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 10 June 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).

The CYP Mental Health Transformation Programme ("Your Mind Your Say") has progressed into the Mobilisation and Implementation phase following full business case approval and Phase 1 funding. Built around the THRIVE Framework, the programme represents a strategic, co-produced model for delivering integrated mental health support across NHS Dorset, Local Authorities, VCSE partners, and schools.

Key priorities include mobilising early help and crisis response teams, expanding community (VCSE) access, Governance has been identified to ensure oversight and alignment with BCP’s Early Help Strategy and the Families First Pathfinder.

Funding has been approved, with future investment prioritised for MHST expansion. A Population Health Management dashboard will support outcome tracking and equity monitoring.

CYP and family voices remain central, with feedback mechanisms embedded throughout. Interdependencies such as the Neurodevelopmental Review and Tier 3.5 services are acknowledged but remain outside the programme’s direct scope. Crisis alternatives are under review, with youth worker pilots informing future service design.

This transformation marks a significant shift in how mental health services are commissioned and delivered for children and young people in BCP.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Improvement programme of work has made significant progress over the past 6 months, including stabilising the workforce, improving plan quality, and continuing to implement the SEND Sufficiency Strategy. However, challenges remain in maintaining assessment timeliness and managing the growing demand for support at a statutory level. Key focus areas include:

·       Assessment process and timeliness including AI solutions

·       Resolving disagreements including Tribunals

·       Complaints /Improved communication with our families

·       Addressing the high use of Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision (AP)

·       Improving Co-Production across the system

This report provides an update on the Local Authority’s work to improve the quality, consistency, and oversight of Alternative Provision (AP) for children and young people who are unable to access mainstream education.

In response to national policy direction and local priorities, the Council is developing a three-tier model of AP that promotes early intervention, targeted support, and specialist provision. The model is designed to reduce exclusions, improve outcomes, and ensure that AP is used as a short-term, purposeful intervention rather than a long-term destination.

The report outlines the rationale for change, the options considered, and the preferred approach. It also sets out the implications of the proposed model in relation to sustainability, public health, legal compliance, workforce development, and commissioning. The report is presented for information only and provides an overview of progress to date and the next steps in implementation.

This report for the period April 2024-March 2025 sets out that since the dissolution of the ‘Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership’, the new BCP Safeguarding Children Partnership has focussed on implementing new arrangements to fulfil the statutory responsibilities of the three statutory safeguarding partners who have joint responsibility and accountability for the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in the BCP geographical area.  The three statutory safeguarding partners are BCP Council, NHS Dorset ICB and Dorset Police. Within this period of significant change, partners have maintained a focus on safeguarding children and through the new arrangements have gained insights on the effectiveness of how well partners work together to safeguard local children and young people, and areas to be developed. Full details of the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements can be seen here.

The report provides an account of:

·       What we have done as part of our local arrangements, including any child safeguarding practice review

·       Impact of learning from local and national reviews

·       How we have applied independent scrutiny to review and challenge our safeguarding practice

·       How education partners are engaged with

·       Future improvements that can be made as to the effectiveness of local safeguarding arrangements.

This report will be submitted to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel by 30 September 2025 and will be published on the BCP Safeguarding Children Partnership website.

To provide an update on the compliments, complaints and representations made to BCP Council about Children’s Services during 2024-25.

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.