Agenda and minutes

1.1   Apologies for absence were received from the following members of the Commission:

- Cllr Lee Laudat Scott;

- Cllr Midnight Ross.

1.2  The following members connected virtually:

- Cllr Anya Sizer;

- Cllr Lynne Troughton (also joining the meeting late);

- Salmah Kansara;

- Steven Olalere.

2.1   The outcome of the focused visit of Children's Social Care by Ofsted which took place in September was published on the 26th October 2022.  Unfortunately, this was too late for inclusion within this agenda.  The Commission therefore asked the Group Director for Children and Education for a brief verbal update to highlight the key outcomes from the Ofsted assessment and the service response.  It was agreed that this would be taken after item 4 (and recorded under any other business item 8).

3.1    The following declarations were received by members of the Commission:

- Jo McLeod was a Governor at a primary school in Hackney and a parent of a child with SEND;

- Cllr Anya Sizer was a parent of a child with SEND.

To review eligibility and uptake of free school meal entitlements, breakfast club provision and school’s connection to wider food poverty networks.

4.1  From local data it was understood that almost one-half of local children are living in poverty after housing costs have been taken into account.  Also taking the current cost of living crisis into consideration, it is clear that poverty and food insecurity will have a significant impact on local children and families and for the local services that support them, including local schools and education settings.

4.2  The aim of this item was to help understand the nature of the childhood food hunger and the role play by schools in response. It was hoped that this scrutiny would help to identify any additional support which could be provided to schools to support them in this work.  In particular, the Commission focused on:

- Free School Meal (FSM) entitlement and uptake;

- The reach and focus of School Breakfast Clubs;

- How schools are connected to wider food poverty programmes and networks.

4.3  To further inform members' understanding of this policy area and support the scrutiny process, members of the Commission visited a number of local primary and secondary schools and food projects ahead of this meeting.  These visits were helpful and informative and the Commission thanked all those schools and food projects that accommodated members.

Hackney Education

4.4  The Cabinet member and the Director of Education thanked the Commission for supporting this discussion and the opportunity to engage collectively with other stakeholders across the local education system on the issue of childhood food poverty.  It was noted that a task force had recently been commissioned by the Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care which would support a childhood food poverty summit.  The task force would:

- Review what resources were available to support this policy area;

- Assess what is working locally and how to best share good practice;

- Identify what can be learnt from neighbouring education systems in how they address childhood food poverty.

4.5  The Director of Education would be inviting local school leaders and, health and voluntary sector organisations to participate in the childhood food poverty task force and would report its work to the summit in January 2023.  The aim of this work would be to improve support for children not just in local schools, but across all early years and post 16 settings.  The summit will produce a set of recommendations to address childhood food poverty in Hackney.

4.6  The submitted paper set out the context for Free School Meal (FSM) provision in Hackney as well as other ways in which schools and other educational settings were addressing childhood food poverty locally (e.g. Breakfast Clubs and wider engagement with food poverty networks). The challenge now was to engage local school leaders to understand how the education system as a whole can work better to improve support to children and families at this really challenging time. 

Gainsborough -  Executive Head

4.7  Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) was introduced at this school as a response to falling school  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To review all school move data including in-year transfers, elective home education, permanent exclusion and Managed Moves.  Additional data has been requested on pupil absence (incl. persistent absence).

5.1  Exclusions and all school moves is a standing item on the work programme of the Commission to review the range and number of pupil moves across schools in Hackney.  This is to ensure that the Commission has oversight of school exclusions, in the wider context of all school moves.  Therefore the Commission has annual updates on

-Permanent exclusions;

-Managed Moves;

-Children in Elective Home Education

-Children in Alternative Provision.

5.2  There were two slight amendments to this data for the Commission for this year:

-The Commission also requested additional demographic information in relation to SEND status for the all school moves data; and

-In light of rising rates of pupil absence and persistent absence the Commission also requested a brief update on local data - given their clear connection exclusions and other school moves.

Hackney Education

5.3  It was noted school exclusion was an important local issue and that the local education system was working to ensure that schools were inclusive.  The vast majority of pupil movement related to those children entering the borough or leaving the borough, or those moving in between Hackney schools. There were over 1800 removals from school roll and 1400 added to school rolls during the period to June 2022.  The report focused on the smaller sub-group of this cohort of children who may have additional needs or vulnerabilities, such as those who are permanently excluded, moving to Elective Home Education (EHE), who transfer schools via the Managed Moves process or receive their education in alternative provision.

5.4  The rates of persistent absence in schools across the country was now almost twice as high as they were before the pandemic.  Whilst rates of absence in Hackney may not be as high as regional and national averages, it was acknowledged that local rates had nonetheless doubled.  This was a concern as school absence can impact on attainment and the longer term outcomes for children.

Questions from the Commission

5.5  Given the interrelationship between these different cohorts of school moves, does Hackney Education have sufficient capacity not only to review and analyse local school move data effectively but also ensure that officers work across services to effectively support pupils?  What is the total number of officers which support these policy areas?

- Whilst additional funding would always be welcome, Hackney Education was confident that officers were working collaboratively and effectively together to support pupils and partners in all school moves.  Hackney Education has some statutory responsibilities to act in respect of some aspects of school moves, but schools also have the freedom to innovate and some would be directing their own resources to these issues.  The data does provide the pretext for Hackney Education to challenge schools around attendance, exclusion or any other school moves.

- The data presented in the report covers a number of teams that all create and manage their own datasets rather than one overall service, which of course brings its own challenges.  It was noted that whilst there have been new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To update, review and monitor the work programme for the remainder of 2022/23.

6.1  Members were given the updated work programme for the remainder of the year.  It was noted that the SEND Strategy is due to come to scrutiny on 30/11/22 which will mainly be to note as the strategy will have been agreed.  The SEND Action Plan will be taken in February 2023 where the Commission will have an oversight role in ensuring that partners will be held accountable for delivering the strategy.

6.2  It was noted that the Outcome of School Exclusions update report would come to the Commission in January 2023.  This update would be followed up at a date determined by the Commission.

6.3  The Commission noted the work programme.

7.1  The minutes of the last meeting on 29th September were not ready for this meeting and would be presented at the next meeting.

8.1  In September 2022, Ofsted visited Children and Families Service to assess front of house services (e.g. access points to children’ social care and care thresholds).  The Group Director summarised key issues arising from the Ofsted and outlined key actions the service is planning to take in response.  If there are any substantive issues which warrant further questioning these can be scrutinised in greater detail at the next meeting (30/11/22) where this focus of the meeting is on Children’s Social Care.

8.2   The Group Director noted the headline findings from the ofsted focused visit included:

There was a good front door service in Hackney which conducted appropriate assessments and applied appropriate thresholds;

Most children received proportionate responses and received the help that they needed;

Senior leaders were providing strong leadership in developing and improving practice at a pace acceptable to staff;

Children and families had committed and experienced staff who felt well supported;

There was a strong commitment to youth services and the Young Hackney offer and had been key in addressing serious youth violence.

8.3  It was noted that a nationwide crisis in the recruitment and retention of social workers had also impacted on Hackney, as evidenced by some delays in assessments and a bulge in case loads.  Both of these issues were identified as areas of improvement for the service.  Also whilst there was strong management oversight of cases, the inspectors indicated that there was not sufficient reflective practice recorded in the casework.  The key message from the visit however was that all social work assessments viewed by the inspectors were good.

8.4  In terms of follow up actions, the service was developing a new workforce strategy to ensure that the children and families service remained attractive to employees and that they were committed to working for Hackney.  This could be brought to scrutiny if needed.

8.5  In light of the positive review by Ofsted inspectors, the Chair commended officers from across the service for their achievement and thanked them for their efforts to develop and maintain children’s social care services which meet the needs of local children and families.

8.6  The date of the next meeting was 8th September 2022.  There were no other items of business.