The Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of Wokingham Council, scheduled for 16 June 2026, was to address various topics concerning children and young people in Wokingham Borough. Key areas of discussion were expected to include updates on education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), family help and safeguarding, and the local area's SEND performance following an inspection. The committee was also scheduled to consider the Children and Young People's Participation and Engagement Strategy and the Children's Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

Public Question Time

A portion of the meeting was allocated to public questions. One question submitted by Craig Dommett raised concerns regarding the outcome of a recent Ofsted SEND inspection, which identified widespread and or systemic failings . The questioner expressed surprise at this finding, given that SEND updates and dashboards presented to the committee appeared positive. Specific examples were given regarding the timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and the council's legal obligation to carry out annual reviews, questioning the ability to fix failings if they are not acknowledged.

Education and SEND Updates

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Education and SEND situation. This included information on school inspections, with reports on The Forest School and several primary schools such as Earley St Peter's CE Primary School. The report detailed that The Forest School received expected standard or strong standard in most areas, with the exception of Post-16 provision which needs attention . All four Wokingham primary schools inspected received expected standard or strong standard in all areas. The update was also to cover education priorities, including work on belonging, curriculum and assessment review recommendations, and the Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving .

Regarding SEND, the report indicated that pupils on SEND support performed well against national peers, with EHCP timeliness improving to 68% in Quarter 3. However, a backlog of annual reviews was noted, and efforts were underway to improve data quality and prevent recurrence. The local area SEND inspection, which concluded that there were Widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND , was a key item. A Priority Action Plan was to be published by 20 July 2026.

Family Help and Safeguarding Update

This update was set to provide assurance on the delivery of Children's Social Care services. It was to cover progress on the move to Family Help Pods, the development of an Integrated Front Door and Multi-Agency Child Protection Team, and the implementation of Family Group Conferencing. The report highlighted that the number of children waiting for an allocated worker within the targeted early help service had reduced by over 70%. For children in care, the number was 151 at the end of Quarter 4 2025/26, an increase from the previous quarter, though Wokingham's overall rate remained below regional and statistical neighbour averages. The report also detailed improvements in the quality of practice and the ongoing work with care leavers, including the development of a new Care Leaver Hub. A review of Short Breaks services was also to be presented.

Children and Young People's Participation and Engagement Strategy

The committee was to consider an update on the Children and Young People's Participation and Engagement Strategy. The report indicated that participation groups were running smoothly, with a move towards a youth-led model and the introduction of a junior Children in Care Council (CICC) group. Review by children and young people showed high levels of progress towards strategy goals. Tangible outcomes from engagement included young person-friendly materials, improved access to services, and solutions to real issues. The report also detailed ongoing work by groups on self-developed projects, such as debate nights and a book group, and highlighted the involvement of young people in co-chairing the Corporate Parenting Board.

Children's Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

This report provided an update on the development of the Children and Young People's JSNA. The assessment, a statutory duty for the Health and Wellbeing Board, aims to provide a strategic, borough-wide understanding of the needs of children and young people aged 0–25. The approach taken reflects Marmot principles, focusing on the wider determinants of health and wellbeing and the importance of reducing inequalities. The JSNA comprises 49 sections, covering areas such as best start in life, education, health and wellbeing, safeguarding, community safety, housing, and hardship. A delivery plan was outlined, detailing central editing, partner engagement, and quality assurance processes leading to publication in September.

Other Scheduled Items

The meeting was also scheduled to include an Executive Councillor Update, a Local Area SEND Update, and consideration of the Forward Programme and Action Tracker. An item on Schools Causing Concern was to be discussed in Part 2, with the public excluded.