The Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel met on Monday 12 October 2026 to discuss a range of critical issues affecting local residents. Key topics included updates on the B&NES, Swindon & Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB), the B&NES Community Safety & Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report, and significant plans for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) provision. The panel also received an update from the Cabinet Member for Children's Services.

BSW ICB Update and Health Care Group Services

Lucy Baker, Place Director for B&NES at the BSW ICB, provided an update on several health-related matters. She addressed concerns raised by Councillor David Harding regarding the impact of the local plan on GP practices and dentistry services, explaining that while a tool is used to estimate population increases from new housing, it does not automatically translate into specific GP registrations. Further work is being undertaken to understand these impacts. Baker also highlighted a £12 million capital investment for a new Urgent Treatment Centre at the Royal United Hospital site, which will move urgent treatment activity out of the emergency department. The planned merger of ICBs, originally scheduled for April 2027, has been delayed due to national devolution ambitions.

Val, Regional Director for Health Care Group, presented an update on their community health contracts. She acknowledged initial problems with the Single Point of Access (SPA) system due to underestimated demand but stated that performance has since improved, with phone lines now answered within an average of three minutes. Val also addressed concerns about the hospital-at-home service, clarifying that the 175 beds allocated to this service remain, with a change in provider but no reduction in capacity. She assured the panel that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections of their services have resulted in good or outstanding ratings.

Councillor Lesley Mansell raised numerous questions regarding workforce stability, complaints, community engagement, and food hygiene, which Lucy Baker agreed to respond to in writing. Councillor Liz Hardman expressed concern over disturbing headlines regarding vulnerable patients and requested reassurance about the isolation of these incidents. Val stated that she could not comment on individual cases but pointed to the CQC inspection reports as assurance of quality.

B&NES Community Safety & Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report

Natalie Keeley, Business Manager for B&NES Community Safety and Safeguarding Partnership (BCSSP), presented the annual report for 2025/26. The report highlighted achievements in safeguarding children and adults, and community safety, including strengthened responses to child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and exploitation. However, it also acknowledged increasing demand, workforce pressures, and financial constraints. Daryl Freeman, Executive Director for People, acknowledged the significant challenges faced by the BCSSP business unit due to insufficient capacity.

Councillor Joanna Wright shared deeply concerning accounts from residents in her Lambridge Ward regarding drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, and a lack of support, questioning the effectiveness of community voices being heard. Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, committed to raising these specific issues with Daryl Freeman. Councillor Lesley Mansell expressed disappointment at the lack of joined-up reporting and the rise in domestic abuse and sexual violence, questioning financial modelling and mitigation for identified risks. Jean Kelly, Director of Children's Services, addressed concerns about low referrals for child sexual abuse protection plans nationally, explaining it reflects a national trend and that a toolkit has been developed to improve practitioner confidence.

SEND Inspection Improvement Plan and SEND Reform

Christopher Wilford, Director of Education, and Jean Kelly, Director of Children's Services, presented the SEND Inspection Improvement Plan, which followed a joint inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspection identified strengths in partnership leadership and collaboration, early help, and therapy services, but highlighted areas for improvement including mainstream inclusion, the quality of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, attendance and suspensions, health service access, short breaks, and data analysis. Five formal areas for improvement were identified, which will be addressed through a forthcoming Improvement Plan.

Rachel Hale, CEO of B&NES Parent Carers Forum, emphasised the importance of listening to parents and carers and the need for a culture shift towards children belonging in their local schools. She also highlighted the significant life admin burden on parent carers and the concerning statistic that 41% of parent carers have contemplated suicide. Lucy Baker noted the national media coverage of ADHD and autism waiting times and proposed adding this to a future discussion with Health Care Group.

Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, provided an update on the SEND Reform Plan, which has been approved by the Department for Education. He highlighted the collaborative approach to developing the plan and the establishment of a core transformation team. Claire Galloway, Transformation Lead for SEND Reform, detailed the locality-based approach to support and the focus on strengthening the universal offer and early intervention.

Councillor Liz Hardman questioned the sufficiency of resources for mainstream inclusion and the quality of EHC plans, while Councillor Leslie Mansell raised concerns about the promotion of good practice and the inclusion of other support organisations. Councillor Joanna Wright highlighted the impact on mothers and the challenges faced by rural communities in accessing locality-based services. Rachel Hale stressed the importance of myth-busting negative narratives and focusing on what is working well.

Cabinet Member Update

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, provided an update on several key areas. He highlighted the successful launch of the Best Start in Life Family Hub in Twerton and plans to transform other children's centres into hubs. He also provided an update on the Families First Programme reforms, stating that the launch had been successful overall despite staff anxieties about the restructure. Jean Kelly and Paul Shawcross, Assistant Director for Children's Social Care, addressed concerns about safeguarding teams experiencing staffing challenges due to a national shortage of social workers, assuring the panel that clear plans are in place for recruitment and that robust processes are in place to safeguard children.

Councillor Onkar Saini asked about the percentage of eligible children not claiming free school meals and opportunities to increase SEND provision within existing school estates due to falling pupil numbers. Chris Wilford, Director of Education, explained the efforts to auto-enrol eligible children and the challenges in obtaining exact figures for those not claiming. He also confirmed that new facilities are being built for SEND provision and a working group is exploring capacity.

Councillor Joanna Wright raised concerns about the lack of budget information for children's services, the impact of Youth Connect Southwest's reduced budget, and the clarity around children's safety during the Families First reorganisation. Councillor Paul May committed to exploring how budget information could be shared with the panel and discussed the challenges and strategic importance of youth provision.

Councillor Liz Hardman inquired about Youth Connect Southwest's funding, the expansion of Best Start in Life Family Hubs, and the pupil premium implications of increased free school meal numbers. Paul May confirmed that Youth Connect Southwest's budget had not been further reduced, and Jean Kelly outlined plans to transform other children's centres into family hubs. It was clarified that increased free school meal numbers under the expanded eligibility rules do not correlate with pupil premium funding for schools.

Panel Workplan

The panel noted their current workplan and discussed upcoming items, including the need for a separate item on youth services and further updates on SEND reform and inspection outcomes. The Chair committed to ensuring that outstanding questions from the meeting would be addressed and included in future workplans.

The meeting concluded with thanks to all attendees, officers, and panel members for their contributions.