Government recognises ongoing improvements to services for Oxfordshire’s SEND children
Oxfordshire County Council has received news that the government has lifted the improvement notice for services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) issued following a local area partnership inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in 2023.
On Wednesday 15 April 2026, Oxfordshire County Council and NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (NHS Thames Valley) received a letter from The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education, recognising ongoing improvements in services for Oxfordshire’s SEND children.
The secretary of state noted that Oxfordshire’s local area partnership (LAP) has strengthened how the views of children and young people with SEND, as well as parents and carers, are gathered and used in strategic planning.
There have been improvements in communication and information sharing across the partnership, including monitoring the impact of the partnership’s actions and enhanced timeliness of education and health care plans (EHCPs).
Significant progress in jointly commissioning services and reducing waiting times for critical support, was also acknowledged by the secretary of state in her letter.
Councillor Sean Gaul, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said: “The government’s decision to remove the improvement notice is encouraging. Close partnership working has helped us to review, reset and rebuild services.
“The government does, quite rightly, expect the services and support we collectively provide to keep getting better. We are committed to this and will continue to engage and listen to children, young people with SEND and their families as part of our improvement journey.”
Dr Nick Broughton, Executive Lead, NHS Thames Valley, said: “We welcome the decision to lift the improvement notice and recognise it as an important milestone for SEND services in Oxfordshire. This reflects the commitment and hard work of colleagues across the local area partnership, and the willingness of organisations to come together, challenge ourselves and work differently in the interests of children and young people.
“We know, however, that this is not the end of the journey. There is still more to do to ensure services are consistently timely, joined up and responsive, and to rebuild confidence with families. We hope that parents, carers and children are beginning to see the impact of the changes being made, but we remain focused on sustained improvement and listening carefully to their experiences as we continue this work together.”
The LAP includes Oxfordshire County Council; NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board (formerly NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board); Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum; and professional subject matter leads.
Notes
In July 2023, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission undertook a local area partnership inspection of SEND services
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