Oxfordshire County Council leader takes on SEND duties after coalition split

Party leaders Liz Brighouse, Pete Sudbury and Liz Leffman helped form the alliance in 2021

A council leader is temporarily taking over children's services after a coalition between parties fell apart.

Labour left Oxfordshire County Council's alliance, claiming the Liberal Democrats were not interested in "working together" to solve issues regarding children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND).

Leader Liz Leffman will cover the office until a replacement is found.

The coalition took over from the Conservative leadership in 2021.

It was formed by the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Green Party.

Ofsted recently found Oxfordshire was failing on its SEND services.

Afterwards, Ms Leffman said she had asked Labour group leader and deputy council leader Liz Brighouse to resign her position in charge of children's services, which she had refused to do.

Ms Brighouse later left her positions once Labour quit the alliance.

Parents of children with special educational needs held a protest in Oxford in November

Ms Leffman told the BBC: "I'm personally stepping in. I'm going to be holding that space on behalf of our council and on behalf of our children and our residents."

She added: "I will be making sure we do whatever we can… the parents are waiting, they're not hearing back from the council.

"We will make sure we improve our communications, and we will look at how we can do better in the future."

The Greens' Pete Sudbury, cabinet member for climate change delivery and environment, has been announced as the new deputy leader.

Ms Leffman said she would also create a new role of cabinet member for SEND, alongside the one for children's services, to be announced later in the week.

On Saturday, Labour councillor Damian Haywood quit the party over the "deeply troubling and upsetting" Ofsted report.

Mr Haywood, whose son has learning difficulties, said his "self-serving" party had failed to address concerns over SEND leadership.

An extraordinary council meeting is due to take place on 13 October to discuss the report.