The Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Priority Action Plan, the SEND Strategy, and the SEND Local Offer. Councillors agreed to set up an online meeting to discuss the SEND strategy before it goes to cabinet in October, and requested an update in January on the reduction of the casework backlog. The committee also requested more information on support for siblings of children with SEND, and for parents who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Here's a more detailed look at the topics discussed:

SEND Priority Action Plan

The committee received an update on the SEND Priority Action Plan, which was created in response to an inspection that found widespread systemic failings in the council's SEND provision. County Councillor Matthew Salter, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, told the committee that the plan is being overseen by the SEND Improvement Board to ensure a rapid turnaround, adding:

We want children and families to be at the heart of everything that we do. We want to ensure that every child is seen, is treated as an individual and that their needs are met as they should be.

Keris Townsend, Head of Services for Inclusion, reported progress in several areas, including:

• Increased capacity for educational psychology assessments
• A reduction in appeals
• Issuing more EHCPs
• Reducing the backlog of annual reviews
• Increasing the capacity of special school places and SEND units

The plan is split into five priorities: governance and strategic partnership, quality and timeliness of EHCPs, neurodevelopmental pathways, communication, and preparation for adulthood. Challenges remain, including capacity and resources across key organisations, implementing the recovery plan, and rebuilding relationships with schools.

SEND Strategy 2025-2028

The committee heard that the new Local Area Partnership SEND Strategy 2025-2028, which is due to be presented to Cabinet in October, sets out ambitions for children and young people with SEND and their families. The strategy has been co-produced with a wide variety of people, including parents and carers, schools and settings, health providers and colleagues across the local authority.

The strategy centres on ensuring that children and young people:

• Are safe, happy, healthy and achieving their full potential
• Have their needs identified early
• Have their needs met in a mainstream school close to home
• Experience good physical, social, emotional and mental health
• Achieve educational ambitions
• Have access to opportunities

The committee agreed to set up an online meeting to discuss the strategy before it goes to cabinet in October.

SEND Local Offer

Anna Birkinshaw, Local Offer Development Officer, provided an overview of the SEND Local Offer, a statutory requirement that provides information about services and support available to children and young people with SEND and their families. She told the committee that the Lancashire offer is highly rated for accessibility compared to other local authorities.

Key developments include the launch of the new SEND Directory in 2021, improvements to the Local Offer website, and improved digital tools for monitoring feedback and usage. Challenges remain, including gaps in support for post-16/19 pathways and neurodivergent support.

Ms Birkinshaw asked committee members to champion the local offer in their areas, and signpost people to the website and Facebook group.

Support for Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Councillor Tattler raised concerns about the number of asylum seekers and refugees on SEND services in Lancashire, and requested data on the number of asylum seekers and refugees on the SEND waiting list, the number who have received EHCPs and SEND assessments, and ethnicity-based SEND rates. It was agreed that this would be raised directly with the cabinet.

Support for Siblings

Councillor Tattler noted that she could not find anything on the local offer website that was provided in terms of support for siblings, in particular teenagers who do not always want to take part in group activities. She asked what the offer was for them.

It was reported that the council signposts to the SIBS website on their SEND directory. SIBS is a national organisation that provides online opportunities for siblings to get together. It was also noted that some break time programme providers are happy for siblings to attend activities, and that the Holiday Activity and Food Programme¹ is primarily for children on free school meals, but a percentage is available for children with SEND, and children from the same family can be sent to most of those activities.

Support Before Formal Diagnosis

Councillor Tattler asked what support parents can access before they get a formal diagnosis, given that it can take between three and five years for a child to be formally assessed. She also asked how the council can better target those parents rather than those that already have a caseworker assigned to them.

It was reported that there is a SEND support area on the local offer website, and that lots of the support available through the local offer does not require a diagnosis or EHCP. It was also noted that the opportunities that are available through the family hubs are there for all children and young people irrespective of diagnosis or SEND need. It was agreed that better signposting for this should be provided through school newsletters.

Support for Children Whose Parents Don't Advocate

It was asked what provision is in place for children whose parents don't advocate on their behalf and don't care, and whether they just slip through the system. It was reported that it would depend on the level of need for that child, but that schools would often pick up a need and talk to early help services. It was also noted that it is about balancing interference with a private family life and the welfare of a child.

It was further asked what happens if a family are obstructionist about it because they see the stigmatised side of it and they don't want the child to be involved or to get special extra treatment. It was reported that it would depend on the complexity of that child's needs and what the impact was on that child, and that it is about creating an environment where families will engage and will want to develop support for their children.

Social Media Advertising

It was asked whether the council runs social media adverts with a link for the information, and it was confirmed that they do not have paid for targeted advertising. It was suggested that for a small cost, this could reach a huge audience and keep refreshing that same content onto the pages. It was agreed that this was something that could be looked into.

Break Time Hours

It was asked what the uptake rate of the break time hours was, and whether there were any plans in place to improve that uptake. It was reported that the uptake for registrations for break time is really good, but that getting the uptake in the hours has been more of a challenge. It was also noted that the council has been unpicking the reasons why the uptake is lower than they would expect it to be, and that it is because of some of the challenges of accessing services.

Financial Aid

It was asked how financial aid that is available for families and parents is linked to the EHCP, how the council lands on a figure, and whether that has changed recently over the past couple of years. It was reported that this was a very complex question which could not be answered in the meeting, but that the council could have a look at some sort of input for scrutiny about the systems which parents carers and young people navigate around the world of special educational needs and disabilities.

Recommendations

The committee made the following recommendations:

• Arrange an online session before the cabinet report in October for members of the committee to make comments on the SEND strategy.
• Provide an update in January on the backlog in terms of casework and whether that's been reduced.
• Check where it is best placed in terms of transport to the other scrutiny committee.
• Ask for an update in terms of what sibling support is available.