Agenda and minutes

County Council Matthew Maxwell-Scott replaced County Councillor Paul Rigby for this meeting.

Apologies were received from County Councillor Samara Barnes.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

County Councillor Anne Cheetham declared an interest as she was a former magistrate in the Blackburn area, was around at the start of the referral system for youth justice, and she was also a former foster parent with the county council for over 20 years.

County Councillor Stephen Clarke and Loraine Cox both declared an interest in Item 5 - Further Developing Care Leavers Offer and Support and Item 6 – Increasing Care Leavers Offer who are in EET, as they were both the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Corporate Parenting Board at the county council respectively.

To be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The committee noted the following actions that remained outstanding from the previous meeting and asked that officers follow up to obtain a response:

• The briefing noted that was due to be circulated to the committee in relation to the co-production model.
• The request to share specific data with the committee in relation to the gender distribution among social workers.
• The number of social workers who were proficient in British Sign Language.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair, and the outstanding actions from the previous meeting be followed up to obtain a response.

At the request of the Chair, this item was moved to Item 4 on the agenda.

The committee considered the work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year, and an update on actions and assurances.

It was requested for a Bitesize Briefing to be arranged in relation to elective home education, considering the recent national news articles.

It was noted that the county council was in the middle of a SEND inspection. As a result, the report on the Draft SEND Strategy 2025-2028, intended for the committee meeting on 29 January 2025, would not be ready in time for the meeting. It was therefore suggested that the topics for the Deep Dive day in February 2025 be changed to Bitesize Briefings for all members, and that the Draft SEND Strategy 2025-2028, along with the outcomes of the SEND area inspection, be discussed during a Deep Dive day.

Resolved: That

i.  The work programme for 2024/24 at Appendix 'A' of the repot be noted;

ii.  The formal written response from Cabinet Members to the outstanding recommendations of the Committee as set out at Appendix 'B' of the report be noted;

iii.  The information included in the reports for the 29 January 2025 meeting of the Committee be confirmed; and

iv.  The information provided as part of the actions and assurances to the Committee at Appendix 'C' of the report, be noted.

v.  The Scrutiny Management Board be asked to update the work programme of the committee, to change the topics for the January 2025 meeting of the committee, and change the currently planned Deep Dive day which was due to take place in February 2025 into Bitesize Briefings for all members.

The Chair welcomed County Councillor Cosima Towneley, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Hannah Blower, Child and Youth Justice Senior Manager, and Niomi Whitworth, Team Manager – Child and Youth Justice Service, to the meeting.

The report outlined the structure and activities of the Lancashire Child and Youth Justice Service (CYJS) and highlighted its multi-disciplinary approach and partnership with various agencies. Key points included within the report included the service’s focus on prevention and diversion for children at risk of entering the criminal justice system, the impact of the Ministry of Justice’s Turnaround funding, and the development of a Harmful Sexualised Behaviour hub to address specific behavioural issues. A presentation was also provided, a copy of which is attached to the minutes.

Comments and queries raised from the committee were as follows:

• Concerns were raised about children in deprived areas lacking basic needs such as food and safety, and it was noted that while the targeted youth team worked with those children when needed, it was done so in partnerships with other organisations, including the police and family hubs, who would take the lead on addressing those basic needs issues.

• It was noted that while the age of criminal responsibility in England was 10, the Lancashire Child and Youth Justice Service provided support to children as young as 8 who had committed offences or were at risk of doing so. By starting at age 8, the service was able to carry out preventative work early and provide a safeguarding response.

• The committee queried the few partnership practices projects listed in the report and requested further information about the projects in different areas. It was noted that the partnership practices projects listed in the report were just a few examples and it was suggested that if there were particular projects of partnership practices that members would like more information on, they were encouraged to contact the officers.

• The role of sports in preventing youth crime was discussed and it was highlighted that community football trusts had been commissioned to engage children through sports and mentoring, and there was an interest in expanding similar initiatives into other sports, such as cricket.

• Concerns were raised about disused buildings, particularly in Preston, attracting young people and leading to incidents like fires. It was noted that securing these buildings was the responsibility of the owners, with police involvement when necessary, and that the multidisciplinary team of the Lancashire Child and Youth Justice Service would intervene once problems were identified.

• The committee requested if more Key Performance Indicators could be provided and it was noted that there were a number of Key Performance Indicators that had been set by the Youth Justice Board and included metrics such as access to mental health support, education continuity, and re-offending rates, and were all captured in the youth justice plan. The location of the Key Performance Indicators in the youth justice plan would be provided to the committee.

• The committee questioned the location and scope of services addressing harmful  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

It was agreed that Item 5 - Further Developing Care Leavers Offer and Support, and Item 6 - Increasing Care Leavers Offer who are in EET, as on the agenda, be taken jointly, as the items were interlinked.

The Chair welcomed Jennifer Robertshaw, Interim Head of Service – Looked After Children and Leaving Care, and Donna Duckworth, Social Worker – Leaving Care, to the meeting. County Councillor Cosima Towneley, Cabinet Member for Childrens and Families also supported the presentation of this item.

The report provided information on the offer of leaving care support for Lancashire's care experienced young people and detailed the current offer, recent service developments, and the council's aspirations for how to develop the service further. A presentation was also provided on this report, a copy of which is attached to the minutes.

The report from Item 6 - Increasing Care Leavers Offer who are in EET, provided information on the educational outcomes of Lancashire's care experienced young people and set out the position in relation to how services were improving the offer of support to those young people who were not in education, training and employment (NEET). Although, a presentation was prepared, it was not presented at the meeting, but is attached to the minutes for members to view.

Comments and queries raised from the committee were as follows:

• A question was raised about the availability of data on the living circumstances of care leavers aged 21 and older who had requested to step down from support. It was noted that, although these young people could choose to re-engage with the service at any time, there was no mechanism for the service to maintain contact with those who had left.

• Concerns were raised about care leavers in rural areas facing difficulties with transport to access support hubs. It was noted that, while provisions for transport costs related to employment and education were available, similar support was also provided for accessing care leaver hubs. Social workers would often transport the young people themselves to ensure they could attend events at the hubs.

• Further concerns were raised about the rising number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and the lack of equitable provision for them. It was suggested that a deep dive be conducted to gather detailed information on their number, gender, age range, living arrangements, and education provision. It was proposed to start with a Bite Size Briefing, which could be escalated to a deep dive if necessary.

• A question was raised about arrangements with neighbouring authorities for vulnerable children who may want to stay in areas outside Lancashire and it was noted that while the preference was for young people to stay within Lancashire due to existing support structures, there were provisions to support those who wanted to live outside the county.

• It was noted that many children might enter care for short periods and were often returned to their families once issues were resolved. The focus was on providing temporary support and ensuring children knew where to seek  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This item was discussed as part of Item 5 - Further Developing Care Leavers Offer and Support.

Resolved: That the committee received a report.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the minutes, the chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency. Wherever possible, the chief executive should be given advance warning of any member's intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of Urgent Business.

The next meeting of the Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee will be held on Wednesday 29^th January 2025 at 10.30 am in Committee Room C – The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee will be held on Wednesday 29 January 2025 at 10.30am in Committee Room 'C' – The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston.