Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

Apologies were received from Cllr Fletcher, substituted by Cllr Gordon.

The Committee noted the apologies from Cllr Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, who was unable to attend the Inequalities as a Marmot County item.

See guidance note on the back page.

There were none.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting on 18 September 2025 were APPROVED as a true and accurate record.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. 3^rd November 2025.

Requests should be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

There were none.

With the agreement of the Committee, the Chair varied the agenda and took item 6 before item 5.

Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Inequalities, Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public health, and Kate Holburn, Deputy Director of Public Health, have been invited to present a report on Inequalities in a Marmot County.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public health, and Kate Holburn, Deputy Director of Public Health, attended to present a report on Inequalities in a Marmot County. They were joined by Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, and Victoria Baran, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, to support.

The Director of Public Health introduced the Marmot report, highlighting Michael Marmot’s expertise in health inequalities and his eight principles on the wider determinants of health. He explained that the Marmot approach involves system-wide partnerships and collaboration with local areas over two years, offering evidence-based recommendations. Oxfordshire became a Marmot Place in November 2024, focusing on three principles: best start in life, workplace and health, and housing, aiming to tackle the root causes of ill health and reduce demand on services.

Members raised the following questions and comments:

·       How the rural areas in Appendix 2 of the Marmot report had been chosen. In response, The Director of Public Health explained that the process involved systematically identifying areas that had not already been included in the ten areas of deprivation, using factors such as urban density, existing knowledge, and ongoing conversations with local people. The Director of Public Health acknowledged that some rural inequalities were not easily captured by available data, so the approach combined quantitative analysis with qualitative insights from community engagement. This process was described as iterative, with the selection of areas being continually refined as more granular data and local feedback became available.

·       Members asked about the likely effects of Oxfordshire’s Marmot County status on rural communities. The Director of Public Health said there was no national model for addressing rural inequalities, but Oxfordshire’s approach involved gathering local data and consulting parish Councils, voluntary groups, and community organisations to identify specific needs. Although no formal recommendations have been set, the initiative aimed to shape healthcare planning, including that of the Integrated Care Board (ICB), with rural access as a priority. Service delivery will stay with healthcare providers, who will be expected to apply Marmot principles. The Director highlighted that future healthcare would be more data-driven, community-focused, and preventative, with rural needs considered.

·       Members queried how the recurring cycle of deprivation in certain areas could be addressed, and whether the Council held powers to ensure delivery of wellbeing projects like health facilities or allotments. The Director of Public Health acknowledged the Council's limited direct powers but highlighted collaborative work with partners such as District Councils and the voluntary sector. This included mapping community assets, collecting local insights, and tailoring responses to each area’s needs. Community profiles have helped identify common and specific issues. Partnership forums, notably the Health Inequalities Forum, enable resource pooling and the delivery of targeted programmes, like the "well together" initiative, focused on issues such as loneliness and mental health. This approach was being expanded beyond the initial priority areas.

·       Members asked about the challenges of embedding best practice across cabinet portfolios, Council departments, and communities, particularly where health and climate priorities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33/25

Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Victoria Baran, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, and Ramone Samuda, Adult Social care Assurance Lead, have been invited to present the CQC Feedback and Outcomes Report.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Victoria Baran, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, and Ramone Samuda, Adult Social Care Assurance Lead, attended to present the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Feedback and Outcomes Report.

Two corrections should be NOTED to the report. Firstly, in the Recommendation section, the LGA report should be updated to reflect a change to March 2024. Secondly, in Table 1, it should read West Oxfordshire instead of South Oxfordshire, in row 5.

The Cabinet Member introduced Oxfordshire’s first CQC assessment under the new assessment regime, noting a “good” overall rating that matched regional performance. He credited strong leadership, a clear strategic vision, effective partnerships, workforce dedication, and innovation, and emphasised the inspection’s focus on improvement. He confirmed a continuous improvement plan was already underway to address four key areas identified for progress.

The Assurance Lead summarised the CQC report, noting Oxfordshire’s “good” rating after a January inspection and data submission from July 2024. The CQC praised strong partnerships, person-centred care, reduced waiting times, and stable leadership, but highlighted the need for more consistent rural support, improved communication, and better services for complex needs. The Director added that management and oversight remain robust, with further improvements made since the data submission.

The Committee discussed the following questions and concerns with the Cabinet member and Officers:

·       Members sought to understand ongoing concerns beyond the CQC report. The Director cited challenges in managing increasingly complex cases within tight budgets, improving data use, and keeping assessment waiting times low without sacrificing quality. There was also an ongoing need to demonstrate continuous improvement. The Cabinet member expressed worries about delays in adult social care reform, the care market’s sustainability, rising complexity and costs, and reliance on external (CQC) quality assurance. Financial pressures and changing demographics were highlighted. The Deputy Director noted growing demand, particularly for safeguarding, the pace of technological change, risks of digital exclusion, and the challenge of balancing innovation with local community expectations and needs.

·       Members queried how reducing inappropriate safeguarding referrals would not risk missing genuine cases. The Director stated that all referrals were carefully reviewed, with inappropriate ones filtered out for not meeting statutory thresholds. The countywide safeguarding team reallocates resources as needed, and ongoing collaboration with other services aims to improve referral quality. The Deputy Director explained that partners were educated on statutory criteria, encouraging reporting to avoid missing serious cases. Both highlighted exploring digital and AI tools to better manage and triage increasing referral volumes.

·       Members queried the number of people with complex needs placed outside Oxfordshire, whether this has decreased, and the impact on families and support services. The Deputy Director explained that some out-of-county placements were due to personal choice or cultural reasons, while others result from limited local specialist provision. The Council maintained close oversight, working with host authorities and health services to ensure quality and continuity of care, with regular reviews by the quality improvement team. The Director noted that historic gaps in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34/25

Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Sam Harper, Head of Learning Disability Provision Services, and Kathy Liddell, Family Support Manager – Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OxFSN), have been invited to present a report on the Transition into Adulthood.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Victoria Baran, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, Sam Harper, Head of Learning Disability Provision Services, Kathy Liddell, Family Support Manager – Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OxFSN), and Jessica Jones, Interim Manager – Moving into Adulthood, attended to present a report on the Transition into Adulthood.

The Cabinet Member for Adults presented the Council’s strategy for helping young people with additional needs transition to adult services. Since 2018, new pathways and a Moving into Adulthood Team had improved assessments and support plans by age 18, earning external recognition. He noted ongoing issues like aid for young carers and communication between agencies.

The Head of Learning Disability Provision Services outlined the national and local challenges faced by young people with additional needs as they transition into adulthood, noting the complexities arising from changes in social care, education, and health services. He described the Council’s response, including the Moving into Adulthood Team established in 2021 to promote early involvement, consistent support, and multi-agency collaboration, which has led to more timely assessments and improved support planning. The Family Support Manager highlighted how overwhelming the transition process can be for families, stressing the need for dedicated social workers and effective communication. She explained that the Oxfordshire Family Support Network supports families and collaborates with the Council, suggesting that a dedicated learning disability team would further enhance the process.

Members raised the following questions:

·       Members asked about working with voluntary organisations in the context of supporting young people transitioning into adulthood. The Head of Learning Disability Provision Services explained that the Council worked closely with groups such as the Oxfordshire Family Support Network, which had been involved in co-producing the moving into adulthood team and developing resources like the transition handbook. The Family Support Manager, representing the voluntary sector, described how her organisation provided support to family carers, acted as a critical friend to the Council, and helped improve communication and information for families. Both emphasised the importance of collaboration with voluntary organisations to ensure families received the guidance and support needed during the transition process.

·       Members enquired about the Council’s engagement with both special and mainstream schools and colleges, as well as support for parents or carers with learning or SEND needs. The Head of Learning Disability Provision Services explained that the Council had strong links with special schools and resource bases and reached out to mainstream schools via targeted initiatives and webinars. For parents or carers with additional needs, the Council collaborated with locality teams or Oxford Health colleagues to provide tailored support, such as parenting and independent living skills, ensuring families received appropriate assistance.

·       Members asked about transport arrangements for individuals attending school or college once they turned 18, and what the cut-off was for supporting young people in their education. The Head of Learning Disability Provision Services explained that, depending on individual circumstances and eligibility for adult social care, the Council sometimes provided transport for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35/25

The Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

The Committee AGREED the proposed work programme.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, having raised any questions on the contents.

The Committee NOTED the action and recommendation tracker.

Attached is the draft Cabinet response to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee report on Oxfordshire Employment Services. The Committee is asked to NOTE the draft response, which is expected to be confirmed by Cabinet on 18 November 2025.

The Committee NOTED the Draft Cabinet Response to the Committee report on Oxfordshire Employment Services.