indicated that demand for services at the Getting More Help and Getting Risk Support levels of the THRIVE framework had been stable, with waiting times for CAMHS Community decreasing significantly. New initiatives to support earlier intervention included programmes run by the Northampton Saints Foundation, the introduction of Mental Health Champions in hospitals, and funding for additional MHSTs.

SEND Priority Action Plan

An update on progress with the SEND Priority Action Plan was scheduled for discussion. The report pack indicated that the council had a six-monthly stocktake meeting with the Department for Education (DfE) regarding this plan in the week prior to the committee meeting, and it was anticipated that feedback on the outcomes of this meeting would be provided.

School Place Planning

The committee was due to consider West Northamptonshire Council's approach to fulfilling its statutory responsibilities for securing sufficient school places to meet local needs. This discussion was also intended to address the response to risks and challenges that could impact future provision. The report pack mentioned that the Schools White Paper was due to be published in February, and time would be needed to analyse it to provide views to the committee.

One West Northamptonshire Plan - Performance Report for Quarter 3 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to review reported performance for service areas within its remit as part of the One West Northamptonshire Plan. The performance report covered the third quarter of the financial year 2025/26 and included data on various priorities, such as productive, inclusive, and enterprising initiatives, accessible and connected services, thriving towns and neighbourhoods, more and better quality homes, the best place to grow up, and the best place to live and age well. The report detailed performance metrics across a range of areas, including council tax reduction schemes, apprenticeships, young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET), visitor economy, town centres, market and events, vacant high street properties, economic growth, inward investment, skills and employment support, highways defects, electric vehicle charging points, household waste recycling, residual waste treatment, fly-tipping incidents, homelessness prevention, library and museum visitors, new council homes, affordable homes, planning application processing times, housing benefit and council tax reduction scheme processing times, budget delivery, aged debt, invoice payments, agency staff spend, employee numbers, sickness absence, staff turnover, and customer service satisfaction.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review and note its work programme for 2025/26. This included considering potential items for future meetings and reviewing the progress of any ongoing task and finish groups. The report pack indicated that the committee had previously agreed to establish a task and finish panel to scrutinise the in-housing of Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) housing stock and services. The committee was asked to consider the membership and size of this panel. Members also suggested topics for prioritisation, including school place planning, CAMHS waiting times, and early years provision.

The report pack also noted that Councillor Anthony Owens had raised concerns about the NHS THRIVE model at a previous meeting and had subsequently contacted the Group Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for clarification, with the Director of Children's Services agreeing to request a response. Councillor Owens remained concerned about the potential negative impact of the THRIVE model on children's services.