Recommendation SP61: LCC education provision and attendance audit
From The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1, published 13 April 2026.
Recommendation
Lancashire County Council should, by no later than 13 October 2026, carry out and report on an audit (preferably involving an experienced independent external member) to review:
1. The speed of response to cases where a need for alternative education provision is raised including for those over 16 with an Education, Health and Care Plan.
2. The effectiveness of its monitoring of (and action in response to) school attendance with particular attention being given to (i) children who live in Lancashire but attend school in neighbouring counties; (ii) the resourcing of home visits in appropriate cases; (iii) whether appropriate action is being taken where parents refuse to allow school attendance workers to see a child who is not attending school.
3. The effectiveness of the Education, Health and Care Plan portal approach which has been put in place.
In brief (written by this site)
In its May 2026 action plan, Lancashire County Council stated that screening and selection of suitable independent auditors was being undertaken to review education provision and attendance monitoring, though the auditor still needed to be appointed and resources allocated to deliver the audit by September (Lancashire County Council, May 2026). The record holds no update since HM Government's response of July 2026 (Home Office response, Jul 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
There are a further 27 recommendations that require delivery by organisations that sit outside central government. The government has written to all national, regional and local organisations responsible for delivering recommendations to highlight the findings of the Inquiry. The government will continue to work closely with these organisations to facilitate and support on delivery of these recommendations, and will report, as far as possible, on delivery of these recommendations alongside progress on the recommendations for central government.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: The source gives this passage once, for paragraph 18, the 27 recommendations it says require delivery by organisations that sit outside central government. The response does not list those 27 or name this recommendation; the site places it in the group because the recommendation is addressed to a body outside central government. The same words are recorded on SP19, SP37, SP40, SP41, SP42, SP43, SP44, SP46, SP48, SP49 and SP61.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The government's response to Phase 1 (CP 1623, 2 July 2026) agreed with all 67 recommendations in one sentence, and names only 39 of them individually. Where a recommendation is not named, the response shown is the passage the response gives for the group it belongs to (the recommendations for organisations outside central government, or the recommendations to policing bodies), which is not a response to that recommendation alone; the response does not list the members of any group. The 10 recommendations for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider show no response: the response introduces them (paragraph 20) but answers none of them. The government accepts the recommendations that are for central government to deliver. Where a recommendation is for an organisation outside central government, the government's agreement is not that organisation's acceptance.
Delivery
Lancashire County Council says in progress (19 May 2026)
1.1 Screening and selection of suitable independent auditors is being undertaken. 1.2 The auditor will need to be appointed, and resources allocated to deliver by September.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response - Lancashire County Council
Delivery statement