Approved Panel Minutes - Children, Education and Home Affairs - 2025

Present

Deputy Catherine Curtis , Chair

Connétable Mark Labey , Vice-Chair

Apologies

Deputy Helen Miles , Member Deputy Beatriz Porée , Member

In attendance

Katherine de Carteret, Committee and Panel Officer Joseph Brannigan, Research and Project Officer

Charlotte Curry, Communications Officer (Matters 1-3 only) Michael Morris, Communications Officer

Agenda matter

Action

1.  Opening Remarks

The Chair provided a brief welcome to the Panel's first meeting of 2025.

2.  Records of Meetings

The Panel approved the records of the meetings held on 4th September, 22nd November and 16th December 2024.

3.  Work Programme

The Panel discussed its planned work programme for January to June 2025.

The main focus for the Panel's work programme in the first half of 2025 was the proposed review: What protection do children in Jersey have from online harms?' (discussed further under agenda item 6).

There were two matters that required legislative scrutiny required before the States Assembly sitting on 4th February 2025 (P.87/2024 and P.89/2024, referenced in later agenda items). Also, timing for lodging of amendments to the Police Complaints Regulations had not been confirmed, but this was also expected to require scrutiny time during the first quarter of 2025.

The Panel discussed other matters that it wished to explore during the whole calender year, but agreed to discuss again at its next meeting, when other members of the Panel had the opportunity to contribute.

The Panel recalled that, in October 2024, the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs had  offered  a  briefing  to  the  Panel  about  the  Ambulance,  Fire  and  Rescue Headquarters and requested that officers make arrangements for the briefing.

The Panel had previously agreed to arrange a primary school visit in the new year, but  agreed  to  defer  this  as  it  was  not  directly  related  to  its  immediate  work programme.

Officers advised the Panel that during both January and April 2025 there were weeks where the Panel would hold three public hearings. This was due to scheduling and availability, and was highlighted as part of the work programme as it was recognised

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that it would create higher concentrations of scrutiny work for members. It was confirmed that the quarterly hearings were more evenly spread in Q3 and Q4 of 2025.

4.  Scrutiny Briefings

The Panel noted that it was due to receive the following briefings from Government officials in January 2025:

• 24th  January  2025:  Draft  Children  and  Civil  Status  (Consequential Amendments) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- [P.89/2024]. The Panel noted that it would be a tight turnaround to draft and agree a comments paper, if the proposition remained on the Order Paper on 4th February 2025; and

• 28th January 2025: Draft Police Complaints Regulations.

5.  Scrutiny  Review:  Draft  Children  and  Young  People  (Independent Advocates) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- [P.87/2024] (the draft Regulations')

The Panel had received a briefing on the draft Regulations on 6th December 2024 and prepared a draft comments paper accordingly.

During the meeting the Panel raised additional queries about the Government's consultation on the draft Regulations and the draft code of practice. The Panel considered whether it should write to the Minister for Children and Families (MCF) for clarification on the queried points or, alternatively, if it should highlight these points in its comments paper and ask the MCF to address them in the Assembly debate.

The Panel assigned responsibility to the Chair to review the queries and instruct Panel officers on the most appropriate course of action. It was agreed that any changes made to the draft comments would be circulated to the whole Panel for its formal approval.

6.  Scrutiny Review: What protection do children in Jersey have from online harms?'

The Panel approved the draft terms of reference, draft scoping document and draft communications plan for its proposed review, which had been circulated on 19th December 2025. The Panel asked officers to send the documents to the Scrutiny Liaison Committee for budget approval.

The Panel agreed that it would prepare to launch the review in the week commencing Monday 3rd February 2025.

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7.  Scrutiny  Review:  Feedback  on  the  Secondary  Education  Review [S.R.10/2024]

The Panel noted receipt of correspondence dated 12th January 2025 from Policy Centre Jersey, in relation to the submission that it provided to the Panel's review.

The Panel noted that it was due to receive the response to the review from the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning on 23rd January 2025. The Panel agreed that it would discuss the response, together with reflections and feedback about the review at its next meeting on 3rd February 2025.  

8.  States Business

The Panel considered items of business for forthcoming States Assembly meetings and noted recent Ministerial decisions by the Minister for Children and Families and Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning.

9.  Public Hearing: Foster Care in Jersey

The Panel discussed its upcoming standalone public hearing on the subject of Fostering in Jersey', which would be held with the Minister for Children and Families on Tuesday 28th January 2025. The Panel reviewed and agreed the draft question plan, subject to a few additions and minor amendments. The Panel asked the officer to make the necessary updates.

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10. Quarterly Hearings

The Panel discussed its upcoming quarterly public hearing with the Minister for Children and Families on Wednesday 29th January 2025 and tabled a draft question plan for approval. The Panel agreed the draft question plan, subject to a few additions and minor amendments. The Panel asked the officer to make the necessary updates.

The Panel discussed its upcoming quarterly public hearing with the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning on Thursday 30th January 2025 and tabled a draft question plan for approval. The Panel agreed the question plan, subject to a few additions and minor amendments. The Panel asked the officer to make the necessary updates.

The Panel discussed its upcoming quarterly public hearing with the Minister for Justice  and  Home  Affairs  on  Tuesday  11th  February  2025  and  discussed  the questions and areas of interest it wanted to focus on for that hearing. The Panel asked officers to draft a question plan for the Panel to review at its meeting on Monday 3rd February 2025.  

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11. Any Other Business

The following items of other business were discussed by the Panel:

• The Panel noted receipt of correspondence dated 15th January 2025 from the Minister for Children and Families, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs which provided responses to the Panel's findings and recommendations from its review of the Proposed Budget 2025-2028. The Panel noted that there were a number of matters that would require further follow up through quarterly hearings or separate correspondence in due course.

• The Chair asked officers to request copies of independent inspection reports that had been conducted in 2024 in relation to off-Island placements. The reports had been promised to the Panel in its hearing with the Minister for Children and Families on 19th June 2024.

• The Chair advised the Panel that she had met with the President of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee and had discussed whether a proposed review by the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel (HSS SP) relating to family friendly  legislation  included  matters  within  the  Panel's  remit.  The  Chair confirmed her understanding that any proposed review by HSS SP would focus on Social Security elements.

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12. Future Meetings

The Panel noted that its next scheduled private meeting would take place at 9:00am on Monday 3rd February 2025 in the Le Capelain Room of the States Building.