The government has formally lifted an improvement notice placed on services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Oxfordshire, marking a significant milestone for local providers.
The notice was originally issued in 2023 following a local area partnership inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. Its removal follows sustained efforts by local partners to address identified shortcomings and improve service delivery.
On Wednesday 15 April 2026, Oxfordshire County Council and the NHS Thames Valley Integrated Care Board received confirmation in a letter from Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, recognising ongoing progress.
In the letter, the secretary of state highlighted strengthened approaches to gathering and using the views of children and young people with SEND, along with those of parents and carers, in shaping strategic planning. Improvements were also noted in communication and information sharing across the partnership.
Further progress has been made in monitoring the effectiveness of actions taken by the partnership, alongside improvements in the timeliness of education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
The government also acknowledged advances in jointly commissioning services and reducing waiting times for essential support.
Councillor Sean Gaul, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services, said:
“The government’s decision to remove the improvement notice is encouraging. Close partnership working has helped us to review, reset and rebuild services.
“The government does, quite rightly, expect the services and support we collectively provide to keep getting better. We are committed to this and will continue to engage and listen to children, young people with SEND and their families as part of our improvement journey.”
Dr Nick Broughton, Executive Lead at NHS Thames Valley, described the decision as an important milestone, reflecting collaborative effort across organisations.
“We welcome the decision to lift the improvement notice and recognise it as an important milestone for SEND services in Oxfordshire.
“This reflects the commitment and hard work of colleagues across the local area partnership, and the willingness of organisations to come together, challenge ourselves and work differently in the interests of children and young people.
“We know, however, that this is not the end of the journey. There is still more to do to ensure services are consistently timely, joined up and responsive, and to rebuild confidence with families.
“We hope that parents, carers and children are beginning to see the impact of the changes being made, but we remain focused on sustained improvement and listening carefully to their experiences as we continue this work together.”
The local area partnership includes the county council, NHS bodies, provider trusts, and parent-carer representatives working collaboratively to improve outcomes.
