Agenda item

The Committee considered a draft Education Otherwise Than At School policy at its meeting on 22 November 2024.  In accordance with the Committee’s recommendation, the draft policy has been revised.  The Committee had requested that it review the draft policy before it is submitted to Cabinet.  The policy is currently expected to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 15 July 2025.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, will attend accompanied by Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, and Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion.

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.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, accompanied by Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion, and Deborah Smit, Assistant Director of SEND and Inclusion, presented the latest Draft Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) policy.

The Leader acknowledged the feedback from the working group and emphasised the importance of having a policy in place for EOTAS. She stressed the need to get the policy right and mentioned that while feedback was welcome, it was crucial to resolve the policy in a timely fashion. The Leader noted that the work on this policy has been ongoing for a year and expressed the desire to finalise it quickly.

The Deputy Director presented the draft policy and the draft parents’ guide for EOTAS, noting that the parents’ guide was still being worked on. She emphasised the importance of having a framework for officers, parents, families, and children to understand what EOTAS was and what it entailed. The policy aimed to ensure fairness and transparency. The Deputy Director mentioned that the policy was modelled on good practices from other local authorities and recommended agreeing to the policy while accepting that it may need adjustments once implemented. She highlighted the urgency of having a policy to be compliant, as the lack of an EOTAS policy was noted in the 2023 SEND inspection.

Members inquired about the timeline for finalising the draft parents’ guide and whether the Committee would have the opportunity to review the guide prior to its submission to the Cabinet. They also questioned the extent of co-production involved in developing the guide. The Deputy Director clarified that they were collaborating with the Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum (OxPCF) to organise working sessions, with the goal of completing a final draft by the end of June. The Deputy Director further elaborated on the collaborative efforts with parents and carers, noting that the policy and guidance were being co-produced through approximately 10 meetings with various groups, including the EOTAS Support Group and OxPCF. Additionally, a listening event was held last September, and both health colleagues and an external lawyer had contributed to the process.

The Committee also sought clarification on which other Councils' practices were looked at when developing the EOTAS policy. The Deputy Director specifically cited, the modelled good practices of, Camden and Islington as examples.

The Committee discussed whether guidance should be written and presented at the same time as the policy or, alternatively, if the policy was required before guidance could be provided on the policy. The Committee discussed the importance of having the policy in place promptly to ensure compliance and transparency. It was agreed that the policy should be finalised quickly while allowing time for parent carers to provide input on the guidance.

Members raised concerns about the substantial increase in the number of children receiving EOTAS over the last few years and the high cost associated with it. The Deputy Director clarified that there were, at the time, 60 children and young people receiving EOTAS packages, with the total cost around £3-4 million. She explained that the average cost per child could be worked out, however the actual cost of each child/young person on an EOTAS package varied significantly depending on their individual needs, with some far below or above the average cost.

With the amount of money being spent on EOTAS packages, Members wanted more clarity on the monitoring section of the EOTAS policy, asking for specifics on how monitoring would be conducted and what should take place. The Deputy Director explained the monitoring aimed to ensure high-quality education for children and young people receiving EOTAS packages. Each alternative education provider was visited to verify the quality of education provided, ensuring they had appropriate safeguarding policies and were registered correctly. Monitoring included annual visits, due diligence checks, and ensuring providers deliver high-quality education.

The Committee followed up asking how the recipients’ performance and progression under EOTAS packages were being monitored to ensure they were appropriate. The Deputy Director confirmed that the performance and progression of children in EOTAS packages were monitored as part of the annual review of their EHCPs. She highlighted that the success of these packages was evident, mentioning that two young people on EOTAS packages had been offered places at the University of Oxford and the University of Durham.

The Committee AGREED to recommendations under the following headings:

• That the Council, if the draft policy is approved by Cabinet, should commit to co-producing the guidance in a timely fashion with it being reviewed by the Committee before it is submitted to Cabinet