Agenda item

Report CEF23091

The report presented the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan Quarter 4 update for the 2023/34 financial year and the draft Portfolio Plan for the 2024/25 financial year.

In response to a question from a Member, the Director of Education advised that whilst quality was a key factor in the SEND Vision and Priorities, it would be difficult to use as a Key Performance Indicator for Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans as it was a qualitative factor.  A rigorous Multi-Agency Auditing process was in place to ensure the quality of EHC Plans and the Member asked that this be reflected in the Portfolio Plan moving forward.  The Member also requested an update on work being undertaken on the future delivery model for Youth Support Services and the Director of Children, Education and Families explained that this formed part of the wider transformation agenda and that updates would be reported to future meetings of the Committee when available.  Another Member underlined the benefits of extra-curricular activities for young people post-16 that were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and the Director of Children, Education and Families confirmed that this would be considered as part of a wider conversation on how Bromley’s Youth Support Services would operate in the future.

A Member expressed concern that both the 2023/24 Portfolio Plan and the refreshed 2024/25 Portfolio Plan used the same wording around improving waiting times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services when waiting times remained a key issue.  The Director of Children, Education and Families agreed that there was significant scope to improve performance in this critical area but was pleased to confirm that waiting times for Children Looked After and those with a Child Protection Plan had reduced significantly over the past year.  Waiting times also did not preclude young people from receiving support from other sources such as Bromley Y or an allocated Social Worker.  The Chairman asked for a further update on CAMHS waiting times to be reported to the Committee in November 2024, including input from the Bromley Youth Council which had chosen mental health as one of its key topics for the 2024/25 municipal year.

A Member asked for an update on the delivery of the new SEN Free School which was referenced in the Portfolio Plan and was advised that the Local Authority continued to work with the Department for Education to move forward this project. A suitable site had been identified within the Borough and, should the Department for Education agree, it was planned to open the school with temporary accommodation for the 2025/26 academic year while the permanent build was being constructed.  Another Member noted a reference to exploiting the benefits of digitalisation and the Director of Children, Education and Families confirmed that this work would include considering potential applications of AI where appropriate. A Member commented that he had recently completed an excellent AI training course on Domestic Violence and further details on this training opportunity would be provided to Members following the meeting.

RESOLVED: That progress on actions associated with the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan be noted.