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The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee examined proposals on additional learning needs (ALN) places, the Home to School Transport Policy and a five-year youth work strategic plan. The Committee agreed on each item that the Chairperson will write to the Cabinet Member with its comments and observations.
The Committee held pre-decision scrutiny on four reports before they go to Cabinet or Council. Pre-decision scrutiny means councillors question a proposal before the decision is made. The Committee agreed that the Chair will write to the relevant Cabinet Member with its comments on the housing support, social services, corporate parenting and Welsh-medium admissions reports, and it approved the Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26.
At its meeting on 13 May 2026, the Committee scrutinised two reports before Cabinet considers them: additional learning needs (ALN) provision and a five-year youth services strategy. On both, the Committee decided only that the Chair would write to the Cabinet Member with its comments. It also noted the draft Scrutiny Annual Report, subject to one amendment.
Cardiff's Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee carried out pre-decision scrutiny of the School Admissions Policy for 2027/28 and of the city's Child-Friendly City re-accreditation. Pre-decision scrutiny means councillors examine a plan before the Cabinet, the council's senior decision-making body, takes its decision. The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Member for Education with its comments on both items, and it agreed changes to its work programme.
The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee considered draft budget and Corporate Plan proposals for the services in its remit on 23 February 2026. Members questioned officers and Cabinet Members about children's services, education and youth services. For each of the three Cabinet Member portfolios, the committee resolved that the Chairperson will write to the Cabinet Member with its comments.
The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee met on 20 January 2026 to scrutinise five reports before they go to Cabinet: school budgets, the Annual Education Performance Report, investment in the school estate, the growth of Welsh-medium secondary education, and a proposal to move St Mellons Church in Wales Primary School into the Saints Federation. For each report, the Committee resolved that the Chairperson write to the Cabinet Member with its comments and observations.
The Committee scrutinised Phase 1 of a plan to add 462 specialist places for children with additional learning needs (ALN), before Cabinet considers it on 18 December 2025. It agreed that the Chair should write to the Cabinet Member with its comments. It also noted that a proposal to extend the age range of Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof received no objections during its statutory notice period.
On 7 October 2025 the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee pre-scrutinised two reports due before Cabinet on 16 October 2025, and received a briefing on eliminating profit from care. The Committee noted the Local Authority Social Services Annual Report 2024/25 and the draft Cardiff Inclusion Strategy and agreed that its comments would go to Cabinet. The Chair will write to the Cabinet Member with the Committee's comments.
The committee gave pre-decision scrutiny to the Fairwater Campus update and the post-consultation report on extending Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof to include a nursery. It also heard an update on school improvement services and agreed the committee's 2025/26 work programme. Cabinet will consider the two education proposals on 18 September, and the committee agreed to send its comments to the Cabinet Member.
The committee examined a proposed policy to help children in care stay in foster placements by funding adaptations and extensions to carers' homes, before Cabinet considers it on 10 July 2025. It also received a briefing on the Front Door review of children's services, and moved the neurodivergent strategy consultation to a joint meeting on 7 July. The only recorded decisions were to write to the Cabinet Member with the committee's comments on the policy, and to pass suggested changes to the annual scrutiny report to officers.
It received a briefing on school budgets, showing that 55 schools are expected to be in deficit for the year ending 31 March 2026. It also carried out pre-decision scrutiny of a proposal to federate St Mellons CIW Primary School into The Saints Federation, which Cabinet is due to consider on 19 June 2025. The committee agreed that the Chair would write to the Cabinet Member with its comments, and began planning its work programme for the year.
Members raised questions on data, placements outside Cardiff, school attendance and social media. The Committee resolved that the Chair write to the Cabinet Member with its comments.
On each item, the Committee agreed that the Chair will write to the Cabinet Member with the comments and observations made during the discussion.
The Committee met on 11 March 2025 to scrutinise five items before Cabinet considers them on 20 March. It noted the Play Sufficiency Assessment 2025-28 without scrutinising it, because members had already helped develop it. On the other four items it agreed that the Chair should write to the Cabinet Member with the Committee's comments: the extension of the Passenger Transport framework, the Admissions Policy, a consultation on adding a nursery to Ysgol Gymraeg Coed-Y-Gof, and proposed changes to school improvement services in Cardiff.
Scrutiny means councillors questioning plans before a decision is made.
Cabinet is due to decide on the proposals on 23 January 2025. The Committee agreed that the Chair will write to the Cabinet Member with its comments, and it also agreed how to start scrutiny of risk management in the School Organisation Programme.
On 12 November 2024 the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee considered two items. It received a briefing on the council's accommodation strategy for children in care, including plans to move to not-for-profit care homes and fostering, and it reviewed Cardiff's response to a national review of school improvement. On both items the Committee resolved that the Chair should write to the Cabinet Member with its comments, and both proposals go to Cabinet on 21 November.
On 15 October 2024 the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee examined the draft Local Authority Social Services Annual Report for 2023/24 before Cabinet and Council consider it. On the committee business item, Members agreed to add a role on the council's resilience to the ALN inquiry's Terms of Reference, and five councillors indicated interest in joining the inquiry. The Committee resolved that the Chair writes to the Cabinet Member with its comments on the report.
It also agreed its work programme for 2024/25. It formally agreed to start an inquiry into additional learning needs and task and finish groups on education other than at school.
The Committee carried out pre-decision scrutiny of proposals for more than 100 places for children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN) across several schools, ahead of Cabinet on 20 June 2024. Only one objection had been received, and the Committee resolved that the Chair write to the Cabinet Member with its comments. Pre-decision scrutiny means councillors examine a proposal before the body that makes the decision considers it.
Pre-decision scrutiny means a committee examines a proposal before the decision is taken.