The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday 8 December 2025 to discuss the Adults Emergency Duty Team Section 75 Agreement and the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan. The committee noted the report on the Adults Emergency Duty Team. Regarding the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan, the committee recommended seeking financial assurances for SEND provision and that Cabinet and the committee receive a progress report on the SEND action plan within the next 12 months. The report was then noted.

Adults Emergency Duty Team (EDT) - Section 75 Agreement

The committee considered a report seeking retrospective agreement to continue participation in a Section 75 Agreement for the provision of an emergency social care service outside of normal office hours. This agreement, which commenced on 1 April 2025 and runs until 31 March 2030, involves the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and Waltham Forest, with the North-East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT) as the service provider. The total value of the contract for Redbridge over the five-year period is £1,115,079.75.

Councillor Mark Santos, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, explained that this is a statutory requirement for local authorities to ensure vulnerable adults receive timely support during emergencies. The current arrangement has been in place since 2013, and the new agreement continues the partnership approach, with Havering acting as the lead commissioning borough.

During the discussion, Councillor Kumud Joshi suggested pooling services for both adult and children's emergency duty teams, but it was noted that different legislative frameworks apply to each. Councillor Judith Garfield inquired about the split of costs between boroughs, given potential population differences, and was informed that while costs are split equally, the service must respond to all who contact them. Councillor Garfield also asked if there were significant changes from the previous contract, to which it was confirmed there were no major alterations.

The committee noted the report.

Agreement of the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan

The committee also discussed the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan, which has been signed off by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted. Councillor Lloyd Jacob Duddridge, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, highlighted the significant investment made in this action plan and the progress achieved in areas such as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

A key concern raised by Councillor Judith Garfield, and echoed by education scrutiny, was the need for financial assurances regarding the Integrated Care Board's (ICB) contribution. Councillor Duddridge confirmed that the ICB had not yet committed in writing to their £596,000 contribution, expressing frustration with the pace of partnership working. He stressed that while children's services had committed £1 million to the plan, the ICB's financial input was crucial for its success.

The effectiveness of co-production with parent partnership groups was also discussed. Councillor Duddridge stated that parent partnership representatives were actively involved in the improvement board and had approved all aspects of the plan. He also noted that numerous meetings had taken place with parent groups, the leader of the council, the chief executive, and even Iain Duncan Smith, to ensure their views were heard.

Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas raised questions about the involvement of Barnet Council as consultants, and Councillor Duddridge explained that Barnet's experience with a similar journey following an Ofsted inspection would provide valuable institutional knowledge and continuity. Concerns were also raised about how parents not directly involved with the parent forum could engage with the process, and Councillor Duddridge outlined plans to use schools more effectively and conduct wider surveys to gather broader parental input.

The issue of EHCP timeliness was also addressed, with Councillor Alex Charlton-Holmes noting the current baseline of 22% of EHCPs issued within 20 weeks, and the statutory duty to reach 100%. Councillor Duddridge acknowledged that the target of 50% by March 2027 might not be ambitious enough and that quality was as important as timeliness. He also commented on the national context, suggesting that if a statutory target is not being met by the vast majority of local authorities, the system itself may need reform.

The committee made two recommendations:

1. To seek financial assurances around SEND provision.
2. For Cabinet and the committee to receive a progress report on the SEND action plan within the next 12 months.

The report was then noted.

Updates from Chairs of Policy Development Committees and Overview and Scrutiny Sub-committees

Chairs of various Policy Development Committees and Overview and Scrutiny Sub-committees provided verbal updates on their work:

• Children and Young People: Councillor Alex Holmes reported that the committee was thematically examining SEND, with the next meeting focusing on SEND outside of mainstream settings.
• Clean and Green: Councillor Hare had no update as the committee had not met since the last overview.
• Health and Care: Councillor Brar noted that a planned visit had been cancelled and urged officers to schedule new visits.
• Homes and Neighbourhoods: Councillor Kumud Joshi stated the committee was exploring the use of leisure facilities for community social prescribing and was awaiting data to inform a workshop and formal meeting.
• Safe Redbridge: Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed reported that the committee had reviewed items for their next meeting in February.
• Strategy and Resources: Councillor Judith Garfield concluded an inquiry into resident experience, with recommendations made that had led to significant website changes and improvements in community hubs and casework responses. A report was expected within a month.
• External Scrutiny: Councillor Goddin mentioned an upcoming meeting with the police regarding speeding and with the Environment Agency and Thames Water concerning flood prevention and water quality.
• Health Scrutiny: Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas reported on a presentation from St Francis Hospice regarding end-of-life care and updates on public health and smoking cessation.
• Education Scrutiny: Councillor Anne Marie Sachs discussed reports on trauma-informed practice, emotional school avoidance, the SEND priority action plan, and provisional Key Stage 5 results, which were below the national average for academic subjects.

All updates were noted by the committee.

Work Plan

The committee noted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Plan for 2025-2026, with the caveat that dates for January and February were likely to change. A point was made that the complaints report appeared three times in the January schedule, which might be excessive.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as to be determined (TBC) but scheduled for January.