2025 Board meeting summaries

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27 January 2025 

The Achieving for Children (AfC) Board of Directors met on 27 January 2025. The following substantive items were considered:

Board membership

Rachel Howard was appointed as an additional Executive Director until 30 June 2025.

Report from the Chair, including update on Board governance

• The Ownership Board recently met, and another meeting is tentatively planned for the summer if required. 
• The Board Governance review is complete, and recommendations have been accepted. The current AfC Board constitution will change in March 2025.

Audit and Risk Committee feedback

• The audit action follow-up process is being reviewed.
• The board assurance framework is being reviewed with the aim to streamline reporting and improve action tracking. 
• A summary of key risks related to the new Procurement Act will be presented at the next audit and risk committee in March 2025.
• There was a discussion around data protection training, and a commitment to continue to track attendance, particularly for agency staff.
• The treasury plan and annual debt recovery and write-offs were reviewed and agreed.
• There was a discussion regarding outstanding debt recovery from the NHS.

Clinical governance

A report was shared, and there were discussions around concerns regarding long waiting times for neurodevelopment assessments, IT challenges, and staffing issues.

Budget

The Board approved the 2025/26 budgets to be submitted to the councils.

• There was a discussion regarding pay inflation, and some adjustments that have been made.
• There is very little growth for future demand and savings progress is being monitored closely.
• The dedicated schools grants (DSG) budgets are being processed through schools forums.
• There was a discussion regarding the impact of the recent National Insurance changes.

Tax strategy

It was noted that the turnover threshold was reached in the year ending 31 March 2024, and there is therefore a requirement to publish a tax strategy by the end of 2024/25. The Board agreed the draft tax strategy for publishing.

Updates from Directors of Children's Services 

Windsor and Maidenhead 

An update was provided for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), with the following highlights:

• Pleased with the Ofsted Inspection outcome.
• New residential home on track to be complete in July 2025.
• Some progress has been made in terms of recruitment and retention of social workers, and a comprehensive action plan is in place for the next 12 months.
• Family Hub Service work continues to be positive.
• Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) continue to increase.
• Educational Psychology Service activity is high.
• Permanent exclusions have decreased, and the majority are now in the secondary phase.
• School place planning meetings are taking place.

Kingston and Richmond 

An update was provided for Kingston and Richmond, with the following highlights:

• Kingston inspection of local authority children's services (ILACS) was graded as outstanding. The report will be published on Wednesday. 
• The local authority special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) annual conversation was held last week. 
• School place planning conversations are taking place due to a reduction in primary school places. 
• The school building programmes have experienced significant delays. There is a meeting with the regional director to discuss.
• The family hub in Kingston has been delayed due to structural problems and we are now not expecting to open until Autumn. Further family hubs are being developed.
• Agency work challenges continue.

Chief Operating and Finance Officer update

There was an update in relation to the reports circulated with the agenda.

• The financial position reflects ongoing pressures. 
• The board assurance framework is being refined. 
• KPIs are a reflection on demand challenges.
• There are no major health and safety incidents to report.

Quarterly programmes update 

Savings at risk are in progress but are not likely to be realised within the current financial year.

24 March 2025

The Achieving for Children (AfC) Board of Directors met on 24 March 2025. The following substantive items were considered:

Welcome and Board focus

As this was the first meeting of the amended formation of the Board, there was a discussion about the Board's strategic focus, including a desire to avoid duplication of efforts across the three councils, and the need to ensure effective governance.

Cyber lead

There was a discussion about appointing a cyber lead and clarification of the role. KM agreed to take oversight but requested clarification to avoid duplication of what is already done within the councils.

Feedback from the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee chair

There was an update from the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) meeting, including key points of the external and internal audit plans, risks, and procurement issues. 

There are no major changes to the board assurance framework's assurance levels since it was last reported. The internal control framework's key challenges were highlighted and discussed.

The new Procurement Act was discussed along with related risks. It was agreed that the Monthly Commissioning Board will decide which risks are escalated to ARAC.

Youth engagement

There was a presentation and discussion on youth engagement, with recommendations for future engagement. It was agreed that it is important that young people can see the impact of their involvement. Further consideration will be given around taking this forward.

Richmond and Kingston SEND self-assessment

A report was shared detailing strengths and weaknesses regarding special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including what we are doing to improve areas requiring improvement. 

Windsor and Maidenhead SEND self-assessment

A presentation was shared and discussed. There was also some discussion around looking at areas of strengths and weaknesses collaboratively with Richmond and Kingston.

Updates from Directors of Children's Services 

Windsor and Maidenhead 

An update was provided on various topics, including a recent Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) inspection, which was graded as good across the board, budgets, service updates, and challenges. It was also noted that there is a new children’s home opening in August 2025.

Kingston and Richmond  

An update was provided on various topics, including challenges relating to the changes in Integrated Care Boards. The Family Hub Service programme is progressing well and the family help model pilot is being evaluated. There is some interesting work taking place on the kinship care pathfinder, and a paper will be going to committee in both Richmond and Kingston.

Updates were also provided on the children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) review, budgets, and the recommendations from the SEND transport review, which are being implemented. There was also a discussion regarding voluntary sector support in terms of early years and school readiness as part of our family hubs.

Challenges identified around school readiness were discussed and it was agreed that there is a similar situation in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM).

Chief Operating and Finance Officer update

There was an update on the financial position across all three boroughs, staffing, employee relations, and legal budgets. There were discussions on all topics. 

21 July 2025

The Achieving for Children (AfC) Board of Directors met on 21 July 2025. The following substantive items were considered:

Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) escalations and recommendations

External audit report on annual report and statement of accounts

• The Committee received the external audit report highlighting a number of audit recommendations to further improve the control framework. ARAC recommended that the annual report and statement of accounts are shared with AfC Board for formal sign off and subsequent submission to Companies House (pending final amends).

Internal audit 

• The Committee was updated on progress on the internal audit plan and key findings for Kingston and Richmond and approved the internal audit charter and strategy and plan for 2025/26. The Committee was updated on progress made in developing an internal audit plan for RBWM.

Board assurance framework

• ARAC reviewed the board assurance framework with the recommendation to add a new and closed actions summary to best track overarching progress.

Procurement

• There was a discussion regarding key procurement risks for both Richmond and Kingston, with an action to incorporate information from RBWM to ensure full oversight.

Information governance

• There was an update and discussion regarding information governance with an agreed action to add in benchmark information to show performance direction of travel. Nothing has required reporting to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). There was also an action to incorporate key risks into information governance reporting. 

Treasury matters 

• ARAC reviewed changes to bank mandates and administrators of online banking and recommend that the AfC Board approve these changes. The AfC Board approved the changes and asked the Chief Operating and Finance Officer (COFO) to take forward with the banks.

Approval of annual report and statement of accounts

The annual report and statement of accounts were approved and signed off by Sian Wicks.

Draft annual impact report, annual equalities report, annual participation report, strategic plan update and environment strategy update

The draft annual impact report, annual equalities report, annual participation report, strategic plan update, and environment strategy update were discussed. These documents will be shared with the councils and published once approved. There was an agreed action to produce a borough breakdown of information in the reports.

Updates from Directors of Children's Services  

Kingston and Richmond  

There was an update highlighting the following:

• ‘outstanding’ Ofsted inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) outcome for Richmond
• progress on the Family Hub programme
• emerging benefits from early intervention
• challenges with reforms and fair funding
• strategic priorities for the next quarter

Windsor and Maidenhead 

There was an update highlighting the following: 

• positive inspections (fostering, alternative provision, teacher training programme)
• successful migration to Liquid Logic
• scheduled opening of Old Windsor children’s home on 1 October
• a successful fostering campaign
• a reduction in the number of agency social workers
• good performance in social care and early help
• ongoing concerns regarding budget
• employee relations 
• procurement support

Chief Operating and Finance Officer update 

There was an update highlighting the following: 

• positive staff survey feedback with areas for improvement. The results are being reviewed and an action plan will be formed and shared with staff
• findings from the local government decision-making accountability (DMA) review. These findings will inform future strategic discussions and redesign efforts, and will be shared with staff
• overspends in general fund and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
• challenges in budget setting
• increased employee relations cases
• issues with procurement compliance and health and safety

Board assurance framework (BAF)

There was a discussion regarding the new BAF, which includes 12 new risks, and outlines levels of board and executive assurance. The Audit and Risk Committee has requested an additional slide in future BAF packs to track new and completed actions for each risk.

Local government devolution and the AfC model

There was a discussion around the key areas with potential to have a significant impact and it was agreed that there will need to be periodic check in at the Board to monitor developments and engage early with members and potential new partners. It was agreed that further discussions on succession planning will be required at a future Board meeting.

Provider services: progress report and planning for the future

There was a discussion regarding recommendations and context contained in a shared report. It was agreed that the position needs to be sustainable and we may need a provider services arm if we expand any further. There was an action to look at potential models and funding and bring it back to the Board for further discussion.