The Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee met on Wednesday 10 June 2026 to discuss a range of critical issues affecting children and young people in Surrey. The committee reviewed proposed amendments to the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy for under-16s, discussed the findings of an Independent Practice Review into safeguarding, and reviewed performance data for SEND and Alternative Provision, noting ongoing pressures and planned expansions.

SEND and Alternative Provision Sufficiency and Unmet Need

The committee reviewed Surrey's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) sufficiency forecasts, highlighting significant and growing demand across the county. West Surrey, in particular, faces systemic and sustained pressure across all phases, especially for autism provision, with 438 pupils in the West without a school place as of May 2026. While the council has invested over £250 million in expanding local provision since 2019, creating over 1,700 places, demand continues to outstrip supply. The report noted that while delivery has been broadly balanced geographically, East Surrey has seen 860 additional places compared to 565 in the West since 2019. The committee discussed the implications of these pressures for future commissioning and capital planning, acknowledging that the government's SEND reforms are likely to influence future demand patterns. The committee endorsed the approach to the SEND and AP capital programme, including the use of Free Schools and High Needs Provision Capital Allocation funding, and noted the progress in utilising surplus capacity in mainstream schools for SEND satellite provision.

Home to School Travel Assistance Under-16 Policy

Proposed amendments to the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy for under-16s were scrutinised ahead of Cabinet consideration. The changes aim to ensure legal compliance, reflect updated national guidance, and provide greater clarity for families. Key amendments include clarifying the definition of the nearest school, updating wording to reflect the expansion of free school meal eligibility, confirming distance eligibility will be measured by the shortest walking route, and clarifying provisions for Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision. The policy also updates reflections on Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), which affect concessionary and spare seats. The committee discussed concerns about the policy potentially prioritising distance over suitability for SEND children, the process for parents appealing decisions, and how impacts on SEND, rural, and low-income groups would be monitored. The proposed introduction of a public mapping tool to calculate walking distances was also discussed.

Independent Practice Review

The committee received the final report from independent experts Jenny Coles and Nicky Pace, who reviewed Surrey County Council's children's services and partners following the tragic death of Sara Sharif. The review found substantial and sustained improvement across practice, systems, and leadership, with recommendations being acted upon. Frontline staff demonstrated understanding of the learning, and practice standards, supervision, and quality assurance frameworks have been strengthened. Positive aspects included multi-agency collaboration, the Family Safeguarding model, and workforce development. However, areas for further development were identified, including the consistency of strategy discussions in physical abuse cases, better integration of systems, and improved communication with schools. The review recommended strengthening the strategic reach of the Local Safeguarding Partnership, enhancing engagement with schools as a fourth partner, and reviewing the seniority of membership on the SSCP executive. The service's initial response indicated that these recommendations would be incorporated into the existing Achieving Excellence programme.

Performance Assurance

The committee reviewed the Q3 and Q4 2025/26 performance indicators for the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Directorate. While the majority of indicators were rated green, highlighting strong performance in areas such as library usage and workforce stability, several areas were rated red. These included timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) issued on time, repeat referrals to Children's Services, the proportion of children in care placed out of county and more than 20 miles from home, and the timeliness of Children's Social Care complaints responses. The committee noted the significant increase in EHCP assessment requests, a 30% rise compared to the previous year, coinciding with national SEND reforms, which is placing sustained pressure on the system. Concerns were also raised about the reduction in the number of directors within the directorate during a period of significant change.

Children's Homes Ofsted Reports

The committee noted Ofsted reports for two Surrey County Council-run Children's Homes. One home retained its Good rating following a monitoring visit, while another was inspected in November 2025 and improved from Requires Improvement to be Good to Good . The committee expressed particular interest in the rapid positive impact of a newly appointed registered manager at one of the homes. However, concerns were raised about the physical environment of one home requiring improvement and the lack of timely notification of safeguarding incidents to Ofsted. The committee requested that these issues be further reviewed by the Corporate Parenting Board.

The meeting concluded with thanks to outgoing members and staff, and the date of the next meeting was set for Wednesday, 30 September 2026.