Reflections from Steve Crocker - 24 April 2025

Hello and welcome to my 15th blog as independent chair of the Oxfordshire SEND Strategic Improvement and Assurance Board (SIAB).

The board met once more on 24 April. 

This meeting marked a significant milestone in our ongoing journey to improve the support and services for children and young people with SEND. As always, I began with a warm welcome to all attendees and a review of the minutes and actions from our previous board meeting. There is always more we can do but looking at the quality and quantity of conversation and actions noted, it was heartening to see the dedication and commitment of all partners in driving our improvement agenda forward.

One of the key areas of focus was the progress we have made over the past 18 months. We have achieved several milestones in our SEND improvement journey, thanks to the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved. However, we must continue to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. It’s crucial that we maintain our momentum, make timely decisions, and ensure robust monitoring mechanisms are in place to sustain our progress.

We received an update from Jules Francis-Sinclair on Oxfordshire’s Parent Carers Forum (OxPCF) activities. The forum has made significant strides in strengthening outreach efforts and amplifying the voice of parents and carers. Key initiatives include the recruitment of new part-time members and the creation of accessible guidance through working groups. However, challenges such as difficulties in parents accessing health services and delays in alternative education placements were highlighted, and we are committed to addressing these issues.

The co-chairs of our thematic groups provided updates on their respective areas of focus. Notable progress has been made in developing key actions for the new SEND improvement plan, addressing timeliness in education, health and care needs assessments (EHCNA), and exploring early intervention for young children with high developmental needs. These efforts are crucial in ensuring that we provide timely and effective support to our children and young people. 

Early help was explored further looking at the commitments and priority areas in the early help and prevention strategy. The strategy aims to embed early help and prevention across all services, focusing on recruitment, training, and a coordinated approach. 

We also discussed the importance of gathering regular feedback from parents and carers to inform our service improvements. A newly launched survey aims to provide actionable insights, and we are exploring strategies to increase participation and engagement from the parent carer community.

I would like to express my gratitude to all board members and partners for their unwavering commitment to our SEND improvement journey. And a thank you to families who continue to share their feedback and lived experiences with us so we can together make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND. We will continue to work collaboratively, stay focused on our goals and strive for excellence in everything we do.

So that’s it from me for now, and I hope, as always, this is useful. We next meet as a board on xxx May 2025. 

If you are a parent or carer and have any thoughts or comments, please share with OxPCF by emailing info@oxpcf.org.uk. If you are a partner, please do feedback through your organisation. You can find a list of the local area partnership member representatives on the board on the SEND improvement webpage. Also don’t forget to sign-up to receive the SEND e-newsletter if you’re not already receiving it. Parents and carers can also read OxPCF’s SEND Connect newsletters, which include news and information from across the local area partnership.

Until next time. 

Steve Crocker
Chair, SEND Improvement and Assurance Board