Agenda and draft minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th February, 2026 as a true and correct record of the proceedings and to be signed by the Chair.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission, held on 10^th February, 2026 be approved as a correct record of proceedings.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

There were no items of business on the agenda that required the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting.

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public or press.

To receive and note the update on the delivery of the Community Recovery Fund projects in Children and Young People’s Servies over the past twelve months.

Consideration was given to the report as submitted and the Chair welcomed Councillor Cusworth - Cabinet Member and Deputy Leader, Rachel Jackson -  Early Help Outreach and Engagement Co-ordinator, Amanda Needham -  Service Manager, Fiona Radford - Manager and Ann Foxley-Johnson to the meeting.

Councillor Cusworth introduced the report and provided an update on the delivery of the Community Recovery Fund projects in Children and Young People’s Servies over the past twelve months following how in late July and early August 2024, a wave of violent anti-immigration riots occurred across the UK, including a public disturbance in Manvers, Rotherham. These events had significant personal, professional, and community impacts across Rotherham.

In response, the Government created a £15 million Community Recovery Fund (CRF) to help affected areas recover. Rotherham received funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support community cohesion and assist communities impacted by the disorder.

As part of this programme, two Children’s Services projects were approved and delivered: Building Bridges and Together for Tomorrow.

Reference was made to the report which provided in-depth information about the projects, their success and progress.

The Chair invited Fiona Radford, Manager and Ann Foxley-Johnson to begin the first half of the presentation which highlighted:-

·              Community Recovery Fund CYPS Projects.

·              Project 1 - Together for Tomorrow.

·              Why Together for Tomorrow.

·              Strand 1 – Conversations about Faith.

·              Strand 2 – Picture Trail.

·              Strand 3 – Ambassadors.

·              Strand 4 – Curriculum Links.

·              Strand 5 – Together for Tomorrow Song.

·              Strand 6 – Places of Worship.

·              Strand 7 – Online Safety.

·              Project 8 – Schools Linking Project.

A discussion and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:-

-               Inclusion of faiths and way of life within the project including Humanism.

        The Cabinet Member confirmed all faiths and ways of life were represented on the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education and were included as part of the consultation.

-               Was there a good spread of schools and had the project captured the right schools.

        There was a good spread of schools and at this stage no school had been particularly targeted.  However, there were some hotspots that would receive a targeted approach from September.

-               Were current participation levels such as 43% of schools involved and the numbers of young people engaged sufficient to achieve expected outcomes and what plans existed to widen reach?

        It was noted that it was 43% of schools and not 43% of pupils and whilst not all schools were involved there were some of the majority of academy trusts.  It was hoped this information would then get disseminated accordingly.

-               How was the project delivered across year groups and did it target a specific year group.

        The project covered Early Years into KS3 and it was hoped that the project would become embedded to ensure sustainability even once the funding was exhausted.  It was hoped the good work would not stop.  In addition this now formed part of SACRE and this would help  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

To receive and note the information and assurance regarding activity in relation to Children Not in School in Rotherham.

Consideration was given to the report and associated appendices which were introduced by Councillor Cusworth as they provided information and assurance regarding activity in relation to Children Not in School in Rotherham to enable the Commission to receive an update regarding this area of work. The Elective Home Education, and Exclusions dashboard, therefore, provided a breakdown of the characteristics of the respective cohorts to enable scrutiny by the Commission and provide assurance to the commission on processes for children who did not access a school setting on a full-time basis. This included children in the following groups:-

·              In receipt of local authority commissioned provision (Section 19 provision - provision set out in Section 19 of the 1996 Education Act) as they are medically unable to attend school, have been permanently excluded from school or have an Education Health Care Plan and are Educated Otherwise than at School,

·              children experiencing suspension,

·              in receipt of part time school provision,

·              accessing school commissioned alternative provision,

·              experiencing poor school attendance,

·              who are known to be electively home educated,

The Chair welcomed Niall Devlin, Service Director, and Sarah Whitby, Head of Access to Education, to the meeting.

By way of a presentation delivered by the Head of Access to Education, a copy of which was included in the agenda pack, the following was highlighted:-

·              Interventions already in place for children not in school:-

v   Early Intervention for Elective Home Education.

v   Support of a return to school in line with family’s wishes.

v   Support to schools to explore alternatives to exclusion.

v   Scrutiny of exclusions paperwork and challenge.

·              Service Developments:-

v   Revised Elective Home Education Policy.

v   Appointment of two Elective Home Education Officers and a Service Support Assistant.

v   School Attendance Team embedded in Access to Education.

v   Appointment of three School Attendance Monitors.

v   Review of Training Offer.

·              Partnership Working:-

v   Working with Secondary Schools to support inclusion.

v   Oversight by the School Governance Group.

v   Termly sharing of exclusions and suspensions.

v   Participation in Inclusive Leadership Programme.

v   Work with Outreach and Engagement.

v   Key Stage 2 “Step Out” at Rotherham Aspire.

v   Exclusions Working Group support.

·              Key Areas of Focus:-

v   Further development of Rotherham’s shared vision.

v   Reducing exclusion and suspension of children with SEND and FSM.

v   Supporting children to remain in school in Years 10 and 11.

v   Working towards provision of Key Stage 3 “Step Out” at Rotherham Aspire.

A discussion and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:-

-               The right to elective home educate by parents.

The Education Act 1996 placed a duty on every parent of a child of compulsory school age to ensure they received an efficient, full-time education.  Parents have the legal right to remove their children from a school roll and provide their education and the Council must ensure that children who were home educated were in receipt of a suitable and efficient full-time education.

-               What could the Council do when parents were ill equipped to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To receive and note the Annual Report of the Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) for the academic year 2024–2025.

Consideration was given to the report which presented the Annual Report of the Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) for the academic year 2024–2025. It summarised advice to statutory bodies, the standards and quality of Religious Education (RE) and collective worship in Rotherham schools, the work of the Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) and SACRE’s contribution to wider council priorities.

Councillor Cusworth described how the report highlighted strengthened membership (notably secondary RE specialists), successful CPD and interfaith engagement, progress towards reviewing the local Agreed Syllabus, and one determination (Thornhill Primary School).

The Commission were asked to note the Annual Report and endorse the forward actions for 2025–2026, including enhanced subject leader support, the South Yorkshire RE Conference, and development of school visits/visitors’ guidance.

The Chair welcomed Niall Devlin, Service Director, and Hannah Lambert, Chair of SACRE, to the meeting and invited them to deliver the presentation.

The presentation highlighted:-

·              Purpose and Assurance to Improving Lives Select Commission.

·              Key Headlines from the Annual Report.

·              SACRE as a statutory body mandated to the Local Authority.

·              Areas for Development.

·              Publication of the Annual Report.

·              Content of the Annual Report.

·              Financial Position.

·              Forward Plan 2025-26.

·              Recommendations to Improving Lives.

A discussion and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:-

-               Inclusive membership and the basis of a good foundation.

SACRE now had a broader and more knowledgeable membership ensuring that discussions are informed and professional.

-               Collective worship and fulfilling statutory duties.

Collective worship was not actively monitored due to the collaboration of academy trusts, but maintained schools were unless they applied for a determination.

Broad definitions of Christian assemblies still continued to reflect collective workshop.

Resolved:-  (1)  That Rotherham’s SACRE Annual Report for 2024–2025 and its key findings be received and noted.

(2)  That SACRE’s forward plan priorities for 2025–2026, including continued CPD, annual RE conference, RE awards and the development of educational visits/visitors guidance be supported and endorsed.

To consider and approve the Commission’s Work Programme.

The Committee considered its Work Programme for 2025/26 and the remaining items scheduled for the last meeting of Improving Lives for this municipal year.

The Chair also drew attention to a suggestion which required volunteers meeting with the Children and Young People’s Partnership Board made up of young people who have reviewed their programme of work.  The young people were developing a strategy to underpin their agreed priorities going forward and the rationale, the potential impact and outcome measures and the presentation of the strategy itself much the same way pre-decision scrutiny had worked before.  

The session was scheduled to take place at the next meeting of the Children and Young People’s Partnership meeting on Tuesday, 28^th April, 2026 at 4.00 p.m. in the Town Hall.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Work Programme be approved.

(2)  That volunteers meet with the Children and Young People’s Partnership at their next meeting on Tuesday, 28^th April, 2026 at 4.00 p.m. and that an invite be extended to Councillors Brent, Clarke, Harper and Sutton, along with co-opted members, Mr. M. Hemmingway and Mr. J. Newman.

For the Chair/Project Group Leads to provide an update on the activity regarding sub and project groups of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

The Chair provided a progress report on the ongoing review about the impact of secondary school policies on school attendance levels and ensuring an education for vulnerable children and/or trauma experienced children, and how this impacts the Council’s broader duties of safeguarding and school attendance.

In January 2026 a questionnaire was sent to all secondary schools in the borough to seek background information relating to how they supported children who were vulnerable or have experienced trauma.  Despite repeated attempts by officers only a small number of responses were received. 

The Chair wished to place on record her thanks to the schools that did respond and the information provided was extremely useful, and in some cases very detailed, providing a high level of assurance that those schools were operating in a trauma-informed way. The schools were to be written to directly to thank them for their responses and congratulate them on their work.

The lack of engagement did mean that continuing with the review was not possible at this time.   However, a Cabinet Member working group was being explored with a range of partners and if this proceeded then members of Improving Lives and Health would be invited to join.

Resolved:- That the update be received and the contents noted.

To consider any item(s) the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.