Agenda and minutes

The Committee noted the evacuation and housekeeping procedure.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 2 June 2025

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd June 2025 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive evidence from Council Officers as part of the Scrutiny Review of Partnership Working in Early Help

The Committee received a presentation from the Service Lead for School Support and Sufficiency which covered:

• The School Support Team structure
• The current offer from the team, who worked with all schools across five cluster areas, including hosting solution circles, advice and signposting, and acting a Lead Professionals on complex cases.
• The number of Pupils on roll and number of pupils receiving Free School Meals (FSM) in each cluster, with children in Thornaby and North Stockton cluster receiving the highest number of FSM.
• The number of Social Care referrals and External Early Help Assessments. It was highlighted that the 1,768 contacts into the Children’s HUB from schools was not the number of individual children that were referred, as the same child could be referred for support several times.

• The outcomes that the Team around the School Service (TASS), wanted to achieve for children, which included not only improving attendance but making sure children knew how to ask for help and had someone they would be able to go to if they had an issue.

• The outcomes that TASS wanted to achieve for schools which included upskilling school staff to recognise any signs or changes in their pupils that indicated they could require early help, thereby ensuring that support was offered at the earliest opportunity.
• The level of support offered to schools, which would be agreed with schools based on the intelligence and ongoing conversations, with schools requiring targeted support receiving more than those that required preventative or universal support. 

The key issues discussed included:

• The School Support Worker made sure that there were smooth transitions from primary to secondary school, as well as secondary to higher/further education. TASS was working to ensure that information on the child and the support they had received ‘followed the child’ and was shared with schools/colleges when they transitioned. They were also working towards sharing information with secondary schools on the post 16 outcomes for their pupils so that schools could put measures in place to prevent their former pupils becoming Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET).
• The Team also worked with services outside of schools e.g. family hubs, so that conversations with the family, and support being offered, was carried out by the most appropriate person/service. 
• A portal was being developed to ensure that any support received from external partners could be reported, and therefore a better picture of the family’s needs could be built.
• Members asked what the biggest barrier to achieving the outcomes for both children and schools where and informed that these were attendance and communication with schools along with parents/carers. Work was ongoing to improve these. Raising the aspirations of children was also key.
• It was questioned what the target was for attendance and how it would be improved. Officers noted that they would work with individual schools to set their targets for attendance, and what their own barriers were. Best practice from schools both within and outside the Borough would be shared. It was important to ensure that  ...  view the full minutes text for item PEO/20/25

The timing of the Select Committee meetings was raised and it was noted that they clashed with another meeting. The Committee therefore agreed to move the meetings to 2pm start. 

Members were reminded of the Children and Young People workshops taking place on 31 July and 29 September where partners had been invited to co-produce the Early Help Strategy. Members had been invited to observe and feedback to the Committee to inform the review, and the invitation would be recirculated.

AGREED that the Work Programme be noted.