Any correspondence, communication or other business brought forward by
the direction of the Chair of the Committee.
Minutes:
The Chair attended the Executive meeting on 17 February, where the following points were raised with the Executive Member for Education, Learning and Skills and the Executive Member for Children and Families:
Referrals to Children’s Social Care – improved
performance.
The Chair noted the improved performance of the Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) and the positive impact that this is having elsewhere in the system. The Executive Member explained that referrals to Children’s Social Care are beginning to fall, although challenges remain, and this is starting to have a beneficial knock‑on effect throughout the service.
Number of Looked After Children – what is the Council
doing to address the upward trend?
Referrals had fallen by 12% compared with the same period in the previous year owing to strengthened practice of MAST. Many children entering care in Q3 were part of sibling groups and plans were in place to ensure help was offered at the lowest appropriate level. Child protection plans were beginning to come down and North Yorkshire continued to have a comparatively low rate of 52 children per 10,000 population, against a national average of 74.
Stability of short-term placements - this has improved,
but 13.2% of children in care are experiencing 3 or more placements in 12
months, which can be hugely disruptive. Why?
It was stressed that although short‑term placement
stability had improved to 13% in Q3, any repeat moves were concerning. Moves
could occur while assessments were completed to identify the most suitable long‑term
family. Foster care capacity had at times reached 99–100%, limiting
flexibility, and confirmed that foster carer recruitment continued to be a
priority.
Timeliness of Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP) – the
improvements are welcomed. What have we done that has led to these
improvements and how can this learning be applied to elsewhere in the Council?
It was reported that performance had risen from 8% of plans
issued on time in January 2025 to over 80% in January 2026. This improvement
had been achieved through a more structured approach to casework, increased
availability and input from educational psychologists, timelier information,
and robust monitoring at each stage of the EHCP process to identify and resolve
delays early.
Permanent exclusions – the rate of permanent exclusions
from primary school is high when compared to other local authorities. Why
and what is being done to support schools where there are behavioural issues,
how do we support children who are permanently excluded and is un-met social
care or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) need a factor?
It was explained that preventative support was available through commissioned places in Pupil Referral Units (PRU) and that schools could also access alternative provision. It was confirmed that all excluded children must receive education by the sixth day and that consultation had taken place on extending PRU age ranges to respond to rising exclusions among younger pupils. SEND hubs continued to provide school‑led support, with a developing focus on strengthening inclusion in mainstream schools and ensuring responses were tailored to each child’s individual circumstances.
Councillor Goodrick informed the committee that Councillor Sanderson and herself recently held a baking session in Scarborough with some of the care experienced young people. They hope to arrange another session later in the year which will focus on cooking skills. Mel Hutchinson thanked Councillors Goodrick and Sanderson for their time and said she has heard very positive feedback from the young people.