Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Becky Haggar OBE with Councillor Ekta Gohil substituting.

Councillor Peter Smallwood declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 12 in that he was a trustee of the Union of Brunel Students.

Members thanked the clerk for the minutes.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed

David Pells, from Orchard Hill College, introduced the College.

Orchard Hill College operated across multiple areas including Hillingdon, Kingston, Southwark, and Sutton. The college had 11 sites and links with 14 schools that were part of their Academy. The site in Hillingdon had approximately 85-90 students.

There was a focus on working on Preparing for Adulthood (PFA) outcomes in employment, good health, independent living, and friends & relationships. These were related to the young peoples’ EHCPs. There were also students who did not have EHCPs who were funded through the education budget.

There was a supported internship program, one based at the Civic Centre and one based at Hillingdon Hospital.

Members asked about the criteria for student admissions. There were a range of needs at the college including young people with medical needs and those with moderate to severe learning difficulties. The admissions process included expressions of interest from parents; assessments by a panel; and visits to schools to determine the support and funding needed.

Members inquired about the changes implemented as a result of student feedback. The Student Council meetings and the "You Said, We Did" report highlighted examples such as planning social activities and improving timetables.  Regarding Student Council meetings, efforts were being made to standardise the agenda across all regions. Students had felt they did not have enough opportunities for activities outside the college. Consequently, the college had partnered with Brunel University of London, who had allowed the college to use their facilities once a month for a nightclub event. The first event was scheduled for the 27 February, and student participation was being encouraged. Additionally, the College had established strong connections with social care colleagues and local feeder schools. The Student Council was focused on addressing student concerns, such as access to town and community involvement. The college was collaborating with local authorities to improve these aspects for young people. The goal was to enhance student engagement with the community and provide more opportunities, ensuring consistency across all of the college’s sites.

Members inquired about the support provided to students progressing to higher education or careers. The primary course was a three-year program centred on Preparing for Adulthood (PFA) outcomes, which included planning for students' post-college destinations. For example, some learners attended the gym at the leisure centre, and it was ensured that this continued after they finished their course. In the third year, during the annual review, the college suggested a post-college timetable to support the transition. This included arrangements for gym attendance and identifying any necessary support, such as a personal assistant. For employment, the college explored voluntary and paid job opportunities. They had established connections with various companies, including Uxbridge Football Club where some students had secured voluntary and paid positions. Additionally, supported internships were available for students who are suitable for this pathway, providing a stepping stone after completing the three-year course. The college also explored voluntary opportunities with charity shops and food banks, aiming to achieve the best aspirations for students, including  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

Dylan McTaggart, from Uxbridge College, introduced HRUC, and thanked Members for the opportunity to present the item.

The college group had 15,000 students, growing at 7% annually. 8,500 students were aged 16-18, with 50% at Level 3 and above. 4,500 adults were enrolled, with about 2,000 of these on part-time programs.

The college had a diverse student body, including 450 looked after children, which had doubled in the last two years. These young people achieved only 1% below their peers and amongst the highest achievement in the UK.

There were 850 high-needs students, ranging from low, profound and multiple learning disability where you might have three staff members and one student, up to those who were on their journey to university.

About 60% of students came to the college without both English and maths GCSE. The college had the highest progress despite this and was in the top 10% of all colleges nationally. This achievement was 8% above national average, despite merging with Richmond College which was a failing college financially and achievement-wise at the time. Harrow and Uxbridge Colleges were both rated outstanding by Ofsted, and including Richmond College the overall rating was good.

The college was very employer-focused. The college boasted a 96% positive destination rate for students (i.e. a job or moving up a level).

The college had a 97% retention rate across the 15,000 students. Of the 3%, some were for relocation purposes. Exclusions were under 20 for the entire year, which the college was very proud of.

Significant investments were being made in STEM and engineering, including a £12 million investment to develop the Institute of Technology.

There was a strong partnership with the local authority. Hillingdon was very outward looking compared to other local authorities that the college group were stationed in.

There had been some groundbreaking work on the 14-19 education strategy and good partnerships with schools.

The college had just purchased Barra Hall in Hayes for a new facility. This would be of benefit as the college was growing by 15% a year in high needs students alone.

Members asked about the number of students who leave with GCSEs in Maths and English. For those who came to the college without this, the pass mark was around 23%, which was significant for this cohort. It was reiterated that there was a 96% positive destination. This meant that despite poorer starting points, those students were achieving merits and distinctions in their main vocational course, and 80% got their first choice of university. Students were generally at the college for three to four years and so by the time they left the college the vast majority had GCSEs.

Members asked about moving staff around the different sites. Some teachers did move across the sites, in engineering for example. The growth of the college was vast and they were constantly recruiting. There was a constant 7% vacancy factor with 3% agency on top. The college did not cancel classes.

Members inquired about the partnership with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

Officers provided an update on the recommendations of the Committee’s previous major review of the Stronger Families Hub.

RECOMMENDATION 1: To continue to raise the profile of the Stronger Families Hub with all Hillingdon stakeholders, including schools (both in and out of the Borough), community organisations, third sector organisations and elected Members, with a view to improving resident awareness of the Hub and the support available to them.

This recommendation was to ensure that all residents were aware of the support that was available to them.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Seeks to maintain the resilience of the 24/7 Hub model by monitoring the staff and triage resourcing covering the out-of-hours service, in light of comments made by witnesses.

The Stronger Families Hub operated 24/7, 365 days of the year. This recommendation was to ensure that there was capacity in the out of hours service to lessen the strain within office hours, where most demand arose.

RECOMMENDATION 3: Review the capacity within the Hub to support increased demand, in light of comments made by witnesses, in particular from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children arriving at Heathrow Airport.

A number of investments had been made to boost capacity. Having Heathrow Airport located within the borough created a particular set of challenges and opportunities for the Hub, and officers had introduced a pilot team to make sure that it was a dedicated bespoke service that was provided to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

RECOMMENDATION 4: To note the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s review into the effectiveness of the CAMHS referral pathway, and to review ways to enhance signposting around mental health services via the Hub and to voluntary and private sector services.

This was noted.

RECOMMENDTION 5: To continue to raise awareness of the Stronger Families Hub regularly with partners to keep abreast of changes or new developments. This is to include an annual renewal of the membership of the Stronger Families sub-group to ensure it reflects all stakeholders; & RECOMMENDATION 6: Ensure the Stronger Families Hub is accessible to a diverse range of communities by investigating advertising and promoting the Stronger Families Hub in additional languages;

It was noted that while some communities were termed hard to reach, officers wanted to be more creative in ensuring accessibility and awareness of the Hub, aiding in preventative measures rather than waiting for issues to become entrenched. A number of methods had been used for this including using the Stronger Families Partnership as a conduit of sharing information. Officers focused on relationship-based social work with children and their families. Word of mouth was useful, and IT can assist in getting the message out in a range of languages. However, digital communication did not work for everyone. Therefore, the Hub did rely on partners including stronger communities leads and managers to work with faith groups, community groups and the voluntary sector to make sure information was available to all children and families.

RECOMMENDATION 7: Investigate adding into the referral form process to explain why consent had not been obtained, where appropriate.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

The Chair noted that this item would be deferred to allow Members more time to consider draft recommendations and to discuss with officers.

The Labour Lead thanked the Chair for this decision.

RESOLVED: That the item be deferred

Members noted the minutes of the previous Corporate Parenting Panel.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the minutes of the previous Corporate Parenting Panel

Members considered the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the Forward Plan

Members suggested looking at, given that the March agenda was looking heavy, whether any items could be pushed back to a later date.

RESOLVED: That the Children, Families & Education Select Committee considered the report and agreed any amendments

(Note: this item was taken after item 6)

Professor Geoff Rodgers, from Brunel University of London, introduced the item.

The university had a distinctive profile in UK higher education, with highly employable graduates, a driver of social mobility and doing research that was firmly informed by the needs of society, such as social science, engineering and computer science. In the spectrum of UK universities, Brunel was a distinctive organisation.

The university had 10,000 undergraduate students, 6,000 master’s students, 1,000 doctoral students, 2,300 staff with a turnover of £300 million.

Brunel had an apprenticeship programme, focused mainly on the needs of the NHS workforce plan, and also digital science. Brunel had received an outstanding from Ofsted for its apprenticeship programme and was the only institution in London to do so.

There were two large transnational education programmes in China, one in Chongqing which was one of the fours imperial capitals of China. There were 500-600 students studying electrical engineering there. The other was a digital science programme in Beijing with 600 students studying Brunel degrees.

Members inquired about the university's student demographics and marketing strategies. The university recruited locally, with 45% of students from the UK, 10% from Europe, and 45% from the rest of the world. Most UK students came from West London and surrounding areas. The university had strong relationships with local schools and colleges, particularly Uxbridge College which was the largest single provider of students. Recruitment efforts were focused on the south of England and particularly West London. A sizeable fraction of students were from Hillingdon, with some from surrounding boroughs.

The university was at the cutting edge of innovation in UK higher education. They were currently working with 20 businesses over five sessions to build innovation plans and secure public funding. Brunel had established the Central Research Laboratory at Hayes which had spun out nearly 130 new businesses, and had now moved to Slough. A large number of students went on to start their own businesses. The university’s emphasis was on student start-ups with staff working with established businesses. Brunel received income from Innovate UK.

The university encouraged students to engage in volunteering to enhance their CVs and gain skills. There were also volunteering awards, which recognised the contributions of students.

Members inquired about the university's financial pressures. The university faced financial pressures similar to other UK universities and councils. Lots of universities were undertaking restructuring programmes. Brunel had a healthy intake of undergraduates which was an increase on the previous year’s numbers. Efforts were being made to align capacity with demand.

The university worked closely with its Student Union, investing in projects that aligned with the university's strategy. There was strong cooperation on issues like widening participation and supporting students.

Members discussed the civic agreement between the university and the Council. This was a commitment from both parties to work more closely. While these relationships take time to grow, successful projects included work on High Streets and public parks.

Members asked about integration of international students.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.