Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 30 January 2025 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.

The Panel considered the report of the Post 16 Manager providing an overview of post-16 education and training for young people in Southampton.

Councillor Winning - Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Clodagh Freeston – Head of Education, Beth Bray – Post 16 Manager , Alex Scott – Principal, Itchen College, Andy Grant – Executive Principal, Richard Taunton 6^th College and St Vincent 6^th Form college, Stewart Roderick – Head Teacher, Bitterne Park School, Paul Overton – Head of 6^th Form, Bitterne Park School and Jon Tucker- Assistant Head Teacher, St Annes Catholic School were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

• Any changes that have occurred since the January 2024 discussion;
• The levels of collaboration with the providers in the City;
• Performance and contextual achievements of each of the providers;
• How the aspirations of Council for growth and development were being matched by providers of post 16 education in the City;
• Measures taken to tackle the numbers of children Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET); and
• The providers ability to react to potential changes in the local government boundaries.

RESOLVEDthat reflecting the contribution of the sector to the skills profile of the city, the Cabinet Member for Children and Learning proposes that a representative from Post 16 providers is included when the membership of Southampton’s Renaissance Board is reviewed.

The Panel considered and noted the report of the Director of Transport and Planning providing a progress update on the School Travel Service Transformation Programme and next steps to deliver the remaining programme.

Councillor Winning – Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Pete Boustred – Director of Transport and Planning and Annamarie Hooper- Service Manager, Transport and Planning were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.  

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

• How the relationship between Children’s Services and the School Travel Service was developing;
• The services finances and potential to reduce and contain future expenditure; 
• Changes in policy and procedures and whether these had resulted in additional complaints;
• Feedback from the Parent Carer Forum;
• The challenge encouraging modal shift;
• The resilience of the service to adjust to significant change; and
• Future projects including the internal fleet pilot

The Panel considered the report of the Scrutiny Manager recommending that the Panel consider and challenge the performance of Children’s Services and Learning in Southampton.

Councillor Winning – Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, Rob Henderson – Executive Director, Children’s Services and Learning and Laura Trevett – Strategic Performance Manager were in attendance and, with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of points including:

• The forthcoming audit into referrals that require no further action;
• The number of foster carers and the progress recruiting new ones;
• The stability of the workforce and usage of agency workers; and
• An update on the provision of new children’s homes in Southampton.

RESOLVEDthat the findings from the audit of referrals that lead to no further action (NFA) is provided to the Panel when it is available.

The Panel received and noted the report of the Scrutiny Manager which enabled the Children and Families Scrutiny Panel to monitor and track progress on recommendations made at previous meetings.