The Panel will consider a verbal update on the performance highlights from the latest Children’s Services data report covering period ending June 2025.
Contact: Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director
Vicky Metheringham, Service Director
Minutes:
Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director for Learning and Early Support, and Joel Hanna, Head of Corporate Parenting and Looked After Children, presented highlights from the Performance Data covering the period ending June 2025.
Jo-Anne Sanders highlighted the following key points:-
· Number of EHCPs had increased by 495 in June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
· EHCPs statutory compliance Statutory compliance had been low in 2024 at 23% but had improved in June 2025 (as published in the SEN2); in the first 6 months of 2025 (measured at a cumulative rate) statutory compliance for initial EHCPs was at 47.2% which was in line with the national average; June 2025 data showed that 65.9% of EHCPs were compliant within 20 weeks and in July 72.7% of the plans issued were within the 20 week compliance, which was significantly better than the national average.
· Suspensions and exclusions – there had been a reduction in the numbers of suspensions and exclusions.
· Inclusion Multi-Agency Panel – had been in place for 12 months and the work of the Panel was having a positive impact and the Service had seen 500 referrals for access to one of the commissioned or additionally resourced places. Schools had been using this pathway to access this provision, for example for children with a medical need.
· Cluster model was embedded and had been in place for 12 months, a review had shown that the model was having a positive impact in supporting the child’s needs at their local school.
· Elective Home Education (EHE) – there had been a rise in the number of children being educated at home this year and officers welcomed the planned visit by the Panel to meet with the EHE Team and there would be future opportunities to look at the types and reasons for families deciding to home educate.
· Children Missing Education – the number of children missing in education had been steady in June 2025 at 179 and the Service had not seen any significant increase or decrease since the same time in 2024. There was usually a spike at the start of the new school year in September, and the Team would be following up to make sure that all children were accounted for.
Jo-Anne Sanders informed the Panel that the Service had invested in EHCP’s and were making improvements but were aware that there was further work to do particularly in respect of EHCP Annual Reviews, but the Service was now sustaining a good turnaround in terms of compliancy and quality.
The Panel were informed that analysis of the suspensions and exclusions data would be undertaken to assess the main reasons for the reduction in numbers. Inclusion Managers were working closely with schools when notifications were received to explore opportunities for an alternative outcome and as a result of this several notifications had been withdrawn, for example, providing education at an alternative site for a cooling off period or where the child had an EHCP an earlier review would be arranged so that the needs of the child could be met.
The Panel had undertaken some visits to schools working in clusters and the Chair highlighted that during her visit to a local school, the cluster model was seen as exemplary compared to other local authority areas within Yorkshire, some of whom were reaching out to the Kirklees school for assistance and guidance which had been good to see.
Joel Hanna highlighted the following key points:-
· Looked after children – there had been a slight increase in the number of looked after children,but rates remained below national average. The service performed well at finding alternatives and supporting families to stay together.
· Children in Need - numbers remained low due to the strong early help offer and were still below the national average and statistical neighbours.
· Child Protection Conference reviews – most reviews were held within timescales - reviews of child protection conferences should be undertaken within 15 days.
· Return Home Interviews – these were offered for all children reported by the police as missing once they had returned and the missing episode had concluded. There had been a slight decrease in the numbers of return interviews that had taken place, and this could be due in some cases to the number of repeat episodes which had taken place since the first missing episode and had been covered by one return interview.
Joel Hanna advised the Panel that the Service was continuing to identify the right services for children and young people in need. There was strong quality assurance and decision making within the Duty and Advice and Assessment and Intervention Services to ensure that children received statutory responses when required and that the services and systems in place to support children and families in need were effective and robust. Quality assurance was in place to routinely review the quality of decision making.
The Panel was informed that when Child Protection Conference Reviews could not be held within the 15-day timescales, measures were put in place to safeguard the children whilst the conference was held. Joel Hanna further explained that the Service would also assess the reason for the child falling out of the 15-day timescale. Conferences were sometimes delayed to ensure engagement with parents could take place, that interpreters were booked or that papers had been circulated. Quality Assurance in this area took place which had confirmed that where conferences were outside of the timescales, there was no cause for concern in relation to risk or vulnerability.
Joel Hanna informed the Panel that when a missing child had returned, as well as offering a return home interview, an independent person would also visit the young person to gain an insight as to any potential risk that could be learned from to try and prevent any further missing episodes. There were robust systems within the Youth Engagement Service to ensure that the service was aware of every child who went missing and where appropriate, return home interviews were offered. The Panel was informed that not all children would take up the offer of a return home interview and where that was the case, this would be reviewed and a decision taken as to what other ways and mechanisms could be more appropriate for engaging with the young person.
RESOLVED –
That the verbal updates on performance data be noted and officers were thanked for their presentations.