Agenda item

Councillor Gallagher entered the meeting and it was noted that the committee was quorate.

a)    Scrutiny Initiation Document and Witness Evidence Plan

Lisa Arthey, Director – Youth and Communities, introduced the scrutiny initiation document and witness evidence plan.

The review was welcomed by officers, as joining up services for vulnerable adolescents was a priority area for Children’s Services.

The Committee expressed concerns about young people missing from home, care, or education, as this could be an indicator of other complex vulnerabilities.

The Committee noted the attainment gap of young people from certain BME and White Working Class demographic groups, and commented that these young people may also have specific vulnerabilities. It was requested that witness evidence included demographic statistics where relevant and appropriate. 

It was suggested that the Committee should be mindful of the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee’s 2015/16 review of Knife Crime and Mobile Phone Theft, which reviewed some services for vulnerable young people. It was commented that the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee should be careful not to duplicate this work, and the previous review may have identified services or issues which would merit further investigation. 

As the review potentially covered a very broad area of work, the Committee was asked to specify which areas they wished the review to focus on. It was agreed that the review should have a particular focus on:

·         vulnerable adolescents who are missing from home, care, or education;

·         young people aged 10 to 13 years (but not exclusively);

·         the issues faced by vulnerable young adults and what services or actions would have helped them as younger adolescents;

·         the ‘child’s voice’ and how the council ensures that services for vulnerable adolescents are tailored to their specific needs;

·         the specific local causes of vulnerability.

RESOLVED:

i)              That the Scrutiny Initiation Document be agreed, subject to the scope of the review being amended to read as follows: 

·         vulnerable adolescents who are missing from home, care, or education;

·         young people aged 10 to 13 years (but not exclusively);

·         the issues faced by vulnerable young adults and what services or actions would have helped them as younger adolescents;

·         the ‘child’s voice’ and how the council ensures that services for vulnerable adolescents are tailored to their specific needs;

·         the specific local causes of vulnerability.

ii)             That the Witness Evidence Plan be revised to reflect the above amendment.

b)    Introductory briefing

Laura Eden, Head of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance, delivered an introductory presentation which set out the issues surrounding services for vulnerable adolescents.

The following main points were noted in the discussion:

·         The Committee considered how adolescence can be defined. It was advised that there were a range of views on this matter, however it was generally accepted that adolescence commenced at the onset of puberty, which was usually around age 10 to 12.

·         It was reported that the number of adolescents on child protection plans had increased in recent years. Previously the majority of child protection plans related to babies, however around the same number of adolescents as babies were now subject to child protection plans.

·         Vulnerable adolescents were particularly vulnerable to gang activity.

·         The council’s early intervention approach sought to intervene before issues became entrenched.

·         The council’s services for vulnerable adolescents were complemented by the rich voluntary and community sector offer in Islington. Whilst the council commissioned some VCS services, others had their own sources of funding.

·         The council’s Youth Crime Plan had sought to strengthen joined up working by championing a ‘one worker, one plan’ model. It was commented that most young people responded positively to this model of service delivery.

·         A number of legislative frameworks applied to services for vulnerable young people. As a result, different eligibility criteria and consent thresholds applied to different services.

·         It was advised that front line officers working with young people needed different skills as opposed to officers ten or fifteen years ago. It was important that services for young people reflected changes in society and the demography of the borough.

·         The Committee considered the difficulties related to safeguarding young people who were being groomed and had an emotional attachment to their abuser. Officers commented that teachers and others working with young people needed to be sensitive to this and recognise indicators of abuse.

·         Peer to peer child sexual abuse was the most common form of sexual abuse in Islington. A smaller number of young people were abused online or in a family setting.

·         A discussion was had on the challenges posed by Islington’s administrative boundaries. It was known that a number of young people from Islington regularly gathered in Wood Green, Kings Cross, and the West End. As the council was not able to provide services outside of the borough, a London-wide response was required.  

·         It was explained that the Islington Safeguarding Children Board recognised three categories of gang involvement; Category 3 (those entrenched in gangs), Category 2 (low level offenders), and Category 1 (those who were vulnerable to gang involvement, for example if their sibling was in a gang). The Committee requested demographic information on the young people associated with gangs.

·         The Committee considered the prevalence of drug and substance abuse among young people. It was commented that almost all teenagers had witnessed substance abuse to some degree.

·         The Committee considered the reasons why young people congregate in public spaces, and queried if this was because there were not sufficient safe spaces for young people.

The Committee thanked the officers for their attendance.