The Children and Young People Policy Development Committee met on Monday 15 September 2025 to discuss several topics related to children and young people in Redbridge. The agenda included a discussion on partnership working in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), an update from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and a review of the committee's work programme for the remainder of 2025/26. The committee was also scheduled to note the actions log from the previous meeting.

SEND: Partnership Working

The committee was scheduled to discuss partnership working in relation to SEND. According to the agenda, the committee was to have the opportunity to question health and social care partners about their contribution to a co-produced action plan responding to recommendations cited in a recent CQC¹ and Ofsted² inspection.

The committee was asked to consider whether to submit any formal comments to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People in liaison with the Lead Officers.

A document titled Stakeholder Briefing - August 2025: Driving Urgent Improvement Together was included in the reports pack. It stated that the council would:

Develop a genuine co-production strategy with children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers, in which communication is much stronger.

The briefing also stated that the council would work to:

Ensure clear communication systems and information-sharing processes to ensure the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Redbridge.

The briefing identified several priority action plan themes. These included:

• Workforce development
• Quality and impact
• Communication and co-production
• Joint commissioning³

Children and Young People PDC Work Programme 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to note the work programme for the remainder of 2025/26:

• 25 November 2025 SEND in mainstream.
• 15 January 2026 SEND out of mainstream. (i.e. special schools and PRUs⁴, with a site visit to Park School for Girls site on Park Avenue beforehand)
• 16 March 2026 Summary meeting to approve report.

Report from the Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to note the status of actions recorded at the previous meeting.

The action log from the meeting on 20 May 2025 stated that the committee had agreed to investigate SEND services with a focus on:

• Undertaking a review on the capability and capacity of the local SEND services; and
• Steps the SEND service is taking to keep LBR[^6] SEND children and young people in the borough as part of the above review.

The action log also stated that the committee had delegated authority to Councillor Alex Holmes, Chair of the Committee, and Councillor Saiqa Qayum Hussain, Vice-Chair of the Committee, to meet with officers to develop the scope and project plan.

The action log from the meeting on 2 September 2025 stated that the committee had agreed that the 15 September meeting would consider health and social care partnerships in delivering services, and that relevant partners were to be invited.

Update from Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Alex Holmes was scheduled to provide a verbal update following attendance at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.