The People Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council met on Thursday 17 September 2026 to discuss the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2025-26, an update on the Connect to Work programme, and the response to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment. The committee agreed to make recommendations to the Cabinet regarding safeguarding arrangements and future reporting on the Connect to Work programme.

Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) Annual Report for 2025-26. Officers reported an increase in safeguarding concerns, with 10,865 concerns received and 1,584 progressing to formal safeguarding enquiries, a rise of approximately one third compared to the previous year. This increase was attributed to greater awareness and the increasing complexity of needs. The report highlighted a reduction in cases waiting more than 12 weeks, from 286 to 18, and the strengthening of the Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) process.

Members expressed a desire for continued oversight, requesting routine information on unprocessed referrals, their waiting times, and clear thresholds for escalating performance deteriorations. Concerns were raised about interpreting the increase in concerns, questioning whether it reflected a genuine rise in abuse or changed reporting behaviours. Officers explained that increased notifications from the ambulance service and other partners were being analysed, and work was ongoing to improve referral quality.

The committee noted that approximately 11 Safeguarding Adults Reviews remained in progress as of 31 March 2026. The Independent Chair of the OSAB stressed the importance of preserving robust safeguarding governance and partnership learning under any future unitary structure.

The committee agreed to recommend to the Cabinet that appropriate monitoring and assurance arrangements are in place to prevent a recurrence of the safeguarding referral backlog, including routine monitoring of the number and age of unprocessed referrals and a clear escalation threshold.

Update on the Council's Connect to Work Programme

An update was provided on the Council's Connect to Work programme, which supports individuals facing significant barriers to employment. The programme aims to support 2,000 participants by March 2030, with delivery gradually increasing to 65 new programme starts per month from early 2027. As of July 2026, 185 participants had joined the programme, exceeding the profiled target by 20%. The conversion rate from expressions of interest to programme starts was 92% in the latest quarter.

Officers explained the typical participant journey, which includes screening and verification by the Department for Work and Pensions, followed by early vocational profiling and employer contact within 30 days. The programme addresses challenges in rural areas by providing support within local communities. Members requested clearer evidence on geographic reach and outcomes in future reporting.

The committee discussed the importance of engaging with local partners, including charities, businesses, and other councils, to promote the scheme. The Cabinet Member for Adults expressed willingness to promote the scheme through various forums. The committee also examined employer engagement, noting the work required to secure opportunities and support employers in making recruitment more accessible and recognising the benefits of a diverse workforce.

The committee agreed to recommend to the Cabinet that:

• future reporting on Connect to Work clearly distinguishes between programme participation and employment outcomes, including the proportion entering paid employment, achieving sustained employment and the cost per sustained employment outcome.
• the Connect to Work programme works with businesses, charities, City and District Councils in Oxfordshire and wider southeast Councils and employers to continue promoting and expanding the scheme.

Response to the Care Quality Commission Assessment and Improvement Programme

The committee received a report on the response to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment and the ongoing improvement programme for Adult Social Care. The CQC assessment rated Oxfordshire County Council as 'Good' overall, but identified four areas requiring improvement: assessing needs, supporting people to lead healthier lives, equity in experience and outcomes, and care provision, integration and continuity.

Officers outlined the establishment of the Adult Social Care Improvement Programme (ASCIP) to coordinate improvement projects, quality assurance, performance monitoring, and feedback from service users. The next phase of ASCIP will focus on demonstrating sustained impact on residents' lives.

Regarding the assessment of needs, a year-long service redesign has been undertaken, including the establishment of a dedicated learning disability team and the relocation of safeguarding work into locality teams. A new self-assessment tool is due to be launched, alongside practice development and work to improve timely access to advocacy and support for young carers. The proportion of people independent following reablement has increased from 76% to 79.4%.

Members inquired about progress on the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard, with officers acknowledging that progress had lost momentum but had since been re-established with new leadership and governance. Concerns were raised about inconsistencies in information-sharing within and between organisations, which could place unnecessary burdens on residents. Officers described improvements to Home First information, daily system calls, escalation routes, and partnership work with Healthwatch and carers' organisations.

The Chair requested that future scrutiny be supported by concise outcome measures, including waiting times, achievements of agreed care and support outcomes, and service-user experience. Officers confirmed that an improvement dashboard was being developed and committed to discussing how existing information and the requested outcome measures could be shared with the committee without duplicating reporting arrangements.

The committee agreed to the following actions:

• Officers to discuss how existing information from the improvement dashboard and the outcome measures requested as set out above, could be shared with the Committee without duplicating reporting arrangements.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee agreed to the proposed work programme. Officers would discuss the scope of future items, including Disabled Facilities Grants.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee noted the action and recommendation tracker.

Responses to Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee noted the Cabinet's response to the report on Domestic Abuse – Safe Accommodation Provision and the Consultation on Proposed Changes to the Adult Social Care Contributions Policy.