Oxfordshire County Council has today (18 December) published the local area partnership priority action plan to improve services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

The plan responds to Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission’s inspection report of SEND partnership services in July. A draft plan was submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) on 24 October and was approved by Ofsted on 12 December.

Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for SEND Improvement, explained: “We recognise that we are only at the start of our improvement journey and that it will take time for real change to be felt by families. We are working hard as a partnership to ensure we have the right foundations in place to deliver real and lasting improved outcomes for children, young people and families.

“Progress has been made but much more is to come. I look forward to continuing to forge strong relationships with partners and with families with SEND children to ensure we do this together. We are all determined to make a real difference.”

The plan sets out what will be achieved across five priority action areas. 

1. Gathering and acting on the views of children and young with SEND and their families.
2. Developing effective communications systems across the partnership to ensure coordinated approaches.
3. Improved timeliness and quality assurance of education, health and care plans.
4. Commissioning of services to meet the needs of children and young people and their families.
5. Producing plans that are coproduced with children and young people and their families, which are rigorously monitored.

The local area partnership¹ includes Oxfordshire County Council, NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board and the parent carer forum (PCF), the official body for the voice of parent carers. The PCF will be directly involved in activities in the priority action plan that lead to improving services and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. 

Rachael Corser, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board’s Chief Nursing Officer, said: “As health and care partners, we’re fully committed to improving Oxfordshire’s SEND services for children, young people and their families.

“Without doubt there is still a way to go, but by working together with families we are starting to make a difference to the way children and young people get the support they deserve to help them thrive.”

The Oxfordshire SEND Strategic Improvement and Assurance Board is made up of senior leaders from across the partnership and members of the PCF and will drive the action required to deliver better services for SEND children, young people and their families. It meets again on 20 December.

The partnership will continue to work with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission on prioritising actions to secure immediate improvement for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Parents and carers can sign up to hear the latest on SEND news online and SEND coordinators can also fill in a simple form. In addition, there is online support for parents and carers of children with SEND at oxfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer