Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to note the confirmed appointments to the position of Chair and Vice Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission as agreed at Full Council on 17^th May 2023.

-  Chair – Cllr Sophie Conway

-  Vice Chair – Cllr Margaret Gordon.

Scrutiny Officer in the Chair

1.1 The positions of Chair and Vice Chair were confirmed by Cabinet on 17th May 2023 as thus:

·  Chair- Cllr Sophie Conway

·  Vice Chair - Cllr Margaret Gordon

1.2 This was noted by members present.

Cllr Conway in the Chair

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

·  Jo Macleod, co-opted representative

3.1 There were no urgent items and the agenda was as had been published.

4.1  There were no declarations of interest.

Members are asked to note the terms of reference for Overview and Scrutiny and the role and membership of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission as set out in the Hackney Council Constitution at Article 7 and Section 4.5.

5.1 At the start of each municipal year, members are required to note and agree the terms of reference for the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission as set out in Article 7 and Section 4.5 of the Constitution.

5.2 Members noted the terms of reference.

To review the report of the assessment of childcare sufficiency in Hackney.

6.1 Each year the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission reviews the sufficiency of local childcare ahead of autumn 2024 entry.  A full sufficiency review was undertaken in 2022, therefore officers from the Early Years Service produced a brief update for members to review.

Questions from the Commission.

6.2 What evidence is there locally on the impact of the cost of living crisis on children and families' access to and uptake of early years childcare and education and on providers in being able to deliver services effectively?  Are impacts being felt equally across all settings (e.g. in children’s centres, nurseries)?

·  The impact of the cost of living crisis was being felt across the early years system particularly in relation to demand for services.  Parents were using childcare services more flexibly post Covid, where there was now greater demand for part-time places as parents continued to work from home.  Financial pressures also meant that parents were also maximising the use of free childcare entitlements to which they were entitled.

·  Cost of living pressures were also impacting on child care settings with many facing increased cost pressures in terms of staffing, utilities and cleaning. The number of providers operating across the sector in Hackney had remained stable however, as settings which closed were often replaced by new ones.

·  An Independent Child Care Commission had been established in Hackney to review those factors which were impacting on the provision of childcare in Hackney and what the authority can do to further support provision.

·  The childcare element of the Children's Centres was also currently being reviewed to further understand the factors which were affecting delivery.

·  The greatest impact had been within the playgroups which offer sessional childcare for 15 hours and 30 hours which is of concern.  Occupancy at children’s centres was currently running at 88% which is of also a concern as these were subsidised places and the impact that it has on private nurseries.  There was a mixed picture across the PVI sector, where some settings are doing very well whilst others have had to re-evaluate their financial model.

6.3  Staff retention and recruitment was still widely recognised as the number one challenge for many local early years settings. Is there a clear strategy to support local providers?  What work was being undertaken with Hackney College to provide more qualified staff to local settings?

·  Staff retention was a national issue.  Like most people, early years staff continue to be impacted by cost of living pressures.  Early years and childcare could be a difficult and challenging role (especially during Covid) and it was clear that there were retention issues as staff left to seek better paid employment, predominantly in the retail sector.

·  Given the lack of demand for places, there were currently sufficient numbers of staff to meet local childcare and early years settings needs.  Recruiting staff with appropriate qualifications still remained problematic however, as staff continued to leave for other opportunities.  HE was supporting settings through the delivery of NVQ  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To review the update of the School Estates Strategy and plans to close two primary schools and or to merge a further 4 primary schools.

7.1 An update on the School Estates Strategy was taken at Cabinet on 22nd May 2023, which, due to falling school rolls, proposed to informally consult on the closure of two primary schools (De Beauvoir and Randal Cremer) and the merger of a further four primary schools (Baden Powell with Nightingale and Colvestone with Princess May).  The informal consultation will take place from 5th June to 16th July 2023.  The Children and Young people Scrutiny Commission has agreed to scrutinise the proposals put forward by Cabinet and to make a submission to the informal consultation.

7.2 To inform the scrutiny process, the Commission has made a number of approaches to include representation from parent groups from the most impacted schools (Randal Cremer, De Beuvoir, Colvestone and Baden Powel) and from Hackney National Education Union.  The Commission managed to secure representation from parents at Colvestone Primary School and Baden Powell school and the chair thanked parents for attending the meeting. 

7.3 After this meeting the Commission would submit a response to the informal consultation, and for transparency, this will be published in the next agenda of the Commission (14^th September 2023).

Hackney Education

7.4 A short presentation was made from Director of Education and Inclusion which highlighted the following from the report:

·  Falling school rolls was a London wide problem with 29 of the 32 London boroughs experiencing reduced demand for primary school places.

·  There were a number of factors driving this which included lower birth rates, exit of families from London due to Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

·  DfE recommended that local education systems should not operate at a surplus of places greater than 5%, but in Hackney this was in excess of 20%.

·  HE had engaged local stakeholders from January to April 2022, and with the assistance of a range of criteria, developed a number of proposals to close and amalgamate 6 local primary schools.  Cabinet agreed to informally consult on these proposals in May 2023 ahead of any statutory consultation.

·  It was acknowledged that the proposals were difficult for all parties involved, but HE had sought to avoid these actions through support to schools to change their model of operation and the restrictions of local Pupil Admission Numbers (PAN) at a number of local schools.

·  97% of local schools were good or outstanding, but schools would face pressures to maintain such high standards with increasing budget pressures which would result from falling school rolls (e.g. cuts to teachers and support staff, extracurricular activities).

·  The informal consultation would be open to all local stakeholders and local residents.  All schools and parents impacted would be visited by HE setting out the proposals and to gauge their responses.  HE would then consider all these views together with the consultation responses and would update proposals for Cabinet to consider for statutory consultation in the autumn.

Save Colvestone Primary School (SCPS)

7.5 Parents from Save Colvestone Primary School (SCPS) made a presentation to the Commission highlighting a number of key issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To note the a letter to Secretary of State for Education from the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission on the issue of un registered educational settings in Hackney.

8.1 Following further scrutiny in January 2023, the Commission agreed to write to the Secretary of State setting out its ongoing education and safeguarding concerns around the presence and unregistered educational settings in Hackney. The letter was circulated to members and sent to the Secretary of State in March 2023, and is included here for public record. 

8.2 The Commission received a response from the Secretary of State on the day of this meeting (27/6/23) and will be sent to Commission members and published in a future agenda pack.

Action: Letter from Secretary of State to be sent to members of the Commission and published in the next agenda.

To note the Cabinet response to the Children and Young People and Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commissions recommendation on Housing Support for Care Leavers.

9.1 In March 2022, the Children and Young People and Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission undertook an investigation into the nature and level of housing support for care leavers in Hackney. The Commission developed a report setting out 10 recommendations in October 2021.

9.2 The Cabinet response to the Commission’s recommendations was published on June 16th 2023 and was considered (and approved) by Cabinet at its meeting last night (26th June 2023).  The Chair thanked officers from across Corporate Parenting - Benefits and Housing Needs - Housing Policy and Strategy for their support for the Commission’s in this work.

9.3 The Chair noted a number of key achievements from this work as recommended by members of the scrutiny commission’s which included:

1.  The housing needs of care leavers would now explicitly stated in the new Housing Strategy (due end of 2023);

2.  Although the quota for care leavers has not been increased as recommended by the Commission, it is expected that the Housing Register will be amended so that all care leavers age 18 can register for social housing (previously 21, important for parity and help reduce ‘cliff edges’ of care and support);

3.  There are now 2 new benefits and housing needs officers dedicated to supporting local care leavers.

4.  Most care leavers will be required to find housing in the private rented sector and the Commission is pleased that additional support will be provided through Commissioning of voluntary sector support via Settle (this is again important for the parity of support).  Also rent deposit support is now available to all care leavers who wish to move on to their own tenancies before the age of 21.

5.  Accepted recommendation (8) to improve communication with care leavers through improved on-line offer AND establishment of a care leavers hub

9.4 The Chair noted that there is clearly further work needed to be done, for example, to make sure that our care leavers are exempt from council tax - wherever they are placed as they are in many other London boroughs.  There were also a number of recommendations where there has been no response from Cabinet which the Commission will follow up, for example, in recommendation number 6 around the Housing Strategy.  There has been no response in the report to recommendations around for example:

·  Care Leavers being named as a priority in the Living Rent Scheme;

·  How local Housing Associations would be engaged to support the needs of local care leavers.

9.5  The Chair emphasised that it was important that care leavers were named as a priority in the future Hackney Housing Strategy, but further help was needed at this strategic level to increase both housing capacity and options for care leavers.  The Chair would meet with the Chair of Living in Hackney to arrange monitoring and review arrangements for this work. 

9.6 Members noted the response from Cabinet.

To agree a process in which the Commission can contribute to the consultation (1st June to 13^th July 2023) on proposals to develop a number of existing children’s centres into four Children & Family Hubs.  

10.1 Hackney Education is consulting on proposals to develop some of its existing children’s centres into four Children & Family Hubs. These hubs will offer support for families with children up to 19 years old (up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities – SEND). The Consultation will run from June 1st to July 13th 2023.

10.2 Due to timetabling pressures it has not been possible to include a full public scrutiny of the proposals for this to contribute to the planned consultation timeframe at this meeting (and the next meeting will be after the consultation has closed i.e. on the  14th September 2023). Therefore given the consultation timeline, the Commission is therefore asked to consider if it would like to develop a submission off-line - and publish this in the next available agenda.

10.3 If members wanted to provide a submission, it was requested that these should be provided to the scrutiny officer by June 29th, where these would be collated and submitted to the consultation by July 13th 2023.  Alternatively, members can contribute personally towards the consultation online (up until July 13^th).

11.1  The Commission develops a new work programme each year to ensure that it is relevant and aligns with the priorities of the community, the Council and other stakeholders.  The Commission consults with key stakeholders in developing the new work programme including:

·  Members of the Commission

·  Other non-executive councillors

·  Members of the public

·  Cabinet members and senior officers

·  Local statutory partners and HCVS.

11.2  Attached in the report pack was the list of suggestions received which have been accumulated from 4 sources:

·  Standing items which the Commission takes regularly within its work programme

·  items identified from the 2022/23 work programme

·  Horizon scanning - national and local policy developments (or events) which may necessitate the Commission to look at;

·  Suggestions from key stakeholders.

11.3  Members were invited to review suggestions and prioritise issues for inclusion within the work programme for the year ahead. Noting:

·  There are 7 remaining meetings;

·  An in depth review could be undertaken in one singular - scrutiny in a day - session

·  There will be opportunities to review multiple areas at Cabinet Q & A and through the budget scrutiny process.

11.4  In prioritising issues members should consider:

·  Does the prospective issue align with corporate priorities?

·  Does the prospective issue resonate with residents and the local community?

·  Is this an area where scrutiny can have impact? 

11.5  Members of the Commission noted the following priorities:

·  Cllr Binne Lubbock - 1. Vaping 2. School Behaviour management.  3. FSM 4. FASD. 5. Play and Physical Activity. 6. Impact of school closures should they be agreed;

·  Cllr Laudat Scott -  1. FSM provision follow-up particularly in relation to secondary school provision.

·  Cllr Samatar - 1. FSM 2. Mental health and wellbeing for children in schools. 3. Language provision and support for refugee children in schools. 4. Cyberbullying

·  Cllr Ross 1. Child safeguarding protection and the emotional and mental health impact of abuse on children.

·  Cllr Gordon -  1. Behaviour management in relation to child Q outcomes and evidence base of these policies in local schools. 2. Kinship carers offer.  3. FSM

·  Cllr Troughton - 1. Vaping and substance misuse items would be beneficial.  2. FASD -  education and provision.  3. Sexual harassment in schools of girls and VAWAG would be useful.

11.6  Standing items were agreed by the Commission to come back every year, however, this is the decision of the Commission and they may chose not to do so, but perhaps defer for a year or absorb into another item.

11.7 The Chair, Vice Chair and Scrutiny Officers would develop a draft work programme for the year ahead and circulate to members for review.  The Chair would then engage with relevant Cabinet members and Senior officers to scope and plan agreed items.

12.1 Minutes of the previous meeting held on the 17th April 2023 were noted and agreed by members.

13.1 The next meeting of the Commission will be held on  14th September. There was no other business and the meeting concluded at 9.55pm.