Agenda and draft minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9^th June, 2026 as a true and correct record of the proceedings and to be signed by the Chair.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission, held on 9^th June, 2026 be approved as a correct record of proceedings.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for (Minute No. 17 (SEND Reform Plan) on the grounds that the appendix to that report involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)).

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public or press.

To receive a verbal update from the Vice-Chair on the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board following the meeting on 30^th June, 2026.

The update from the Corporate Parenting Partnership Board meeting held on 30^th June, 2026 will be deferred to the next meeting.

To consider Rotherham’s Draft SEND Reform Plan and ambition of the Vision and Priorities and approve ongoing scrutiny of plan delivery and impact.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed how local areas were to respond to the Schools White Paper and associated national government policy in their requirement to develop Local SEND Reform Plans to address rising demand, reduce unsustainable high-needs financial deficits, and fix a fragmented system.

Councillor Cusworth, Cabinet Member and Deputy Leader, introduced the report by confirming the extensive engagement that had taken place with the Department for Education (DfE) on Social Care and SEND Reform which supported the progression of a wide-ranging programme aimed at delivering a more consistent, high-quality system for children, young people and their families.

The Council had undertaken significant work to support the All Local Areas SEND submission on 19th June, 2026 focusing on current provision and specialist high-needs places.   This would lead to an increase in local provision and capacity, ensuring children and young people could access the right support, in the right place, at the right time. This reflected the growing complexity of need and the Government's commitment to improving sufficiency and reducing reliance on out-of-area placements.

Niall Devlin, Service Director of Education and Inclusion, was invited to give a presentation and update on Rotherham's Local SEND Reform Plan System Transformation.

An update was provided on the SEND Improvement Plan, which was submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) on 19 June. The plan remained in draft status pending DfE feedback and the timeframes for acceptance were outlined.

The Directorate remained confident that the SEND Plan would be accepted, but util such time it was it remained restricted. 

The Commission were advised of the wider context of SEND and Social Care Reform, including the challenges presented by the forthcoming White Paper and the need to understand how local plans aligned with the broader national reform programme. The Expert at Hand model was also discussed, with recognition that further scrutiny would be required as reforms developed.

An overview of SEND finance and funding arrangements was provided, including the operation of the Safety Valve programme and funding for high-needs provision. Further detail as provided on how the funding was distributed and the amount the authority had secured  through the Safety Valve programme over a four-year period, enabling investment in schools, strengthening SEND provision and reducing the accumulated deficit. The programme concluded in April 2026.

The presentation and detail shared covered the following areas:-

·              Background to SEND Reforms.

·              DfE National SEND Reforms Timeline 2026-2030.

·              Rotherham Local SEND Reform Plan Overview.

·              A Shift Toward Early Intervention and Inclusion.

·              SEND 3?Year Transformation Roadmap (2026–2029).

·              Experts at Hand, Inclusion Bases, and Workforce Development.

·              What Success Will Look Like by 2029.

·              Governance.

·              Key Oversight and Partnership Arrangements.

·              Key Risks and How They Will Be Managed.

·              Overall Impact for Children, Families, and the System.

A discussion and question and answer session ensued.  Members of the Commission raised issues in the following areas and received in-depth responses from the Service Director for Education and Inclusion and Service Director for Family Help along with the Cabinet Member to their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

To consider and approve the Commission’s current Work Programme.

The Chair invited the Commission to consider the Work Programme which had been circulated with the agenda and invited any comments  or suggestions for inclusion for the 2026/27 municipal year and respective scheduling.

The Work Programme set out clearly the dates of the Commission’s meetings for the municipal year and where items may be scheduled for respective agendas which were updated whenever there were changes.

It was pointed out that the work programme was very much a live document and the Chair was keen to hear from Members if there were any particular areas of focus or even specific items that were listed so these could be scheduled for consideration.

Resolved:-  (1) That the draft work programme for 2026/27 be approved with the current agenda items for inclusion.

(2)  That the Governance Advisor be authorised to make any required changes to the work programme in consultation with the Chair and Vice- Chair and reporting any such changes back to each meeting for endorsement.

To consider any item(s) the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.