Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 13^th March, 2025.

b)  Matters Arising

The Minutes of the meeting held on the 13th of March 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record.

Further to Minute 72, the Board requested an update on the review SEND provision when available.

Further to Minute 73, it was confirmed that the Section 19 Policy was agreed by Cabinet at their meeting on the 18^th March 2025 and the additional requests were being addressed.

Briefing Note of the Director of Children and Education

The Board considered a Briefing Note and a presentation of the Early Help Operational Lead on the overview of the Early Help Services, detailing progress to date and any likely changes in relation to the One Coventry Services programme.

Officers summarised that Early Help in Coventry is delivered through a partnership approach, with a wide range services, agencies and teams working to provide an early help system of support to deliver the right help at the right time to children, young people and their families. Furthermore, it is an approach that services adopt to intervene at the earliest opportunity to reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences and help families achieve positive outcomes and reduce the likelihood of needing statutory services intervention. This is described in Coventry’s Early Help Strategy, and is governed by the Early Help Strategic Partnership, a subgroup of Coventry’s Safeguarding Children Partnership.

All services who provide an early help offer to children, young people and their families have a responsibility to identify and assess needs, through effective conversations with children, young people and their families and plan with them how to address these needs. It was noted that, the importance of children and their families influencing the design and delivery of the future early help offer is a key principle in the Strategy, ensuring that the voices of children are at the heart of everything the service does.

In addition, officers described that the strategy focused on the implementation of the national programmes that are the key drivers in the delivery of Early Help: The Family Hub and Start for Life Programme and the Supporting Families Programme alongside the use of the shared recording platforms (Early Help Module, EHM) so that families do not have to repeat their story and intervention can be provided using a joined-up approach.

In summary, the Strategy defined the outcomes for children that the partnership will focus on, working together to improve children’s lives and intervene at the earliest opportunity. There is a clear focus on improving outcomes for children through the mobilisation of the 10 Early Help “Doing it Together” outcome groups.

In considering the Briefing Note and presentation, the Board questioned officers, received responses, and discussed matters as summarised below:

·  A definition of VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector).

·  Why the parent/carer feedback score for question 6 - Services are working/worked together to support me and my family – were slightly lower than others – potential challenges over partnership working in some areas.

·  The role of health colleagues in taking lead practitioner roles – working to the service’s guidance principles, capacity issues, the economic challenges imposed on health service providers, reforms to reintroduce health colleagues as lead practitioners and mitigation strategies to provide support for families.

·  The role of the VCS organisations (such as Southwarks Trust and MNMTA) in delivering health services for Early Help.

·  Sufficient staffing to meet the demands of families in the city.

·  Difficult funding arrangements with schools but providing support due to their essential role in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

Briefing Note of the Director of Children and Education

The Board considered a Briefing Note of the Director of Children and Education following a question regarding unregistered accomodation at the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4). The item was identified to look in more detail at the support offered to care leavers 18-25, including accommodation and the House Project.

Officers summarised the report, first detailing the Coventry House Project, part of the National House Project which started in 2018 working with 24 local authorities. This enables children in care and care leavers to move into independence in a planned and supported way. The young people on the project work alongside adults in their life to refurbish their homes and they can take over the tenancy when aged 18. The aim of the project is to support young people with the feelings of loneliness and exclusion and create a peer network of support that is lifelong.

Care leavers move into their own homes in a trauma and peer supported way, with significant support from key partners including, Independent Reviewing Officers, Social Work teams, Placements team, Health, Education providers, Virtual School, Police. There is a close partnership with the Citizen Housing Association and the Coventry House Project.

Officers highlighted the success of the 5 cohorts so far, with no tenancy issues so far and young people sharing the success of the scheme at Corporate Parenting Board and Scrutiny Board meetings. Additionally, 2 young people from the Coventry House Project have won the Frontline Young Peoples National Award.

The Briefing Note also highlighted the annual financial impact of the project with significant savings from young people accessing housing from young stage. Importantly, it was noted that further savings could be made if Cohort 4 and 5 were able to move to their tenancies 2 months earlier.

Regarding the care leaver offer, Coventry care leavers are supported by the Through Care service. The service consists of dedicated and passionate professionals determined to support the outcomes of care leavers. The team has a Housing Liaison Officer, Virtual School mentor and UASC nurse attached to it. It also works closely with partners at a local and national level to access resources and support for Coventry Care Leavers – the Council adopting care leaver status as a protected characteristic in 2024 has also been impactful.

Furthermore, the education, employment and training offer for care levers has been very successful and the service has been further commended by the Ministry of Justice for the work with care leavers in custody. The monthly activity program offers the opportunities for social connection and peer relationships and is care leaver led. Lastly, officers stated that the Through Care Service is also working closely with Transport for West Midlands providing free and discounted bus travel for Coventry Care Leavers.

In summary, officers highlighted the success of the house project model and the impact on care leavers, with potential saving routes being explored with Citizen Housing. The national recognition of the program similarly demonstrates its success. However, the focus now turns to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

Briefing Note of the Director of Law and Governance

RESOLVED that the Board notes the Work Programme 2024/25 and that:

1)  An item on SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) be brought to a future meeting of the Board.

Any other items of business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

The Board congratulated Sybil Hanson (Co-opted Member) on her recent Coventry Award of Merit.