The Children's & Education Select Committee of Buckinghamshire Council is scheduled to consider a range of national reforms impacting children's services, alongside an update on the council's improvement plan following an Ofsted inspection. The committee will also review performance indicators for the fourth quarter of the financial year and discuss the upcoming work programme.

National Reforms across the Children's Services Landscape

The committee is scheduled to receive an overview of significant national policy and legislative reforms that are reshaping the children's services landscape. This discussion will cover a broad spectrum of changes, including those related to education, social care, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and early help. The report highlights that these reforms collectively represent a substantial and fast-paced programme of change, with an increasing emphasis on more integrated, preventative, and multi-agency delivery models. Local authorities are expected to play a central leadership and convening role in responding to this pace of change. The report notes that these reforms introduce new statutory duties, strengthened accountability frameworks, and potential financial pressures, with ongoing uncertainty about how they will be funded.

Schools White Paper

A key focus of the meeting will be the Government's Schools White Paper, titled Every Child Achieving and Thriving, published on 23 February 2026. The committee will be presented with an outline of the implications of this paper, which sets out a 10-year reform programme for the education system. The White Paper's central ambition is to ensure every child can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or level of need. Reforms span attainment, disadvantage, SEND, curriculum, workforce development, and wider system structures, signalling a significant shift in the responsibilities and expectations placed on local authorities, who are described as 'system stewards'. The report indicates that early planning, strengthened collaboration with schools and partners, and proactive engagement with ongoing consultations will be essential for effective and sustainable implementation. The White Paper introduces proposals for a layered approach to SEND support, with Individual Support Plans (ISPs) becoming a legal obligation for schools for every child with identified SEND. It also outlines plans for inclusion bases in every school, new funding to support the universal offer, and new inclusion standards. The report also details proposed changes to curriculum, enrichment, attendance, and accountability measures, alongside workforce and leadership reforms.

Ofsted ILACS Recommendations - Improvement Plan Update

The committee will receive an update on the Improvement Plan developed in response to the Ofsted inspection of Buckinghamshire Council's children's services, which took place between 27 January and 7 February 2025. The report indicates that significant progress has been made across Children's Social Care to strengthen practice, improve outcomes for children and young people, and embed a culture of continuous learning and accountability. Key areas of focus include improvements in management oversight, the neglect strategy, family network engagement, transition planning, and care leaver support. While acknowledging substantial progress, the report also states that there remains more to do to embed consistently good practice across all areas of the service. Specific updates are provided on the quality and robustness of management oversight, the effectiveness of the service for children at risk of neglect, the consistency and timeliness of work to engage a child's wider family network, and the efficacy of transition planning for older children in care and disabled young people leaving care. The report also addresses the quality and effectiveness of pathway plans for care leavers and the quality of service and support for care leavers aged 21 and over, as well as the engagement and participation of care-experienced children and young people in the Corporate Parenting Board.

Performance Monitoring Q4

The committee will review the performance indicators for its area of remit for the fourth quarter of the financial year. The report pack includes detailed performance data across various areas, including:

• Percentage of looked after children (CLA) placed within the local authority's boundary: The outturn for Q4 was 47%, which remains 10 percentage points below the target of 57%. Improvement actions focus on increasing internal bed capacity and facilitating transitions into in-county provision.
• Percentage of new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) issued within 20 weeks (excluding exceptions): The Q4 figure was 5.7%, significantly lower than the target of 38.2%. High demand for assessments, particularly for Educational Psychology reports, is impacting performance. An EHCP Recovery Plan has been implemented to address the backlog.
• Percentage of children's social care assessments completed in 45 working days: The Q4 performance was 85%, slightly below the target of 86%. Measures remain in place to ensure compliance and quality assurance, with additional oversight from Heads of Service planned.
• Percentage of 19-21-year-olds who have left care that are in education, employment or training (EET): At the end of Q4, performance stood at 59%, consistently above the target of 51%. This is attributed to dedicated NEET officers and ongoing work to develop a Family Business Model.
• Percentage of re-referrals within 12 months: The Q4 performance was 20%, below the target of 27%, indicating an improvement from the previous quarter. Reviews of MASH processes and pathways are ongoing.
• Percentage of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) maintained by Buckinghamshire with a mainstream placement type: The figure at the end of March was 42.6%, above the target of 42.5%. This improvement is attributed to data checking and system updates.
• Percentage of early childcare entitlement eligibility codes validated: For the Spring term (reported as Q4), performance was 94%, above the target of 89.6% and in line with national and regional averages.
• School attendance rate: Buckinghamshire's overall school attendance for the academic year to the end of the quarter stands at 93.7%, above the target of 93.2% and higher than regional and national averages.

Work Programme

The committee will have the opportunity to note the upcoming Work Programme for 2026/27. This includes scheduled topics such as the Principal Social Worker Annual Report, SEND System Reforms, the Youth Justice Plan, the Best Start in Life programme, Youth Voice Bucks, the Corporate Parenting Strategy Action Plan, Fostering updates, and Placement Sufficiency reports.