The Education and Young People Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council met on Friday 30 January 2026 to discuss the progress of the Local Area Partnership's SEND monitoring and Priority Action Plan, and to review draft guidance for Education Other Than At School (EOTAS). The committee agreed to several recommendations regarding the sustainability of SEND support, the role of resource bases, and the transition pathway for children moving from primary to secondary resource bases. They also agreed that the EOTAS guidance should be presented in a more accessible format for parents.

Local Area Partnership Monitoring and Priority Action Plan

The committee received a comprehensive update on the Oxfordshire Local Area Partnership's progress in addressing the five priority action areas identified following the 2023 SEND inspection. These areas focused on gathering the views of children and young people with SEND, improving communication across the partnership, enhancing the timeliness and quality of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), improving the commissioning of services, and ensuring robust monitoring and measurement of strategies.

Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, expressed confidence in the partnership's maturity and its focus on improving outcomes. Lisa Lyons, Director of Children's Services, and Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director for Education and Inclusion, presented the progress, highlighting steady improvements supported by national regulators. However, they acknowledged ongoing challenges, including communication inconsistencies, the need for greater workforce understanding of SEND, and widening participation in the youth forum.

Steve Crocker, Independent Chair of the Oxfordshire SEND Strategic Improvement and Assurance Board, emphasised the increased cohesion and practical focus of the partnership, with headteachers, health partners, and council officers working more consistently towards shared objectives. Matthew Tait, Chief Operating Officer for the Integrated Care Board, noted that while the system remained under strain, redesigned pathways and earlier access to support were beginning to make a difference.

Jules Francis-Sinclair, Chair of the Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum (OxPCF), explained that many of the Forum's proposals had been incorporated into the Priority Action Plan, with others being tracked through wider SEND improvement programmes.

Members raised concerns about the potential implications of local government reorganisation (LGR) on the partnership's work. Mr Crocker confirmed that the Partnership had considered these issues and was preparing for different scenarios, with his role continuing to provide continuity and preserve momentum.

Discussions also covered waiting times for health services, with Mr Tait noting that while occupational therapy waits had reduced, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy waits remained static or had increased. He stressed that meaningful gains often came from redesigned pathways rather than solely from increased staffing. The use of the WellComm screening tool in early years settings was highlighted as a way to identify speech and language needs quickly and initiate targeted activities.

The balance between the timeliness and quality of EHCPs was debated. Officers acknowledged the risk of prioritising speed over substance and outlined safeguards, including multi-agency assurance processes and regular audits. The Assistant Director: SEND and Inclusion reported that timeliness had improved significantly, with recent performance at 92% and an average issuing time below twenty weeks.

The committee agreed to recommendations that the Council should:

• Set out a clear plan for the long-term sustainability and resourcing of targeted SEND support across Oxfordshire.
• Provide an updated strategic statement on the purpose, role, and operational expectations of resource bases within Oxfordshire schools, including funding and support.
• Develop and publish a strengthened transition pathway for children and young people moving from primary resource bases into secondary education, including an enhanced assurance framework and benchmarking.

The committee also agreed to actions for the Interim Deputy Director to provide a graph on timeliness improvements and for committee members to be invited to observe work at Enhanced Pathways.

Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) Update

The committee reviewed the draft guidance for Education Other Than At School (EOTAS), following the policy's approval by Cabinet in July 2025. Councillor Sean Gaul reiterated that while the policy had undergone some co-production, the accompanying guidance had not, and Cabinet had mandated a co-production process for it.

Jules Francis-Sinclair, Chair of OxPCF, expressed concerns that the guidance was not yet ready for finalisation or genuinely co-produced. Key issues included the absence of a clear co-production framework, limited senior officer involvement, and unresolved parental concerns regarding clarity, responsibilities, monitoring, and safeguarding. OxPCF recommended further senior-led meetings, clearer language, practical appendices, and a commitment to review the guidance after one year.

Annette Perrington, Interim Deputy Director: Education and Inclusion, acknowledged the feedback and the need to secure a helpful and agreed document. The committee discussed the complexity of EOTAS, which is governed by strict statutory tests and requires bespoke commissioning of tutors, therapists, and specialist staff, leading to significant annual costs per child.

Members suggested that the guidance could be presented in two versions: one for officers and one for parents, with a simpler, plain English companion document containing checklists and examples. Officers agreed that placing more technical material in appendices and improving clarity would be beneficial.

The committee agreed to a recommendation that the EOTAS guidance be broken down, with simpler, plain English and accessible information for parents provided in separate appendices to make the main guidance more manageable and user-friendly, while maintaining detailed officer processes and updates in the appendices.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee agreed to its forward work plan. It was noted that terms of reference for the Woodeaton working group would be submitted at the February meeting. A future item on support for adoptive parents was also agreed. The committee will review the local area partnership's transformation response plan for the Department for Education, likely by summer or autumn, in anticipation of the upcoming SEND White Paper.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee noted the action and recommendation tracker, which monitors the progress of accepted recommendations.