Agenda and minutes

For the benefit of members of the public and to remind members, the Scrutiny Officer read out the terms of reference for the Committee which had been published alongside the agenda.  He reminded members that the Chair must be a member of the Opposition Group.

The Scrutiny Officer invited nominations for the Chair of the new Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 Council Year.  Cllr Brighouse proposed Cllr Reeves.  This nomination was seconded by Cllr Simpson.  There being no other nominations it was AGREED that Cllr Reeves be the Chair of the Education and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 Council Year. Cllr Reeves assumed the Chair at this point.

The Chair invited nominations for the post of Deputy Chair for the remainder of the 2023/24 Council Year.  Cllr Elphinstone proposed Cllr Brighouse and this was seconded by Cllr Waine.  Cllr Smith proposed Cllr Graham and this was seconded by Cllr Hannaby.

In the vote, Cllr Brighouse was elected by five votes to four. It was thus AGREED Cllr Brighouse be the Deputy Chair of the Education and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 Council Year.

Apologies were received from Ruth Bennie.

There were none.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e., 9.00 a.m. on Friday 12 January 2023. Requests to speak should be sent to 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, your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9.00 a.m. two working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than one A4 sheet.

The Committee was addressed by A. Bush about her experience of Woodeaton School.

C. Brenner on behalf of SEND Parent Action addressed four areas of the Priority Action Plan that SEND Parent Action considered should be improved (namely, restoring trust between officers and families, measuring impact, effective scrutiny, and governance and accountability).

K. Nellist spoke to her experiences as a young person who regretted that the PAP did not highlight the importance of the views of young people themselves.

T. Verrier highlighted the mental health needs of young people.  At the end of her address, she quoted a parent stating “received a generic email from CAMHS, informing all parents of children awaiting an appointment for ADHD medication that: “the CAMHS service is currently suspended, and no new patients will be commencing ADHD medication for now”.

The Committee asked the Executive Director of People to provide an urgent update to members of the Committee on that.  An email from Oxford Health was circulated to members that afternoon explaining that access to services was not closed but that, owing to a national shortage of the medications prescribed to treat ADHD, CAMHS was not currently starting young people on ADHD medication currently.  It was hoped that the shortage would be alleviated swiftly but that it was unlikely to be resolved until April 2024, with that date subject to change.

The Committee requested an update on the Priority Action Plan arising from the Local Area SEND Inspection.  Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for SEND Improvement, has been invited to attend to present the report and to answer the Committee’s questions as have Stephen Chandler, Executive Director: People, Lisa Lyons, Corporate Director: Children’s Services, and Ian Smart, SEND & Children’s Services Improvement Lead.

Report to follow on Friday 12 January

Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for SEND Improvement, and Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, attended to present the report providing members with an update on the Priority Action Plan (PAP) which was written after the Local Area SEND Inspection.

The Cabinet members were accompanied by the following officers: Stephen Chandler, Executive Director of People; Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services; Kate Reynolds, Interim Deputy Director for Education; Jean Kelly, Deputy Director for Children’s Social Care; Ian Smart, the SEND Transformation Programme Director.

Cllr Gregory began by thanking the public speakers for their contributions and expressed how it was important it was to hear from people directly about their experiences. 

The Programme Director addressed various actions within the PAP and explained that, whilst it was a key document, the transformation programme relating to it was to implement and embed a fundamentally transformative approach, around schools, EHCPs, specialist provision, and with pathways into employment.  There were some areas where action could be taken immediately but it was important to ensure that any changes implemented were sustainable and that they would deliver better outcomes.  It was this that would lead to increased confidence on the part of parents and carers as well as on the part of children and young people.  Levels of trust and confidence would be surveyed and monitored on a regular basis.

The Committee was keen that the seeming absence of the voice of young people themselves from the PAP should be remedied and there was a recognition that the language could be improved.  It was explained to the Committee that there were plans to improve some aspects of its language.

The Programme Director emphasised that the work arising from the PAP was not simply a response to the Local Area SEND Inspection, although it arose from that.  Instead, it was seeking to ensure that issues that had arisen and developed over a number of years were remedied.  Whilst recognising that some issues were negative, the Committee was reminded that there was also a great deal of excellent work happening and that good work would be publicised too.  A commitment to openness and transparency demanded sharing of both bad news and good.

The governance framework was in place and meetings had been set up and were happening.  The SEND Assurance Board had met.

The Committee noted the target in PAP 1:2 that there would be “agreed definition of co-production (including monitoring and evaluation) [which was] created by, shared, and understood across all partners, parents, and carers.”  In response to a question, the Committee was advised that the Parent Carer Forum was not the only voice represented. 

There was discussion around the differences between co-production, consultation, and engagement and the appropriateness of each in different circumstances.  The Committee was assured that the PAP was a living document and that changes would be seen in it.  However, there were fundamental issues to remedy first.  Embedding co-production as a cyclical progress was one of those issues.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Taking account of the Forward Plan, the Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme.

In relation to the Committee’s work programme, it was AGREED that Chair and Deputy Chair would meet with the Scrutiny Officer and the Corporate Director to identify areas for the Committee to consider going forward.  This would feed into a proposed work programme for the Committee to agree.