The Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss a range of topics, including the mid-year review of the committee's work programme, an update on the framework for the Inspection of Local Authority Children's Services (ILACS), and the SEND Strategic Plan (formerly the SEND Transformation Plan). The committee was also scheduled to discuss the Corporate Parenting Strategy and reports on Education Other Than At School (EOTAS), exclusions and inclusion, and the Safeguarding Children Partnership.

ILACS Inspection Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the framework of the ILACS inspection. The report pack included the recommendation that the committee should welcome the progress made on the Ofsted Inspection of Cornwall Council's Children's Services Action Plan, and receive a further report on progress and the overall performance of the council's children's social care services in October 2026.

The report pack noted that Ofsted had inspected Cornwall Council's Children's Services in July 2024, and graded the service as 'Good' overall, with 'Outstanding' features. The report pack stated that the inspection identified four areas that needed to improve, and that these had been fully addressed through the ILACS action plan. These areas were:

• The timeliness of child protection strategy meetings.
• The effectiveness of pre-proceedings work, particularly for children living in long-term neglectful situations, so that children come into care at the right time.
• The quality of Public Law Outline letters.
• The day-to-day monitoring of arrangements for children living in unregistered children's homes.

The report pack stated that the council's existing culture and approach strongly aligns with the government's national vision for reform of children's social care, and that the council is working with partners to implement these reforms at pace to establish a Family Help system in Cornwall, and to strengthen the Early Support offer.

Corporate Parenting Strategy

The committee was scheduled to discuss the updated Corporate Parenting Strategy. The report pack included a recommendation to Cabinet that the Corporate Parenting Strategy be approved, and that the committee should endorse the updated strategy, recognise the important role that councillors play as corporate parents, and commit to meeting its corporate parenting responsibilities throughout future council work.

The report pack stated that the strategy sets out how the council will fulfil the Corporate Parenting Principles to Looked-after Children and Care Leavers (as defined in the Children and Social Work Act 2017), and that the strategy has been shaped by the voices of young people themselves.

The report pack stated that the council has made a number of pledges to children in care and care leavers, including that it will:

• Find the best available home
• Help to stay in touch with family and friends
• Help to stay healthy
• Support to do your best at school, college and university
• Help and support to move on from care
• Help to participate and make sure your voice is heard in the decisions about you
• Help to stay and feel safe

SEND Strategic Plan

The committee was scheduled to receive a progress update on the SEND Strategic Plan (formerly the SEND Transformation Plan). The report pack included a recommendation that the committee should acknowledge and comment upon the progress and governance of the SEND Transformation work which is described in the SEND Strategic Plan, which was approved by Cornwall Council Cabinet in July 2025.

The report pack stated that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted led, Local Area SEND partnership inspection in Spring 2023 found that the local area partnership's arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and that the local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.

The report pack stated that the SEND Strategic Plan incorporates the findings of the council's self-evaluation and the priority outcomes of the inspection, and that the transformative work supports the priority outcomes for Cornwall Council and the Integrated Care System.

The report pack stated that there are five key strands to the SEND Strategic Plan:

• Improving the quality of education, health and care plans and processes
• Establishing effective communication across the partnership to improve the experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families
• Improving the way system leaders evaluate and analyse information about the effectiveness of services for children and young people with SEND. Strengthening monitoring processes in these areas to accelerate the improvement of SEND services
• Further development to improve the education offer and outcomes for children and young people with SEND
• Addressing long waiting times for children and young people requesting support from health services

Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Report 2025

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Report 2025. The report pack included a recommendation that the committee should support the aims of Education Other than at School and commissioning teams to make sustained and continuous improvement to the Education Other than at School commissioning and monitoring system, and take assurance on how the council ensures robustness of third party providers.

The report pack stated that the report reviews the commissioning and monitoring of EOTAS provision in Cornwall following a safeguarding complaint, and focuses on commissioning, placement matching, and oversight of children's safety and wellbeing.

The report pack stated that while the Approved Provider List process includes safeguarding standards, gaps were found in training expectations, risk assessment oversight, and concern triaging. The report recommends clearer safeguarding policies, mandatory training for staff and panel members, structured monitoring visits, and improved recording and data-sharing systems to strengthen safeguarding across EOTAS provision.

Exclusions and Inclusion Strategy Report

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Exclusions and Inclusion Strategy Report. The report pack included a recommendation that the committee should recommend that the Strategic Director for Together for Families endorses the formation of the Inclusion and Belonging Group as a strategic mechanism to coordinate system-wide responses to exclusions, supports the revised exclusions protocols and their alignment with trauma-informed and safeguarding principles, and ensures ongoing scrutiny and reporting through the Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee channels.

The report pack stated that rates of exclusions in Cornwall are above national average, and that a consequence of this is that it is much more difficult to narrow the disadvantage gap if vulnerable children's and young people's schooling is interrupted.

The report pack stated that the report presents some of the strategic actions been taken now, as well as those being planned for the future to address this, as well as the challenges to implementing these across Cornwall.

Our Safeguarding Children Partnership - Annual Report 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to discuss Our Safeguarding Children Partnership - Annual Report 2024/25. The report pack included a recommendation that the committee should acknowledge the Annual Report 2024/25 of the Safeguarding Children Partnership which sets out the impact of the Safeguarding Partnership for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly 2024/25 and summarised the Partnerships activities including: progress against statutory guidance, safeguarding reviews, independent scrutiny and local safeguarding priorities and provided assurance that the Committee had.

The report pack stated that the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, requires all safeguarding children partnerships to publish a yearly report in September, and that Cornwall Council is one of the four statutory safeguarding partners detailed in the report alongside Devon and Cornwall Police, the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the NHS Integrated Care Board.

The report pack stated that the contents of annual report are prescribed by the Department for Education, and that the report is reviewed and approved by both Delegated and Lead Safeguarding Partners prior to submission and publication. The report pack stated that the 2024/25 Annual report provides a summary of the Partnerships activities including: progress against statutory guidance, safeguarding reviews, independent scrutiny and local safeguarding priorities.

Other Business

The agenda included an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions, and for councillors to ask questions of the cabinet member on updates. The agenda also allowed for any other business that the Chair, Councillor Kate Ewert, Group Leader - Labour and Co-operative Group, considered to be of urgency.