Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

The following members of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had sent apologies that they were unable to attend for item 8:  Cllr Hanna, District Cllr Barrow, District Cllr Poskitt.

See guidance note on the back page.

Katie N declared that she had two non-registerable interests, one concerning Home to School Transport, and the other as a member of the SEND Youth Forum.

Sylvia Buckingham declared that she was also a Patient Safety Partner with Oxford University Hospitals, and a Trustee for Healthwatch Oxfordshire.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd November 2024 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes for the meeting on the 22^nd November 2025 were AGREED as a true and accurate record.

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 or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9.00 a.m. four working days before the meeting, i.e., 9.00 a.m. on 24th February 2025.  Requests to speak should be sent to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you are asked to submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that your views are 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.

Cllr Damian Haywood commented on the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) report, seeking clarity on "incremental progress" and noting the absence of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and dashboards. He highlighted a discrepancy in Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) success rates—100% for some cohorts but only 20% overall—and queried delays. Cllr Haywood emphasised that, whilst the improvement programme benefited SEND children, they were disproportionately affected by failures. He pointed out the lack of targets or metrics in Theme 1 and noted the decline in EHCP completion rates from 40% to 20%.

Katy Bentley attended to share her experiences and challenge claims that only a few parents were affected by changes, arguing many parents and carers felt exhausted and frustrated. She discussed delays and lack of transparency in securing an appropriate placement for her deaf daughter despite clear evidence of her needs, highlighting issues with her daughter's EHCP and a rushed transition to a specialist base after an appeal. Criticising the decision-making process as opaque and complicated, Ms Bentley expressed frustration with inadequate communication from the local authority. She emphasised the negative impact on her family and called for respect, honesty, and transparency in the SEND process, urging the committee to focus on outcomes and ensure the system works effectively for all families.

Melody Drinkwater, representing Oxfordshire SEND Parent Action, criticised the SEND update report for its overly positive tone and lack of detailed KPIs. She noted improvements in response times but highlighted worst-case scenarios and a decline in the completion rate of EHCP within 20 weeks. Ms Drinkwater raised concerns about the quality of EHCPs, with fewer than half rated as good or outstanding, and emphasised the need to measure success by outcomes rather than inputs. She criticised the Council's communication approach and plans for co-production, urging a focus on the impact of actions on children and young people and better engagement with affected families.

Rachel Hornibrook her son, an 11-year-old Year 6 student with medical and physical needs.  Despite good academic performance and no behavioural issues, her son had been isolated since August 2024, receiving one-to-one tutoring in a portacabin without social interaction, leading to concerns from tutors and parents about the quality and appropriateness of his education. She reported that a section 47 inquiry remained unanswered. Ms Hornibrook criticised the alternative provision as a form of exclusion and appealed to councillors for intervention to reintegrate her son into mainstream education.

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 (BMMR).

The BMMR from the 21^st January 2025 Cabinet, can be found following the link: https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?AIId=31293

The Committee NOTED that the Capital Programme report would come to the committee as two reports in March, and that the Committee was obliged to receive the Local Government Ombudsman report and action plan at its first substantive meeting of the municipal year. It was also NOTED that while the Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) report not being on the forward plan was an oversight, there was no confirmed date for the item to come back, with the need to ensure it has been done at a suitably high quality level and co-produced. The Committee emphasised the importance of the EOTAS report coming back to scrutiny before it went to cabinet.

With the upcoming election in mind, the Committee highlighted the importance that once a new committee membership was appointed, members should receive a thorough briefing on all matters and data to identify areas for scrutiny.

Members also suggested a list of other potential agenda items they felt it was important for the committee investigate which included:

• Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in education;
• Children's and adolescents' mental health assessment;
• Educational psychologists;
• Positive activities for young people;
• Teenage pregnancy support;
• Accommodation and youth offending services;
• Leaving care services;
• Healthy school and child protection targets;
• Residential homes;
• Data driven investigation on attendance and exclusion relationships between schools;
• Update on Wood Eaton and other special schools;
• Issues around child protection and pathways developed within institutions;
• Deep dive into young people's transition from education to the workforce, particularly those leaving care and those not going into further education.

Members emphasised the importance of a balanced work plan and the breadth of the Committee’s remit.

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.

There are no scrutiny recommendations responses expected for this meeting.

The Committee NOTED that there were no Cabinet response expected for this meeting.

The Committee has requested an update on progress made across the Local Area Partnership in addressing the issues raised by the 2023 inspection.

The Committee has invited Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for SEND Improvement, and Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, to attend to present the report. 

The Committee has also invited Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services, and Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion; Matthew Tait, Chief Delivery Officer (ICB), Chris Wright, Associate Director of Place – Oxfordshire (ICB), and Niki Cartwright, Director of Performance and Delivery – All Age Mental Health, Community Services, All Age Learning Disability, All Age NeuroDivergence, All Age PEoLC & SEND (ICB), as well as Steve Crocker, the independent chair of the SEND Improvement Advisory Board.

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.

Members of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been invited to attend the meeting of the Committee and to participate in this item, at the discretion of the Chair.

The Committee had invited Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for SEND Improvement, and Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, to attend to present the report on the Local Area Partnership (LAP) SEND update. 

The Committee also welcomed the following to the Committee:

• Lisa Lyons, the Director of Children’s Services;
• Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director of Education and Inclusion;
• Matthew Tait, Chief Delivery Officer (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board);
• Chris Wright, Associate Director of Place – Oxfordshire (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board);
• Jean Kelly, Deputy Director Children’s Social Care;
• Karen Fern, SEND Designated Clinical Officer (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board);
• Maria Bourbon, Oxfordshire CAMHS Service Manager for Oxfordshire University Hospital Foundation Trust (Oxford University Hospital Foundation Trust);
• Jules Francis-Sinclair, Chair of Oxfordshire Parent Carers Forum;
• Caroline Kelly, Head of Integrated Commissioning – Start Well;
• Nick Field, Children’s Services Operations Manager;
• Stephen Chandler, Executive Director of People and Transformation (Deputy Chief Executive);
• Steve Crocker, Independent Chair, SEND Improvement and Assurance Board.

Members of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been invited to attend the meeting of the Committee and to participate in this item, at the discretion of the Chair. Cllr Mark Lygo and Sylvia Buckingham attended and the Chair agreed that Cllr Damian Haywood could participate too.  Cllr Hannaby, the Deputy Chair, was also a current member of HOSC.

The Cabinet Member for SEND Improvement thanked the speakers and noted the value of hearing real-life experiences. The focus of the report was on observing the progress made by the LAP in addressing issues identified since the 2023 inspection. The Director of Children’s Services provided a strategic overview, recognising the challenges and improvements since the July 2023 inspection, which had identified widespread deficiencies. The Director outlined the complexity of the system and the ongoing efforts to enhance it.

The report documented the progress made, focusing on systemic changes and improvements in timeliness and quality of services. The Director of Children’s Services pointed out the significant increase in the number of Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) over the past 10 years and the commensurate volume of work being managed. The report also acknowledged the need for better communication and transparency with parents and carers.

The possibility of using Artificial Intelligence to speed up diagnostic pathways was raised and the Oxfordshire CAMHS Service Manager and the Associate Director of Place – Oxfordshire (ICB) explained that Oxfordshire had been pioneering in using AI for initial screening of neurodevelopmental pathways, such as autism and ADHD, with an ongoing project with the University of Liverpool.  There were, though, questions about appropriateness from a clinical perspective and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance was clear about the importance of who needed to be involved in assessment and what skills that person needed. Practical steps included single assessor models and offering support at the earliest opportunity.

The Children’s Services Operations Manager also confirmed that there was ongoing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/25

Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Education and Young People’s Services, Lisa Lyons, Director of  Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director Education and Inclusion, and Stephen Good, Home to School Transport Programme Manager, have been invited to present a report on the proposed home to school transport policy and the post-16 policy statement that are currently the subject of public consultation.

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 John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director Education and Inclusion, Stephen Good, Home to School Transport Programme Manager, and Philip Earnshaw, Operational Manager - Contracted and Fleet Services, were invited to present a report on the proposed Home to School Transport policy and the post-16 policy statement that were currently the subject of public consultation.

Stephen Chandler, Executive Director of People and Transformation (Deputy Chief Executive), also attended for this item to support and answer any questions.

Cllr Haywood and Sylvia Buckingham, on behalf of OJHOSC, remained with the committee for this item as guests of the Chair.

The Cabinet member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services introduced the report, explaining that the consultation was live and covered revisions to the home to school transport policy and the post-16 travel policy. It was noted that the policies had not been consulted on since 2014. The consultation focused on six areas, including language updates, direct payments to parents, alternative provision, post-16 SEND transport charges, split villages, and the spare seat scheme.

The Home to School Transport Programme Manager provided additional details, mentioning that the consultation had received 492 responses so far and had been well-received in engagement events. They elaborated on the six areas of the consultation, including the refresh of policies, direct travel payments, alternative education provision, and the proposal to introduce post-16 contribution charges. The importance of gathering views and feedback from the consultation was emphasised.

In discussion with the Committee, the following issues were explored:

Members asked about the effectiveness of the engagement methods, including the use of social media and other engagement strategies, and requested details on their implementation and impact. The Home to School Transport Programme Manager responded that the consultation had received 492 responses so far, and the engagement events had been well received. It was mentioned that the Council had directly communicated with current service users and used various methods to promote the consultation. However, the Home to School Transport Programme Manager acknowledged the need to check the effectiveness of these methods and ensure wider distribution, including the use of social media platforms like Instagram.

Members agreed that the Committee should wait for the consultation results before discussing and debating the recommendations in detail, to avoid influencing the outcomes. However, the Committee was content to acknowledge and support the public consultation as recommended by the report.

Members raised a concern about the lack of flexibility in current transport arrangements, citing an example where a parent could drive their child to school for part of the week but not the entire week. Members asked whether individual transport plans could be allowed to cut costs. The Operational Manager acknowledged the rigidity in the current system and mentioned that there was ongoing work to explore more flexible options, such as personal transport budgets and mileage allowances. It was noted that other counties, like Somerset and Wiltshire, were being looked at for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9/25