Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 15 September 2025.

To consider any outstanding actions.

To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-

https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/documents/s2305/Public%20Items%20-%20Meeting%20Procedure%20Rules.pdf 

The deadline for the submission of public questions is 3 clear working days before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday the working day before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs).

To receive a verbal update from John Coughlan regarding the SEND Improvement Journey.

This report responds to a request from the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee key line of enquiry to benchmark BCP Council’s High Needs Block spend and strategic direction against similar local authorities. The purpose is to better understand the wider context of the Council’s High Needs deficit and identify potential strategies for improvement.

This report provides a strategic overview of BCP Council’s High Needs Block position. It also contains comparative data and insights together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of measures taken to address the accumulated Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit.

The report aims to support informed decision-making and provide assurance that all reasonable actions are being considered to address the financial challenges within the High Needs Block. improve financial sustainability and outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

This report provides an analysis of permanent exclusions and suspensions across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), with a focus on trends over time, comparisons with national and regional data, and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups.

Permanent exclusions in BCP have increased significantly in recent years, particularly in secondary and special schools. Pupils with special educational needs (SEND), those eligible for free school meals (FSM), and children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are consistently overrepresented in exclusion data. While national guidance emphasises that exclusions must be lawful, reasonable, and proportionate, BCP’s figures indicate that these groups continue to face higher rates of exclusion than their peers.

Suspensions have also risen sharply, with BCP’s rates exceeding national, Southwest, and statistical neighbour averages across most phases. The number of pupils receiving one or more suspensions has nearly doubled since 2019/20, with the highest rates observed among pupils with EHCPs and those eligible for FSM.  

This report summarises the policy landscape and national challenges, sets out the council’s strategic intent and framework for action and provides benchmarking data for permanent exclusions by phase, SEND status, and FSM eligibility, followed by a focus on suspensions data across the same dimensions. The analysis aligns with the ambitions of BCP’s Children and Young People’s Partnership Plan, which sets out a vision for every child to lead a fulfilling and happy life. Reducing exclusions and improving outcomes for vulnerable learners remains a shared priority across the partnership and this is central to the work we have been doing to develop a BCP Belonging Strategy.

This report presents the findings of a strategic review undertaken by an external provider into the Local Authority’s home to school transport arrangements focussing on our arrangements and provision for children and young people pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  The key objective of the review was to identify strategic and operational opportunities that support the development of independent travel options and make improvements to how home-to-school transport is delivered with a focus on potential efficiencies and service improvement.

It identifies key opportunities to introduce travel options that meet individual needs and help prepare young people for adulthood and promote long-term independence. Key issues include the complexity of transport arrangements, market capacity challenges, and the need for improved commissioning models that deliver better outcomes and value for money. The report presents a range of options and opportunities for future delivery and contained details of the investment necessary to achieve cashable savings and cost avoidance.  

This report seeks approval to proceed with a formal tendering exercise to commission an external provider to implement a phased delivery of change proposals that encourage independent travel, build independence and reduce journey times for children and young people. The approach will be supportive of young people's development to help young people gain confidence and practical skills for travelling safely on their own will result in making school transport more efficient and sustainable.   

This report provides an overview of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Sufficiency Strategy 2024-2026. The SEND Sufficiency Strategy is a key part of the Council’s work to deliver a sustainable and stable system, working in partnership to ensure that the needs of children and young people are met, without escalating costs, and supporting delivery of the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Recovery Plan.   The strategy is based on updated SEND projections presented in this year’s annual school capacity return.

Given the scale of our immediate challenge, the SEND Sufficiency Strategy describes the actions we have been taking to respond to pressures in the system over a 2-year period. Details of our progress are contained in this report together with a summary of the key themes and strands of work that will be incorporated in a new refreshed SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan that is being developed for publication in May 2026.

This report provides a performance update for the period April – June 2025 (Quarter 1 2025-26) for the key performance indicators relating to Children’s Services as detailed in the Corporate Performance Scorecard.

It should be noted that these are our amended KPIs and targets for the new financial year. They are based on our previous KPIs and therefore the focus, alignment to corporate priorities and ambitions have not changed. However, minor changes have been made to improve accuracy, clarity and to align with our internal reporting (which is also reviewed annually and set against national comparators whenever possible). 

This is the annual report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer on Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) activity within BCP Council.  There is a requirement to report on the work of O&S to the O&S Board and Committees and then to Council.  This promotes visibility of the O&S function and Council ownership of activity and any improvements required. 

The annual report contains a summary and analysis of O&S activity during 2024-25, reflections on working practices and identified improvements to strengthen the O&S function.

This report version is for consideration by the O&S Board and O&S committees, providing opportunity for comment prior to the supply of the final report to Council.  The Council will be the decision maker on any recommendations for change within the report. The final report to Council will be updated to incorporate the views of the O&S Board and Committees on these recommendations.

To adopt the Data Use Toolkit and implement it immediately to strengthen Overview & Scrutiny processes.

To receive a verbal update from the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People.

The Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee is asked to consider and identify work priorities for publication in a Work Plan.