Children and young people have the best possible outcomes

• Whilst children's needs are increasing, more children and young people are supported in school with special educational needs and disabilities (15.0%) with fewer requiring an EHCP (4.5%) than seen nationally.
• The total school population peaked in 2022/23 at 38,380 and has seen an overall drop of 1.7% in the last two years.
• The number of Solihull children in need increased by 48% in the five years to 2023/24.

In 2023/24, 53% of 19-21 year-old care leavers were in education, employment or training, higher than the West Midlands average of 51%.

• Our Children's Services are on a journey of improvement since being rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted in November 2022. We continue to work closely with the Government-appointed commissioner, Sir Alan Wood, and our regional improvement partner Birmingham Children's Trust, who have been integral to the developments made over the period.

Since the full inspection in October 2022, our Children's Services has received six monitoring visits from Ofsted looking at each service area. The final visit in April 2025 focused on our 'Front Door' service, and inspectors recognised the significant improvement that has been made. We continue to prepare for a full inspection by Ofsted, which is anticipated in autumn 2025.

We continue to shift our focus on prevention by ensuring that high-quality support is available for children and families at the earliest point of need. In July 2024, the Family Hubs programme officially opened, providing a 'one-stop shop' where children and families can access health appointments, youth clubs, parental guidance and wellbeing, as well as help for people with special educational needs. We have also launched a Family Helpline to provide support for parents and children.

Cllr Karen Grinsell accepts the donation of laptops for care experienced young people from Navdeep Sehra, Seddon Construction

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