The Children, Education and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss early years provision, the Best Start in Life plan, and progress on family help and family hubs. Key decisions included agreeing to receive an updated report on early years provision in six months and to note the progress made on the Best Start in Life plan and the family hubs initiative.

Early Years Provision

The committee received an update on early years provision in West Northamptonshire, including the findings of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) for 2025. The CSA identified an overall deficit of 152 childcare places for children aged 0-5 by September 2025, with significant deficits in specific wards, particularly for under-twos. The report highlighted that while the overall provision for 3 and 4-year-olds appeared sufficient, there were notable deficits in the Castle ward (-193 places) and Billing and Rectory Farm ward (-123 places). For under-twos, the deficit was 422 places, with the highest deficits in Billing and Rectory Farm, Castle, Kingsthorpe South, and Sixfields. A deficit of 189 places was also identified for two-year-olds, primarily in Billing Brook and Rectory Farm, and Castle wards.

Providers expressed concerns about increasing pressures, including rising levels of need, insufficient funding, workforce shortages, and challenges with capacity and inclusion. The report noted that while 80% of early years providers were rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted, there were significant variations, with 76% of Private, Voluntary, and Independent (PVI) settings achieving this rating compared to 96% of nursery classes in schools. Councillor Hebbin raised concerns about the impact of new housing developments on early years provision, and officers confirmed they were working closely with planning departments to project future needs. Councillor Holland highlighted the correlation between areas with a shortage of early years provision and levels of deprivation, urging a systematic approach to address this. The committee agreed to receive an updated report in six months to monitor progress.

Best Start in Life Plan

The committee considered the West Northamptonshire Council Best Start in Life Plan, a strategy developed in response to the government's initiative to improve early years development. The plan aims to increase the proportion of children achieving a good level of development (GLD) by the end of reception year to 77.2% by 2028, with a specific focus on disadvantaged children, aiming for at least 59.9% of children eligible for Free School Meals to achieve GLD. The strategy's vision is to give every child the best start through a joined-up, evidence-driven pathway so every child can be school ready and enabled to reach their potential. Key themes include closing readiness gaps, strengthening speech, language, and communication skills, reducing inequalities, and improving early health outcomes.

Councillor Aldridge questioned why the target for disadvantaged children was significantly lower than the overall GLD target, and officers assured the committee that they would aim to exceed this target in their detailed delivery plan. Councillor Ashgraft emphasised the need for early parental education and support, particularly for families facing cultural differences or deprivation. Councillor Owens and others highlighted the importance of early intervention and the role of health visitors, noting the impact of reduced health visiting services. The committee acknowledged the plan's ambition and agreed to note the report, with a commitment to further updates on the detailed delivery plan.

Family Help and Family Hubs

The committee received an update on the progress of West Northamptonshire's Family Help Strategy and the implementation of the Family Hub model. The Family Help Strategy, launched in November 2025, adopts a joined-up, multi-agency approach to prevention, early help, and safeguarding. Five family hubs and spokes had opened between March and December 2025, with further sites planned for 2026. These hubs aim to provide a place-based, relational, and whole-family approach to support.

The report detailed the services offered across different age groups, from 0-5 years (including sensory sessions, baby massage, and sleep workshops) to 5-11 years (holiday programmes, craft workshops, and SEND support) and 11-19 years (youth spaces, mental health support, and sexual health advice). During the first nine months of operation, the hubs saw a total footfall of 14,309, with 1,173 group sessions delivered and 387 families referred for one-to-one support. The committee discussed the importance of measuring the impact of family hubs beyond attendance figures, with a focus on qualitative data and case studies demonstrating how the hubs prevent families from entering statutory social care services. Councillor Owens and Aldridge both stressed the need for robust evaluation of the hubs' effectiveness. The committee noted the progress made and expressed support for the initiative.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year. It was agreed that the next meeting would include agenda items on Early Years, the Best Start in Life Plan, Family Help and Family Hubs, and the Children, Education and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 2025/26. The committee also discussed potential future scrutiny topics, including knife crime, drugs, and school performance, with a particular focus on ensuring a holistic overview of educational performance across West Northamptonshire. Councillor Hayden requested that knife crime and drug-related issues affecting children be considered for future scrutiny, and Councillor Aldridge proposed that the committee review the performance of schools across West Northamptonshire, focusing on overall trends rather than individual institutions. The committee also agreed to consider a pre-decision scrutiny item on a new policy regarding rent and service charges for council social housing stock.

The committee also discussed the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) staffing situation. Councillor Owens raised concerns about the accuracy of previous assurances regarding CAMHS staffing capacity, given new information about vacancies and sickness absence. It was agreed that David Williams, Group Director of Strategy and Partnerships at NHFT, would be invited to provide further clarification on CAMHS capacity and its impact on service delivery. The committee acknowledged the complexity of scrutinising NHS services and the need to understand the roles of both service providers and commissioners.