SEND Improvement Board Independent Chair's Update from Kathryn Boulton 5 December 2025

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my seventh Chair's Update, as Independent Chair of the Lancashire SEND Improvement Board.

I welcomed everyone to the meeting and emphasised that absence from these meetings is not a reflection of commitment. It was recognised that there are many competing priorities that leaders must attend to and assurance was given that there is strategic oversight. Special mention was made of Cerys Townend's last day and the importance of recognising the contributions she has made.

I invited Clare Smith, Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production to give us an update on behalf of POWAR, the SEND youth forum.

POWAR SEND youth forum feedback

Clare shared that sessions in education settings are starting, focusing on what matters to children and young people. The feedback from these sessions will shape the questions asked in the SEND survey for children and young people. A consultation has been held with 70 young people for the SEND Capital Plan and what makes an inclusive mainstream environment and ideal school for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. POWAR are developing their ideas for projects they lead themselves. Projects will focus on the four cornerstones model of co-production, helping teachers in mainstream education develop understanding of different behaviours and how to better support children and young people. A new Participation Support Worker has been appointed and will start in post in the New Year. The Lundy Model participation training co-written by young people launched on 4 November and is being shared with partners.

What was discussed:

Board members asked what difference the feedback from children and young people (CYP) will make. It was suggested that there was a need for a strategic approach to capturing and using young people’s voices, ensuring feedback leads to tangible impact. The partnership needs to evidence what life looks like now for children and young people, what actions have we taken and what difference they have made. Partners were challenged to benchmark their current position and embed the outputs from the participation feedback in practice.

What we will do:

It was emphasised that the consultation feedback report shared recommendations, which were accepted by the board and will be fed back to POWAR. The Participation Strategy is being refreshed and broadened next year, and a template has been developed to capture impact which was shared and discussed at the data workshop in November. The SEND Operations Board will develop a wider strategic partnership framework for evidencing participation. It was agreed that outcomes from participation activities should be communicated widely through the SEND and Inclusion newsletters.

Next on the agenda was an update from Michelle Pye and Miranda Hyman, co-chairs of the Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF).

Lancashire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) feedback

Michelle shared that the forum now had two employees Laura and Krissy, to develop a formal structure of training and provide support to the volunteers. Focus groups were being held for Education Other Than at School (EOTAS), tribunals, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and sibling support with POWAR. SEND Roadshows were proving successful with 100 families attending the most recent one in Burnley, and 40 new members joining the forum. Recent feedback has been captured around the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in plans with the forum asking what the next steps would be.

What was discussed:

Board members asked where the feedback from parent carers is being shared and how it shapes conversations and awareness of the issues. Round Table members offer valuable insights which is shared via the forum. Families can become isolated and need to know how their lived experience influences change. There is a national consultation and as many people from Lancashire need to contribute to this to ensure their voices are heard.

What we will do:

Feedback regarding the use of AI will be shared with the digital / EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plans) Improvement group, led by SEND Senior Manager Andrea Riley for consideration and response. Lancashire County Council have volunteers that could collaborate with the forum to provide additional support and enhance sustainability.

Priority Action Plan highlight report

Paul Turner, Director of Education, Culture and Skills shared an update summarising progress against the priority action plan (PAP). The SEND Operations Board is well attended but is not yet driving strategic change, as the focus of it has been what it feels like on the ground, rather than shaping solutions and progressing red milestones that are off track. Paul suggested shifting the focus of the SEND Operations Board from reviewing the progress tracker to bringing recommendations in a presentation to progress stuck items, identifying why they're blocked and how they impact on children and families.

What was discussed:

Board members discussed reviewing the working groups and incorporating key priority action plan milestones into a broader SEND Improvement Plan, aligned to the new SEND Strategy 2025-8. A governance review to strengthen ownership and leadership of milestones may help drive progress, evidence impact, and provide key updates. Aligning the risk register to performance narratives, specifying the implications and urgency, may also help to drive progress. It was acknowledged that the SEND Improvement Board is to focus on the progress against the priority action plan and the inspection re-visit, whilst Development Days focus on the wider system and strategy. One of the greatest challenges is achieving consistency across the county for families and having accurate data to reflect this. It was emphasised the partnership must focus on having the right conversations and how this is communicated with partners.

What we will do:

The challenges discussed all link to priority action one in the action plan, governance, leadership and commissioning. It was agreed that governance would be reviewed in the New Year and partnership working groups strengthened, ensuring the right people are round the table to make decisions and influence change. This will ensure a shared strategic oversight of how the partnership will drive progress forward. The partnership will pause to take stock of where we are and where we need to get to.

Performance and data

Dave Carr, Director of Policy, Commissioning and Children's Health shared an update about the progress of the partnership data dashboard, and the different phases, assuring the board that it remains on track for January 2026. Overdue assessments are improving, but EHCP timeliness currently remains below average. The number of overdue Annual Reviews are reducing but remain high. The data workshop explored the SEN needs assessment, particularly how we use data, joint commissioning priorities, co-production, and how we measure outcomes and impact consistently. The workshop agreed to broaden participation and perceptive data but didn't get to finalise how we capture this and the ownership of metrics.

What was discussed:

Board members challenged what the blockers were to timeliness. The managed service providers are drafting plans well, but finalising and issuing plans is delayed due to challenges in the system. The SEND service is being re-organised, and a case is being made for additional resource to complete new assessments. Annual Review overdue figures are misleading, as many review meetings and changes have occurred, but the system marks them as overdue, until the final letter is issued.

What we will do:

All delayed plans have been allocated for Educational Psychology assessment, and the target remains 100% compliance by start of next financial year, contingent on actions holding. A clean‑up of annual review data is required. The data performance group will drive quality and headline reporting from the New Year, particularly capturing lived experience and evidencing impact.

Quality assurance

Hayley Smith, SEND Auditor presented the finalised version of the EHCP Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). The Framework has been fully co-produced by all stakeholders, with Children and Young People sharing what a good EHCP looks like. The framework is multi-layered and links to workforce development. The Quality Assurance forum is multi-agency and measures impact aligned to the SEND Strategy, including complaints and feedback from families.

What was discussed:

Board members accepted the Quality Assurance Framework as a clear co-produced tool for auditing EHCPs, but it was emphasised that there is a need for a whole system Quality Assurance Framework. It was recognised that the partnership needs to benchmark where it is now, in relation to service and district level differences and link to a training offer. It was recognised that multi-agency audits currently deep dive into locality differences for each of the services.

What we will do:

There is a new Quality Assurance Framework for Education and Children's Services, which could be explored as a wider system audit tool. The new Head of Service is due to start in post early next year and will review a wider inclusion / partnership framework.

Preparation for adulthood

Amber Burton, SEND Consultant presented an overview of the thematic audit into Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) and the development of the strategic group. Amber has taken up the position of chair and reviewed the purpose and direction of the group. The thematic audit completed aligns to the OFSTED thematic review and the recommendations made. The Improvement Plan for PfA, aligned to the recommendations, priority plan actions and SEND Strategy 2025-8, has been developed from the audit and identifies the partnership's current position. There are many strengths identified, with all providers thanked for their contributions. Preparation for Adulthood includes transitions from the earliest years, through to adulthood, for education, health and care, as there are often misunderstandings what PfA means. The strategic group identifies progress made and raises any risks to the SEND Operations Board. Action ownership, timescales for actions and data need to be agreed, to ensure accountability.

What was discussed:

Board members discussed how the partnership will see what is working well and what needs improving. A matrix detailing this, together with the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) will test how well actions are progressing and making impact. It was emphasised how important PfA is, and how schools are engaged in the process. Destination data was recognised as vital at evidencing the difference made to young people. Education providers play a pivotal role and need greater recognition. The Local Offer brings together the journey of a child from the earliest of years, and what support is available. Board members discussed the role housing providers play, across the 12 districts and the importance of what independent living means and looks like.

What we will do:

Workshops will be held in the New Year to develop a shared partnership approach, for all children including those not in school, with SEN Support and EHCPs, as all children need preparing for adulthood. These workshops will include all stakeholders, particularly education providers from nurseries through to post 19 colleges.

Risk register

The risk register was reviewed by the Board as a standing item. No further items were added to the register.

Communication

The Independent Chair's update will be written after each board meeting and published on the SEND Improvement Board webpage within 1-2 weeks, before being shared on social media. Formal minutes of the meeting will be written and published after they have been approved at the next board meeting.

A full communications strategy and delivery plan has been developed, which is currently being designed and will be published on the Local Offer soon. Feedback mechanisms for children and young people are being developed by our Strategic Lead for Participation and Co-production.

I hope this update is useful. We next meet as a board on 12 January 2025 for a face to face meeting.

If you are a parent carer and have any thoughts or comments, please contact the Lancashire Parent Carer Forum by emailing secretarylpcf@lancashireparentcarerforum.org.uk.

If you have a child / young person interested in POWAR participation group please contact Suliman Hussain at suliman.hussain@lancashire.gov.uk.

If you are a partner, please do feedback through your organisation. Also don’t forget to sign up to our SEND Newsletter if you’re not already receiving it.