The Children's Scrutiny Committee of Devon County Council met on Monday 8 June 2026 to discuss a range of important matters concerning children's services. Key topics included a comprehensive report on inclusion within the county, an update on the SEND Transformation Programme, and a detailed review of Children's Social Care performance and transformation progress.

Inclusion Report

The committee was scheduled to consider an Inclusion Report, which outlined the current position regarding inclusion in Devon and the development of the county's inclusion and learning strategy. This report, prepared by the Director of Children's and Young People's Futures, was grounded in the principles of the Schools White Paper and formed a significant part of Devon County Council's SEND reform plan. The strategy aims to strengthen mainstream inclusion, identify needs earlier, and embed specialist expertise within local school systems. A key component of this approach is the enhancement of high-quality SEN Support, enabling more children to remain in their local mainstream schools.

The report detailed progress made through a partnership with Olive Academies Trust, commissioned to develop a coherent, system-wide approach to inclusion. This involved extensive engagement with schools, trusts, alternative provision providers, the local authority, and wider partners. A shared articulation of what inclusion means across Devon has been developed, centred on the core principles of belonging, early support, shared responsibility, equity, and system trust. Governance arrangements have also been strengthened with the establishment of the Devon Advisory Board, which brings together representatives from across the education system to oversee the programme's next phase. The report highlighted that this combined approach of strong governance, system engagement, and clear programme delivery positions Devon to achieve improved outcomes for children and families. The proposed strategy aligns with Devon County Council's Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025, supporting its vision for a child-friendly, fairer, and more prosperous Devon.

SEND Transformation Programme: Building Inclusive Communities KPIs

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the SEND Transformation Programme, focusing on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to building inclusive communities. The report provided an overview of the current inclusion landscape in Devon, with a particular emphasis on system-wide trends in exclusions, suspensions, part-time timetables, elective home education, and attendance. It highlighted the disproportionate impact of these pressures on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and the ongoing challenges within the system.

The report indicated that permanent exclusions in Devon, while showing a reduction in the current academic year, disproportionately affect children with SEND. Children with SEND remain over-represented in exclusions, with a significant number relating to pupils on SEN Support and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). While overall exclusion rates have stabilised, there has been a shift by phase, with primary exclusions reducing and secondary exclusions increasing. Suspensions also remain high, with children with SEND bearing a heavy burden. The report noted that part-time timetables are increasingly used as a behaviour management tool rather than a short-term intervention, with a significant proportion of children on reduced timetables having SEND. Elective Home Education (EHE) is also rising significantly, with a substantial proportion of these children having additional needs and many cases explicitly linked to dissatisfaction with school provision. Attendance for children with EHCPs remains a key concern, significantly below national and regional benchmarks, with persistent and severe absence being high in certain localities. The data consistently points to children with SEND being disproportionately impacted by system pressures, underscoring the need for strengthened early intervention and a more coherent system response.

Children's Social Care Performance Report and Transformation Programme - Progress to date

The committee was also scheduled to review the Children's Social Care Performance Report and an update on the transformation programme. The performance report, covering data up to March 2026, highlighted areas of strength including the timely completion of high-risk contacts and a high percentage of care-experienced young people in suitable accommodation. The usage of agency Team Managers had also reduced to its lowest level.

However, areas for improvement were identified, including the timeliness of Initial Child Protection Conferences (ICPCs) and the percentage of children aged 12 and under in residential homes, which remained above tolerance and target. The percentage of children with up-to-date supervision had also fallen, indicating potential pressure on management capacity.

The report also detailed progress on the Families First Reforms, a national initiative aimed at strengthening early intervention and preventing escalation of need. Devon's approach involves incremental implementation, building on existing foundations such as the locality model. Key elements include the development of integrated Family Help services, Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and the embedding of Family Group Decision Making (FGDM). The report noted that child exploitation has been incorporated as a core strand within the local programme. The Growing Futures programme, focused on developing homes for children facing complex challenges and improving post-16 supported housing, was also discussed. The committee was to be updated on the appointment of a preferred partner for this initiative.

The report also referenced an Ofsted monitoring visit to Devon's children's services in March 2026. The inspectors noted that leaders had implemented significant organisational change, bringing greater stability to the workforce and setting a clear direction for improvement. However, the analysis of the impact of multi-agency support was not yet consistently clear or robust, leading to hesitant decision-making in some instances. The report indicated that while most children with a child in need or child protection plan receive proportionate support, the impact of multi-agency support needs further clarity. Direct work with children and families was described as restorative and intentional, with social workers showing commitment. However, some reviews and core group meetings lacked clarity on the impact of support on children's lives. Partnership working continued to present challenges, with some disabled children experiencing delays in receiving services. The quality of supervision was improving, but variability remained. The quality assurance framework was providing leaders with an accurate understanding of practice.