The Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 10 September 2025 to discuss the progress of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Priority Action Plan, SEND Strategy, and SEND Local Offer. The committee also reviewed the work programme for the upcoming year.

Update on SEND Priority Action Plan, SEND Strategy, and SEND Local Offer

The committee received a comprehensive update on the significant work being undertaken to address the findings of the Joint Area SEND Inspection. County Councillor Matthew Salter, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, highlighted the challenging period the council is facing in SEND provision, emphasizing the vital work being done to tackle historic issues and improve the experience for children and families. He noted that a robust plan is in place, overseen by the SEND Improvement Board, to rapidly turn things around.

Key areas of progress and ongoing challenges were presented by officers, including:

• Increased Capacity in Educational Psychology: There has been a significant increase in educational psychology advice capacity, tipping the balance to have more capacity than new assessments coming in, which is expected to reduce the backlog.
• Reduction in Appeals: Appeals related to SEND provision have reduced, with lower rates than the previous year and below the national figure.
• Issuing More Plans: More Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) are being issued due to increased capacity within the casework team.
• Addressing Annual Review Backlog: Efforts are underway to process delayed annual reviews, with a gradual reduction in the backlog of over 13,000 EHCPs requiring review.
• Capital Programme for Special School Places: Significant work has been undertaken to increase the capacity of special school places and SEND units.
• Governance and Strategic Partnership: An Improvement Board with an independent chair has been established to scrutinise the council's work, with representation from the Integrated Care Board (ICB), Parent Carer Forum, schools, health providers, and the local authority.
• Quality and Timeliness of EHCPs: Progress is being made in both the quality and productivity of EHCPs, with staff training and a multi-agency training programme initiated. A recovery plan, including financial modelling, has been drafted to achieve compliance by December.
• Digital Transformation: A digital dashboard has been launched to allow parents and carers to track the progress of assessments, enhancing transparency.
• Neurodevelopmental Pathways: Work is ongoing to transform the current neurodevelopmental pathway, with a focus on training, upskilling, and digital solutions.
• Communication Strategy: A joint communication strategy and delivery plan have been developed to improve communication at both strategic and operational levels. Let's Talk sessions with the Parent Carer Forum have been positively received.
• Local Offer Website: The local offer website has been reviewed and updated, with improved engagement through social media and the launch of a SEND directory. 79% of service users reported being able to find what they were looking for on the website.
• Preparation for Adulthood: Workstreams are in place to support young people in preparing for adulthood, with training and support materials being developed.

Michelle Pye and Miranda Hyman, Co-Chairs of the Parent Carer Forum, shared their experiences, highlighting the valuable work of the forum in representing parents and carers and ensuring their voices are heard. They acknowledged the brilliant collaboration with officers but noted that on-the-ground parent carers are not yet fully seeing the impact of the changes.

Councillors raised concerns and asked questions regarding specialist support in schools for children with ADHD and autism, the demand for school places in specific areas of the county, and the process for identifying and supporting children with SEND. Discussions also covered the challenges of early identification, the potential for cases to be pushed through the system without a formal diagnosis, and the appeals process.

The committee also discussed the SEND strategy, which sets out the council's ambition for children and families over the next three years, focusing on ensuring children are safe, happy, healthy, and achieving their potential, with their needs met early and supported with the right provision.

Children, Families and Skills Work Programme 2025/26

The committee reviewed the draft work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. The programme is structured thematically to allow for in-depth investigation of specific topics. Key items for future meetings include updates on SEND, the 'Where our Children Live' programme, the Lancashire House Project, and reports on the social care workforce and families' first initiatives. The committee also noted the work programme.

Several recommendations and actions were discussed, including:

• An online session for committee members to comment on the SEND strategy before it goes to Cabinet in October is to be arranged.
• An update on the progress of reducing the EHCP backlog is to be provided in January.
• An update on sibling support and support for parents without an EHCP is to be sought.
• An investigation into the most appropriate scrutiny committee to discuss home-to-school transport is to be undertaken.
• Data on the number of asylum seekers and refugees on SEND waiting lists, with a breakdown by origin and ethnicity, is to be provided at a future meeting.
• The possibility of using paid social media advertising to increase awareness of the local offer is to be explored.
• Confirmation in December on the success of moving from dealing with the EHCP backlog is to be sought.
• A discussion on transport, specifically costs and efficiency, will be considered by the Environment, Economic Growth and Transport Scrutiny Committee.
• A recommendation to improve communication to the public about the council's achievements in SEND was discussed.