Agenda item

The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update provided.

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services addressed the Panel and highlighted the following points from his update.

He confirmed that he had asked officers to work with John Gore and to see if any external funding bids could be accessed for the Orchestra of Everything project.

He informed the Panel of the progress that had been made on the School Streets initiative and said that funding had been provided through the Clean Air Zone funding (£250,000), one-off revenue funding for 2025/26 (£87,000) and WECA Active Travel Fund (£75,000). He said that further information on the participating schools would be circulated when known.

He announced that the Tree of Hope sapling would be planted in Alice Park in February 2026 and that Youth Guarantee Trailblazer funding would be used to allow young people to attend the event. He thanked Councillor Wright for her work on this matter.

He stated that the Council were awaiting a ministerial response regarding the local authority’s recent Safety Valve submission.

He explained that discussions were ongoing with the St. John’s Foundation to see whether support for the Language for Life could be extended beyond July 2026.

He informed the Panel that Councillor Romero had been added as a board member for the Virtual School alongside himself and Councillor Hardman.

He said that the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS) report was positive and that the support from officers throughout the inspection was fantastic. He added that the report gives the Council a good basis to set strategic targets.

Councillor David Harding asked about the impact of the SEND and AP Advice team on school exclusions and young people entering the youth justice system.

Councillor May responded that the team was working with schools to improve these figures, and a more detailed answer would be provided later in the meeting.

Councillor Onkar Saini asked about the number of eligible children not enrolled for free school meals following the auto-enrolment exercise and the steps needed to reach the remaining families.

Councillor May explained that a table had been circulated showing the numbers achieved and that he has asked the Director of Children’s Services for figures relating to the number of opt-outs by ward.

The Director of Children’s Services confirmed that further feedback would be provided.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding added that the Council had identified all eligible children, with only a handful opting out, and that the system would be ongoing to capture new eligible children.

Councillor Wright requested regular updates on free school meals, which Councillor May agreed to provide.

Kevin Burnett raised concerns about the pressures of Ofsted inspections on staff, referencing the national campaign following Ruth Perry’s death.

Councillor May said that he recognised the tension that the inspections can bring and that all staff were committed to doing their best for local children.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding added that the Council was supporting headteachers and staff, providing risk assessments and wellbeing support, and working with Ofsted to promote a more supportive inspection framework.

Kevin Burnett asked about funding and resourcing for the Families First reforms.

Councillor May acknowledged concerns about sufficiency of funding and confirmed that the Council would work within the resources provided, while continuing to lobby for more support.

The Director of Children’s Services explained that the Council had received government funding for the developmental year of the reforms. She added that the Council was realigning services to meet the new requirements, focusing on early intervention and multi-agency working.

The Chair reminded the Panel that Early Help Task Group remains ongoing.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that the numbers of young people being identified with SEND or diagnosed with Autism have increased, whilst noting that all local Special Schools are full. She asked about the support for children under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, which is a duty for local authorities to provide suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school due to illness, exclusion, or other reasons.

The Virtual School Headteacher replied that 90 children were currently accessing education other than at school, with tailored packages and regular reviews. She clarified that this provision was full time and not provided at home.

Councillor Hardman asked how schools are identified to receive support from the Mental Health Support Team.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding replied that a range of demographic information is used to identify the schools. He said that the direct support is such a benefit, and it is the Council’s wish to have the provision available to all schools.

Councillor Hardman raised concerns about post-16 education and transport provision for young people with complex needs.

Councillor May acknowledged the challenges and asked Councillor Hardman to pass to him any information relating to individual cases.

The Director of Education & Safeguarding added that there was ongoing work to expand provision at Bath College and that he was willing to discuss transport options in partnership with WECA.

Councillor Joanna Wright commented that education was an important part of the role of WECA and suggested that an appropriate officer be asked to attend a future meeting of the Panel.

Councillor May replied that he believed that their remit was more around Adult Education, but that he would make an approach on behalf of the Panel.

Councillor Wright raised the need for a dedicated update on School Streets, highlighting its relevance to public health.

Councillor May agreed to circulate further information once available and acknowledged that the issue crosses the remits of two Panels.

Councillor Wright said that she was concerned over the potential cost implications regarding the Education White Paper.

Councillor May acknowledged the concern and said any implications were currently unknown as the paper had yet to be published. He added that a joint inspection of SEND by the CQC and Ofsted, scheduled for Autumn 2025, might be delayed until the New Year because of the White Paper publication. He said that a Peer Review regarding SEND had recently taken place.

Councillor Lesley Mansell commented that the ILACS report was a fantastic achievement. She said that she recognised the work involved regarding the Free School Meals enrolment project and hoped to see the benefits for the young people involved.

Referring to the Virtual School she said that it was good to see that no child in a protection plan was excluded from school in the last academic year.

Councillor May replied that the work of the officers and young people involved in the Virtual School was to be commended.

Councillor Mansell asked what training would be made available as part of the Families First reforms, and whether the Panel would have a role on their implementation.

The Director of Children’s Services replied that the reforms will require some degree of training to be undertaken around the four key areas mentioned within the update. She said that Family Group Decision Making was an important part of the reforms and that the Council already has an established Family Group Conference service.

She added that work would continue on the realignment of services alongside learning from pathfinder authorities, such as Dorset.

She said that officers will seek to support families at an early stage and provide appropriate interventions if and when required.

Councillor Mansell referred to the Equalities Impact Assessment relating to Charlton House and asked if any further information could be provided regarding a new 30 place Special School.

Councillor May replied that this was part of the original proposal for Charlton House that would include an overlap of Social Care and Education functions. He said that the Panel would be provided with an update at a future meeting.

The Chair, on behalf of the Panel, thanked Councillor May for his update.