Decision to scrap SEND role on council 'shocking'

Oxfordshire County Council created a dedicated position on its cabinet after Ofsted found "systemic failings" in its SEND provision

Parents have said they are "dismayed" at a council decision to no longer have a dedicated special educational needs and disabilities cabinet member.

Oxfordshire County Council created a SEND post in 2023, after Ofsted found "widespread and systemic failings" in its provision.

Council leader Liz Leffman said: "Recent feedback from inspectors has been that we are very much on the right track."

But Claire Brenner, from the Oxfordshire's SEND Parent Action Group, said: "On the ground things are still getting worse… I frankly find it shocking."

The Liberal Democrats won an overall majority for the first time in the county council's history in the local elections on 2 May.

Under the new cabinet, the SEND brief will come under the portfolio of the new cabinet member for children and young people, Sean Gaul.

Ms Leffman said: "We believe it is now the right moment to have the cabinet member for children's services focusing on SEND directly alongside all of the other hugely important services provided for children and young people by the county council."

But Ms Brenner said the SEND cabinet role was already "huge".

"SEND cuts across education, health, social care, transport," she said.

"And poor Sean [Gaul] has been given, not only that, but responsibility for all education and all of children's services.

"The size of the job, for me, is too big for one person… unless the end result is less intense scrutiny."

Ms Brenner said the group really wanted to work with Mr Gaul, adding: "We used to meet every month with the cabinet member for SEND.

"My only hope is that Sean Gaul has got a lot of energy and passion and that he's willing to roll his sleeves up and really get stuck in."