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Services for children with SEND ‘seriously affected’ by Covid-19 pandemic

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have regressed in their development due to lack of available services during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ofsted has said.
Children with SEND are missing out on vital services, Ofsted warns. Picture: Adobe Stock
Children with SEND are missing out on vital services, Ofsted warns. Picture: Adobe Stock

In the second in a series of briefings by the inspectorate on the impact of the crisis on children and young people, it found that “children with SEND have been seriously affected in both their care and education, as the services that families relied on - particularly speech and language services - were unavailable.”

The findings come following ungraded visits to 900 education and social care providers during September and October.

They found that while SEND services did continue in some areas, demand increased due to school closures.

“Although support services remained open, their ability to deliver existing packages for children with complex needs was reduced,” the report states. “Demand also increased with increasing numbers of children not being able to attend school. In some areas, there was an increase in disabled children coming into care or children being placed in out-of-borough residential placements because of a lack of support."

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