Report marks progress on Oxfordshire SEND failings

Inspectors looked at five priority areas, following a highly critical Ofsted report in 2023

Inspectors have found "effective action" has been taken in Oxfordshire after a previous report found "widespread failings" in SEND services.

The monitoring inspection concluded that "reasonable steps" had been taken by the county council in five priority areas identified following the previous report.

But a group representing families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has warned things are "getting worse" for some.

The council said the report made it clear that "real progress is now being made".

The last full inspection of SEND services in Oxfordshire took place in 2023.

It looked at the performance of the local area partnership, which is comprised of Oxfordshire County Council and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

A highly critical report following the inspection led to an action plan, where five priority areas were identified.

A monitoring inspection was carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September this year and examined those priority areas to see if improvements had been made.

They were:

• Prioritising gathering the views of children and young people with SEND effectively

• Developing communication systems to ensure SEND needs are met "through coordinated approaches"

• Improved timeliness and quality assurance of Education, Health and Care plans

• Improved commissioning of services

• Collective monitoring of strategy and actions

Inspectors said the local area had "taken effective action as it has taken reasonable steps to address all the areas for priority action identified at the initial inspection".

A protest was held in 2023 by Oxfordshire families frustrated by SEND failings

But a parent-led campaign group has warned that families "still aren't feeling the difference".

Dr Claire Brenner, from Oxfordshire SEND Parent Action Group, said: "Ofsted's finding of 'effective action' on paper is not the same as real-world improvement.

"Families are still struggling daily.

"Children's experiences have not got better - many parents tell us things are getting worse."

The council said the local area partnership was working "extremely hard" to make "necessary improvements".

Sean Gaul, cabinet member for children, education and young people's services, said: "Ofsted and the CQC's latest report makes it clear that real progress is now being made and I praise our dedicated teams for their tireless efforts over many months.

"However, we will never allow ourselves to be complacent.

"We will continue to listen and involve families on this important journey of improvement for children and young people."

The inspectors said that "effective action" does not mean that the area for priority action is "no longer a concern".

They asked the local area partnership to update its action plan as a result of the inspection.