Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities

The Leader read an introduction prepared by the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities, who was unable to be present.  She began by thanking the NCLB officers, partner network, and NCLB strategic board and sub-groups who continue to push forward our collective efforts with fantastic results, positively impacting the lives of children, young people and their families year on year.

She also thanked CBC’s Golden Valley partner HBD who kindly facilitated an outstanding and inspiring knowledge-sharing session with Sheffield City Council last month, but said it is sad to note that although the challenge areas have shifted slightly, our support initiatives are needed just as much as they were when NCLB was launched in 2018.   Last year’s Year of Youth Voice Action activities and partnership working culminated in rich intelligence helping us to address the challenges that are most important to young people, leading to the first ever Changemaker Awards to celebrate the achievements of our young people, the opening of the very successful Youth Café at Smokey Joes in Cheltenham town centre, and the launch of a new Youth Activity Pass, which will be accessible to young people later this year, thanks to our partners Gloucestershire College and Cynam who have brought this web app development forward.

She said last summer’s Party in the Park and the recent NCLB Awards Ceremony are excellent examples of outstanding community impact - thanks to our partners who make these events so special and thoroughly enjoyable.

Finally, she said the next challenge is to help address the growing issues of school attendance, engagement and mental health, working with schools, the county council and specialist community partners to provide additional support for children and their families through community-based solutions; with Members’ approval today, we will collectively launch our Year of Education for All in September 2026.

Members welcomed the report and the important work done by NCLB to close the gaps for young people living in poverty in our town.  They thanked officers across the whole council, past and present, for supporting this initiative and providing services beyond statutory requirements. They made the following comments:

-       NCLB was launched in 2016, when the council started to go above and beyond to support children, young people and families who were falling behind as a result of failing services.  Ten years on, there are still great gaps in education attainment, health and social welfare and more which the government should be addressing but doesn’t appear to be.  The council will continue to do all it can to support them but the government should start making inroads into the terrible statistics;

-       it is impressive to see how The LibDem authority works closely with its outside partners to make things happen for the people of Cheltenham.  The work of NCLB is clearly needed, and its great initiatives and partner working go a long way to filling the gaps;

-       one of the strengths of CBC is its partnership working, not just looking to ourselves to get things done but to the wider partnership and community network.   This is at the heart of NCLB’s huge success. 

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the progress that has been made by No Child Left Behind in the past year is noted

2.    a Year of Action on Education for All will be undertaken, to run from September 2026 to September 2027 and that the proposed purpose, themes and activities will be consulted on.

3.    authority is delegated to the Head of Communities, wellbeing & partnerships, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Safety and Communities, to develop a detailed plan for the Year of Action on Education for All