James Thomas, Corporate Director, Children and Culture, provided reflections and lessons learnt from last year and outlined the key priorities for municipal year 2023/24.

Mr. Thomas emphasised how the lasting impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis has affected children within the borough, increasing the level of support required. Although many service areas have returned to pre-pandemic levels, further attention is needed to tackle children’s wellbeing, development and education due to the lockdown restrictions. Young children missed key developmental milestones which have had a detrimental effect and requires monitoring.

Mr. Thomas went on to explain the progress made in continual improvement in service areas such as Children’s Social Care and Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). A series of LGA Peer Reviews are planned within the service  and a SEND review has been scheduled for October 2023. The Continuous Improvement Board will remain focused on attaining the best levels of service for the borough.

Other areas of progress include: continued co-production with children, young people and families. The ‘Every Chance for Every Child Forum’ which shapes priorities for the year ahead and the three ‘Young Scrutineers’ who have highlighted issues of peer abuse were noted, as were the ‘Let’s Talk’ SEND Events where parents, education and care professionals give support and discuss concerns. Plans to embed co-production in all areas of the Directorate are ongoing.

The workforce were commended as a valuable and dedicated resource, although recruitment issues are still a concern with locum posts on the rise. Further progress is required to ensure the workforce reflects the community, with more diverse leadership roles made available throughout the Directorate. A stronger drive to employ younger members of the community through apprenticeships and job opportunities should also be considered.

The priorities for this year were outlined, including a commitment to the Mayor’s manifesto, accelerating education by investing in youth service provision, supporting young people to continue further education and tackling the cost of living crisis. The Universal Free School meals programme for secondary schools will begin from September 2023 and the Universal Bursary Grants and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) are now in effect.

Other priorities include effective use of data and combating poverty within the borough. The main concerns for Tower Hamlets Together (THT) are SEND, Healthy weight, Mental Health and emotional wellbeing. Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Children Partnership (THSCP) are committed to infant safety, tackling child exploitation, racism, peer harm and promoting online safety.

Mr. Thomas concluded by requesting the sub-committee give consideration to;  sixth form performance, poverty and inequality, an annual scrutiny on safeguarding children and mental health and wellbeing.

Further to questions from the sub-committee, James Thomas;

·       Clarified that there are a range of services which monitor uptake levels for young residents seeking mental health support. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) who work with schools and the  local authority provide data. Joint commissioning with the NHS takes place with voluntary organisations such as Bernardo’s. Universal services such as schools and youth providers also hold data.

·       Conceded that there is no specific mental health provision for young Somali residents but all staff deliver a culturally appropriate service. Plans to commission community specific services are ongoing.

·       Explained that a partnership exists with WorkPath who support young people within the borough to give guidance on training and employment. A council training event will take place in October for young borough residents.

·       Noted that work to strengthened and mitigate the stigma related to mental health on a cultural levelis required, with more messaging and promotional campaigns. This was highlighted by members of the Children and Young Peoples Takeover session, who called for more support and advice and signs of potential risks. Work with Public Health regarding Parent Champion roles is ongoing.

·       Explained that uptake levels on the Universal Free Meals initiative is in progress, as are evaluations with the  Queen Mary University and the University of Newcastle.

·       Clarified that the Learning Academy has enabled more social workers to support young people, with a focus to recruit from the community. Consideration has been given to the social work apprenticeships.

·       Noted that systematic external Peer Reviews are crucial to continual service improvement. A recent review looked at the multi-agency safeguarding child protection Hub and provided useful feedback. The Early Help peer review focused on the work undertaken and gave positive feedback.

·       Clarified that the Graduate programme is still ongoing its expansion should be considered.

·       Explained that the stigma of food banks can be mitigated by increasing smaller scaled sites within schools and make it more comfortable for parents. Other ways may include models which require membership and give the appearance of shops. Although these may request a minimum payment they are heavily subsidised.

The Chair thanked James Thomas for the Corporate overview and priorities and requested that further data and feedback on the Universal Free School Meals initiative be brought back to the sub-committee at a later date.

RESOLVED that

1.  That the presentation be noted.

2.  Data and feedback from residents on the Universal Free School Meals to sub-committee at a later date.