Oxfordshire SEND Priority Action Plan 2026–2028

A Parent Carer Forum Perspective

The Oxfordshire SEND Priority Action Plan 2026–2028 has recently been shared publicly through the Local Area Partnership monitoring papers presented to Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet on 17 March 2026.

The Local Area Partnership (LAP) is the group of organisations responsible for planning, delivering and improving SEND services across Oxfordshire. This includes Oxfordshire County Council, health partners, education settings and schools, alongside involvement from OxPCF and the SEND Youth Forum.

This plan sets out the priorities, actions and intended improvements across education, health and care services over the next two years following the SEND inspection and monitoring process.

As Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum (OxPCF), we know many families will want to understand what this means in practice and, most importantly, whether it will lead to real improvements in the experiences of children, young people and families across Oxfordshire.

What is the Priority Action Plan?

The Priority Action Plan (often shortened to PAP) is the partnership’s response to the areas identified through the SEND inspection process. It includes actions linked to:

• Communication and co-production

• EHCP quality and timeliness

• Access to support and services

• Preparation for adulthood and transitions

• Inclusion in schools and settings

• Health waiting times and needs-led support

• Alternative provision

• Measuring impact and accountability

  
  

The plan is intended to be delivered through the LAP, again alongside ongoing involvement, feedback and challenge from OxPCF and the SEND Youth Forum.

It is also important to recognise that this document is not intended to address every challenge families currently experience across the SEND system. The Priority Action Plan is specifically focused on responding to the areas identified through the inspection and monitoring process, although many of the themes naturally overlap with wider issues that families continue to raise.

The plan will now move into a delivery and monitoring phase through the LAP governance structure, including the four theme groups, the Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) and the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB). The next stage of work will also involve refining how progress and impact are measured through SMART KPIs and reporting processes, with some targets still being developed.

The Priority Action Plan also sits alongside the wider national SEND Reform agenda currently being consulted on by government. Although this local plan is specifically focused on the inspection priority areas, there are clear overlaps with some of the themes emerging nationally, including earlier intervention, inclusion, needs-led approaches, preparation for adulthood, improved communication and stronger multi-agency working.

At this stage, many aspects of SEND Reform remain proposals rather than confirmed changes, and there is still significant uncertainty nationally about what future reforms may look like in practice. As a result, it will be important for local improvement work to remain responsive and adaptable as the national picture develops.

⬇️ Jump to Frequently Asked Questions about the Priority Action Plan.

Our reflections as OxPCF

There are a number of areas within the plan that we know families have consistently raised as important, including:

• Better communication and transparency

• Improved involvement of children, young people and parent carers

• More joined-up working between services

• Improving the quality and timeliness of EHCPs

• Stronger support during transitions

• Earlier support without families needing to fight for help

• A move towards more needs-led approaches

  
  

We are pleased to see recognition throughout the document of the importance of listening to children, young people and families and using feedback to shape services. The repeated references to “You Said, We Did” approaches, communication improvements, co-production training and feedback mechanisms are all positive commitments.

We also welcome the inclusion of areas families have spoken about regularly over recent years, including:

• transition planning,

• communication around EHCP processes,

• waiting times,

• support while awaiting assessment,

• and improving access to information through the Local Offer.

What matters now is implementation

As many families will know, plans and strategies are only meaningful if they lead to tangible change in everyday experiences.

From our perspective, the most important part of this work will be:

• how consistently actions are delivered,

• how progress is measured,

• whether families feel improvements,

• and how openly the partnership communicates both progress and ongoing challenges.

  
  

We know many families continue to experience significant difficulties across the SEND system, including long waits, communication breakdowns, inconsistent experiences, challenges accessing support and uncertainty around processes. Those experiences cannot be ignored simply because a plan exists.

The plan does include a stronger focus on measurable outcomes and accountability, including targets and reporting structures. Families will rightly want to see how this translates into real-world improvements over time.

Co-production must remain meaningful

The document references co-production throughout and includes actions around improving understanding of co-production across the partnership.

As a parent carer forum, we will continue advocating for co-production to be:

• honest,

• transparent,

• representative,

• accessible,

• and meaningful.

  
  

Good co-production is not simply asking for feedback. It means involving families early, listening openly to challenge, recognising lived experience as expertise, and being willing to adapt decisions where needed.

Our role going forward

OxPCF will continue to:

• bring forward parent carer experiences and feedback,

• challenge constructively where concerns remain,

• recognise positive progress where improvements happen,

• and work alongside partners to help shape better outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

  
  

We also know that improvement takes time and sustained commitment across the whole system. Families, schools, practitioners and services are all under significant pressure, and meaningful change requires openness, collaboration and trust.

The Priority Action Plan and wider LAP monitoring report were also presented to Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet on 17 March 2026, following consideration by the Education and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Liz Brighouse OBE, Chair of the Education and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, presented reports relating to:

• Local Area Partnership Monitoring

• The SEND Priority Action Plan

  
  

This forms part of the wider governance and scrutiny arrangements intended to monitor progress and accountability across the SEND improvement programme.

Quote from the Local Area Partnership

The updated SEND Priority Action Plan, developed by the Local Area Partnership (LAP) following the monitoring inspection in October 2025, sets out the shared roadmap for continued SEND improvement across Oxfordshire. At the heart of the plan is a commitment to hear and respond to the voices of children and young people and parent carers.

Oxfordshire Parent Carer Forum (OxPCF) is an integral and hard-working part of the LAP, bringing lived experience and feedback from parent carers to help inform discussions, priorities and service improvement work. Through this role, OxPCF has contributed to shaping the Priority Action Plan and will continue to ensure parent carer views are represented as the LAP develops and delivers the local SEND Reform Plan. 

The Partnership is pleased that Ofsted recognised improvements in SEND services during its inspection visit in autumn 2025, and that the improvement notice has now been lifted. However, we also recognise that there is still more work to do as we continue delivering the priorities within the plan and respond to the wider national SEND reforms.

— Anna Jennings, Head of Transformation, Children, Education & Families, Oxfordshire County Council

We know many families will want to read the plan for themselves and reflect on what it may mean for their child or young person.

You can read the full Oxfordshire SEND Priority Action Plan 2026–2028 here:

Oxfordshire LAP Priority Action Plan 2026 - 2028.pdf

Download PDF • 598KB

As always, we welcome ongoing feedback and experiences from families to help inform our work and discussions across the LAP. Please do this by either emailing feedback@oxpcf.org.uk or filling in our feedback form https://bit.ly/OXPCF

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SEND Priority Action Plan?

The SEND Priority Action Plan is a document created by the Local Area Partnership (LAP) which sets out the main improvement actions following the SEND inspection and monitoring process.

Does this plan change my child’s current rights or support?

No. Your child’s legal rights around SEND support, EHCPs and access to education remain the same.

Is this the same as the national SEND Reform proposals?

No. The Priority Action Plan is a local Oxfordshire improvement plan linked to inspection findings. However, some themes overlap with the wider national SEND Reform proposals currently being consulted on.

Will this fix all the issues families currently experience?

The plan focuses specifically on the priority areas identified through the inspection process. While many wider concerns overlap with the plan, it is not designed to solve every issue across the SEND system on its own.

Who is responsible for delivering the plan?

The plan is being delivered jointly through the LAP, including Oxfordshire County Council, health services, schools, OxPCF and the SEND Youth Forum.

How will progress be monitored?

Progress will be monitored through partnership governance groups, including the four theme groups, the Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) and the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB). The plan also includes targets and KPIs to measure progress.

Will families still be able to give feedback?

Yes. The plan includes commitments around improving communication, feedback processes and co-production with children, young people and parent carers.

How can I share my experiences or feedback with OxPCF?

Families can continue sharing feedback, experiences and concerns with OxPCF through surveys, events, SEND Connect sessions, social media and direct contact with the forum. You can email feedback@oxpcf.org.uk, fill in our feedback form https://bit.ly/OXPCF or give us a call on 07394 735666

Where can I read the full plan?

You can read the full Oxfordshire SEND Priority Action Plan 2026–2028 here