The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Wednesday 11 March 2026 to discuss the Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process and receive an update on housing performance. Key decisions included agreeing the final report and recommendations for the EHCP review, and noting the progress and challenges in the council's housing services.

In-Depth Scrutiny Review: The Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Process

The committee agreed to the final report and recommendations from their in-depth scrutiny review of the EHCP process. The review highlighted significant pressures on the service due to a substantial increase in demand, with a 23% rise in assessment requests and a 58% increase in maintained EHCPs between 2023 and 2026. This has led to challenges in meeting statutory timescales, with only 26% of EHCPs issued within the 20-week timeframe, compared to the national average of 45%.

Key recommendations focus on improving communication and technology, with a call for enhanced functionalities in the new Synergy Case Management system to allow parents to track applications. The report also stresses the need for the EHCP team to be more contactable and for increased face-to-face interactions to provide a more empathetic approach.

Co-production with parents is a central theme, with recommendations to improve parental investment in the process and explore a tri-borough system with neighbouring councils to streamline information sharing for families moving into the borough. The report also addresses the significant hold-ups caused by the availability of specialist therapists and psychologists, suggesting a model of assigning named specialists to groups of schools.

Performance and additional reporting recommendations include a future report on early needs identification, regular updates on the action plan for implementing recommendations, and annual reviews of performance against statutory obligations for issuing EHCPs. The committee noted that funding into the EHCP team is required for these recommendations to be implemented.

Housing Update on Priority 7

The committee received an update on housing performance, covering key areas such as temporary accommodation, rough sleeping, tenant satisfaction, and the percentage of non-decent homes.

Tenant Satisfaction: A significant increase in reported tenant satisfaction was noted, rising from 50.4% in 2024-25 to over 60% in 2025-26. This improvement is attributed to a change in methodology, with the council now conducting telephone surveys, aligning with the practice of most other London boroughs. While this change prevents direct comparison with previous years' satisfaction levels, a parallel control survey suggests overall satisfaction has remained stable. The council's overall satisfaction score of 62% is now on par with the London average. However, satisfaction with being kept informed and with neighbourhood management, particularly anti-social behaviour (ASB), remains below the London average and is a focus for improvement. Satisfaction is notably lower among younger tenants and those living in high-rise flats.

Homelessness Prevention: Performance against the homelessness prevention target remains strong, exceeding the annual target of 260 with 277 cases by January 2026. This, combined with the delivery of new homes, has contributed to relatively low numbers in temporary accommodation.

Temporary Accommodation and Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Placements: While overall temporary accommodation numbers have seen a downward trend, there was a significant spike in B&B placements in October 2025, reaching 100 households. This was attributed to a decline in Private Sector Leased (PSL) properties. A range of actions have been implemented to address this, including enhanced payments for PSL properties, the use of nightly paid self-contained accommodation, and improvements to hostel properties. These initiatives have led to a reduction in B&B numbers, with family connection households in B&B for over six weeks falling to three by February 2026.

Rough Sleeping: Monthly snapshot figures for rough sleepers have edged upwards, with 19 recorded in January 2026, a marked increase from the previous year's statutory count of 4. An estimated 60% of those identified have no recourse to public funds, making them harder to accommodate. The new Housing Strategy includes a commitment to reducing rough sleeping to zero by 2031, with plans to establish a Housing First model in partnership with the voluntary sector.

Non-Decent Homes: The percentage of homes failing to meet the Decent Homes standard remains a concern, with 9.2% of homes (approximately 1,400) not meeting the standard as of January 2026, against a target of 100%. The Assets team is finalising a planned works programme to address this.

Private Rented Sector (PRS): Approximately 24% of homes in the borough are in the PRS. Licensing schemes are in place to improve standards, with over 8,000 selective licence applications received to date. The council is also strengthening its enforcement service to protect tenants' safety and address issues like overcrowding and anti-social behaviour.

Adapted Properties for Disabled Residents: The council is working to increase the supply of adapted properties through ongoing dialogue with developers and housing associations, as well as utilising an adaptations budget within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The Disabled Facilities Grant is also available in the private sector. The council is also exploring innovative adaptations to existing properties to enable residents to stay in their homes longer.

BD Group Update: A report on the BD Group was not available for scrutiny due to ongoing structural changes and the development of a new business plan. The committee recommended that this be an early item on the next work programme.

Other Matters: The committee noted the work programme and the minutes of the previous meeting. The meeting concluded with the Chair expressing gratitude to the committee members and officers for their work.