The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council met on Thursday 17 September 2026 to discuss the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2025-26, an update on the Council's Connect to Work Programme, and the response to the Care Quality Commission assessment and improvement programme. The committee also reviewed its forward work plan and action tracker.

Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to consider the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) Annual Report for 2025-26. This report details how the Board and its member organisations fulfilled their statutory safeguarding responsibilities between April 2025 and March 2026. It highlights progress made despite system changes, including strengthening governance, expanding quality assurance, and undertaking Safeguarding Adults Reviews and Homeless Mortality Reviews. The report also noted an increase in safeguarding concerns, with 10,865 recorded, alongside 1,584 Section 42 safeguarding enquiries. Recurring themes from reviews included self-neglect, mental capacity, professional curiosity, and financial exploitation. The report also outlined future priorities for 2026-27, such as maintaining safeguarding assurance during Local Government Reorganisation and strengthening the voice of people with lived experience.

Update on the Council's Connect to Work Programme

An update was scheduled on the Council's Connect to Work Programme, a national supported employment initiative funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The programme aims to help eligible Oxfordshire residents who face significant barriers to employment to access, secure, and sustain paid work. The report indicated that the programme, which became fully live in January 2026, had a successful start, performing well against key performance indicators. It is being jointly delivered by Oxfordshire County Council and Enterprise Oxfordshire, utilising evidence-based supported employment approaches such as the Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS). The programme is designed to support up to 2,000 participants over its lifetime and includes tailored pathways for young jobseekers, migrants, and individuals with learning disabilities and autism. The report also detailed efforts to ensure equitable access, including accessible front-door processes and support for employers in making reasonable adjustments.

Response to the Care Quality Commission Assessment and Improvement Programme

The committee was due to receive an update on the Council's response to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment of its Adult Social Care services, published in September 2025. The CQC rated Oxfordshire County Council as Good overall but identified four areas requiring improvement: Assessing Needs, Supporting People to Lead Healthier Lives, Equity in Experience and Outcomes, and Care Provision, Integration and Continuity. The report outlined the establishment of the Adult Social Care Improvement Programme (ASCIP) to coordinate improvement efforts, monitor progress, and demonstrate sustained improvements. Specific actions planned or underway included redesigning assessment forms, improving hospital discharge pathways, strengthening direct payment support, embedding equity into all ASCIP activities, and developing a new commissioning framework. The report also highlighted the ongoing work to address potential disproportionate impacts of proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy, including telecare and transport charges, with various safeguards and review mechanisms in place.

Committee Forward Work Plan and Action Tracker

The committee was scheduled to review and agree its forward work programme for forthcoming meetings. This included planned scrutiny items on health and community impacts of climate change, reducing adult social care inequalities, the impact of provider failure on healthcare equipment supply, and the use and impact of social prescribing. The committee was also set to note the progress of previous recommendations and actions through the Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker. This included updates on recommendations related to domestic abuse safe accommodation provision and the consultation on proposed changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy.