Most recent local area SEND inspection reports

This page was last updated on 13 March 2024

Local area SEND inspections have been carried out under the current format since 2016.

“The aim is to hold local areas to account and champion the rights of children and young people,” according to the organisations.

• Local area SEND inspections

Inspections are judged on the effectiveness of the area in implementing the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.

Guidance for local authorities on local area SEND inspections is available here.

From 1 January 2023, the SEND inspection framework will place greater emphasis on direct feedback from young people with SEND, and their families, the CQC announced in December.

CYP Now has collated the results of the most recent local area SEND inspections published on the Ofsted website:

Gloucestershire County Council

Inspectors visited between 11 and 15 December 2023.

Gloucestershire County Council and NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Gloucestershire. 

Inspectors found that “too many children and young people’s needs are not being identified swiftly enough in Gloucestershire”.

They added that: “The timely and effective identification of children and young people’s needs is a variable but improving picture in children’s early help and social care. The threshold of need is understood and applied appropriately.”

Read the full report here.

Bexley Council

Inspectors visited between 4 and 8 December 2023

The London Borough of Bexley and South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Bexley.

Inspectors found that: “Too many children and young people across different ages and phases have an education, health and care (EHC) plan that is well out of date and does not reflect their current needs or provision. While the local area partnership issues new EHC plans in a timely way, it does not finalise amendments to EHC plans on time.”

Read the full report here.

West Sussex County Council

Inspectors visited between 27 November and 1 December 2023.

West Sussex County Council and NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the delivery, commissioning and planning of services for children and young people with SEND in West Sussex. 

Inspectors found that “children and young people with SEND in West Sussex have different experiences. Some are able to access health, education or care services to effectively meet their needs. Others are less fortunate, and experience unacceptably long waits to access the right help and support”.

They added: “Leaders have an understanding of the issues to be addressed, and the ambition to make improvements. Many initiatives are new or still at an early planning stage.”

Read the full report here.

Halton Borough Council

Inspectors visited between 20 and 24 November 2023.

Halton Borough Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Halton.

Inspectors found that “too many children and young people with SEND in Halton wait an unacceptable time to have their needs accurately identified and assessed. For example, children and young people wait too long to access a neurodevelopmental assessment. Most children and young people wait more than 18 months.”

Read the full report here.

Hull City Council

Inspectors visited between 20 and 24 November 2023.

They found that “children and young people with SEND in Kingston upon Hull make their voices heard. They feel valued, visible and included in their communities.

“The Hull Youth Parliament enables children and young people to raise the issues that matter most to them at the most senior levels in the partnership.”

Read the full report here.

Suffolk County Council

Inspectors visited between 13 and 17 November 2023.

Suffolk County Council, the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in Suffolk, as part of the Suffolk Local Area Partnership (LAP). The Suffolk LAP oversees the  commissioning of local education, social care and health provision for children and young  people with SEND.

Inspectors found that “Children and young people face a system that has not worked well for a long time. They and their families have not seen the improvements they should from the area’s leadership.”

They also added that “needs are not identified quickly or accurately enough and assessments for support take too long”.

Read the full report here.

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspectors visited between 16 and 20 October 2023.

Trafford Council and NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Trafford.

Inspectors found that “children and young people receive timely assessments from services such as the school nursing service, sensory support service and therapists.

“However, children and young people wait too long for an assessment of neurodiverse needs such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. As a result, their needs are not identified and understood as quickly and effectively as they could be.”

Read the full report here.

Middlesbrough Borough Council

Inspectors visited between 9 and 13 October 2023.

They found that “children and young people typically receive the right help at the right time. Their education, health and care needs are identified accurately and assessed in a timely and effective way.”

Read the full report here.

Richmond upon Thames Council

Inspectors visited between 2 to 6 October 2023.

They found that: “Most children and young people with SEND have their needs identified accurately and assessed in a timely and effective way, particularly where a child or young person has complex needs. Health visitors make sure that most young children with SEND have their needs identified well.

“Area leaders have ensured that practitioners in settings such as nurseries and schools have the skills and resources needed to identify additional needs and make appropriate referrals.”

Read the full report here.

Surrey County Council

Inspectors visited between 25 and 29 September 2023.

Surrey County Council, NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Frimley ICB are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Surrey.

Inspectors found that “children and young people with SEND have variable experiences in Surrey. Leaders have identified the areas that they need to improve. They have put in place important actions that are starting to make a difference.

“However, the overall pace is too slow and not yet improving outcomes for many children and young people.”

Read the full report here.

Hertfordshire County Council

Inspectors visited between 10 and 14 July 2023.

Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in Hertfordshire, as part of the Hertfordshire Local Area Partnership.

Inspectors found that “too many children and young people with SEND have to wait too long for their needs to be assessed and for suitable provision to be put in place to meet their needs.

“This means that the time taken to put appropriate provision in place impacts significantly on the outcomes and experiences of children and young people and limits their chance of success.”

Read the full report here.

Oxfordshire County Council

Inspectors visited Oxford between 13 and 21 July 2023.

They found that there were widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences of children with SEND which must be urgently addressed by the local area partnership.

The report concluded that most children experience confusion and delay in their provision as there are lengthy waiting times for early years care. However when children do receive support, they have their needs understood and met.

A monitoring inspection will be carried out within 18 months and a full reinspection within 3 years, with the local area partnership asked to create a priority action plan to submit.

The full report can be found here.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspectors visited Sandwell between 3 to 7 July 2023.

They found that there were inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and the local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.

The report concluded that young people with SEND are valued in Sandwell, however the identification of need is often delayed, due to a lack of multi-agency working. There is also a lack of post-16 provision.

Area leaders are taking action to rectify the inconsistencies through a ‘Sandwell first’ approach aiming to make use of available space in existing education settings within the area.

The next full area SEND inspection will take place within approximately three years.

The full report can be found here.

Plymouth City Council

Inspectors visited Plymouth between 26 to 30 June 2023.

They found that there were widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences of children with SEND which must be urgently addressed by the local area partnership.

Inspectors came to a conclusion that young people with SEND are not prioritized and often get ‘stuck’ in the system, leading to poor outcomes for vulnerable children, particularly as not all services in Plymouth understand how to help children with SEND. However, leaders across the partnership have out into action their commitment to work more closely together.

A monitoring inspection will be carried out within 18 months and a full reinspection within 3 years, with the local area partnership asked to create a priority action plan to submit.

The full report can be found here.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspectors visited Oldham between 26 and 30 June 2023.

They found that there were widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences of children with SEND, and concluded that these must be addressed immediately. Young people were waiting for unacceptable amounts of time to get their health needs assessed and met.

The local area partnership was required to submit a priority action plan to address the areas which need change most urgently. They were also issued with a monitoring inspection to be carried out within approximately 18 months and a full reinspection within three years.

The full report can be found here.

Rutland County Council

Inspectors visited Rutland between 15 to 19 May 2023.

They found that children with SEND typically had positive experiences and outcomes as the local area partnership is taking action where improvements are needed.

The inspectors concluded that young people’s voices are acted upon as most children in Rutland benefit from an early and effective identification of their additional needs, resulting in sufficient support from schools and health visitors. However there are long wait times for some services, including neuro-developmental and mental health assessments.

The next full area SEND inspection will take place within approximately five years.

The full report can be found here.

London Borough of Enfield

Inspectors visited Enfield between 20 and 24 March 2023.

They found that the local area partnership’s arrangements had led to inconsistencies in the outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Children have mixed experiences, with many young people relying on out of date education, health and care (EHC) plans.

The report concluded that children should be supported in their transition from one provider to another, and families should be made more aware of the support available for their children.

The full report can be found here.

Isles of Scilly

Inspectors visited the Isles of Scilly to examine the effectiveness of SEND services between 21 and 25 March 2023.

They found that leaders are acutely aware of the needs of individuals, particularly those with education, health and care (EHC) plans and praised strong working relationships between the clinical commissioning group and local authority officers.

Read the full report here.

Buckinghamshire Council

Inspectors visited Buckinghamshire to examine the effectiveness of SEND services between 7 and 11 March 2023.

They found significant areas of weakness in Buckinghamshire’s practice and ordered service leaders to submit a Written Statement of Action (WSOA) detailing a plan to improve services.

Read the full report here.

Sheffield City Council

Inspectors visited Sheffield between 21 and 23 February 2023 to decide whether sufficient progress had been made in addressing areas of significant weakness detailed in the inspection report letter published on 17 January 2019.

They found that social care, health and education leaders in Sheffield had made “sufficient progress” in addressing most areas of significant weakness including the lack of a coherent joint SEND strategy and poor communication between leaders, parents, carers and young people with SEND.

The council has not made “sufficient progress” in securing effective multi-agency transition arrangements for children and young people with SEND.

Read the full report here.

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Inspectors visited the local authority between 14 and 18 February 2023.

Findings appeared largely positive with inspectors praising leaders from health, social care and educations’ “quick work to implement new processes in response to the 2014 SEND reforms”.

“Leaders are ambitious for children and young people with SEND”, the report notes, adding that the quality of education, health and care plans (EHCP) are improving in the area.

Read the full report here.

Kensington and Chelsea Council

Inspectors visited Kensington and Chelsea between 7 and 11 February 2023.

They noted that leaders implemented a new SEND strategy in 2021 that demonstrates their ambition to ensure all children and young people with SEND have positive life outcomes. 

“Most children and young people inspectors spoke with are positive about the support they are given to learn and succeed at school and college,” the report states.

Read the full report here.

Darlington Borough Council

Inspectors visited Darlington between 24 and 28 January 2023.

They found that “while there are some signs of improvement recently, over time, the area has not worked effectively across education, health and care services to ensure children and young people with SEND achieve consistently positive outcomes”.

Read the full report here.

Somerset County Council

Inspectors visited Somerset between 28 November and 1 December 2022.

They identified that sufficient progress in addressing most of the significant weaknesses that had been identified at a previous inspection in May 2020, including improvements in leadership capacity.

However, inspectors found that insufficient progress had been made in improving consistency of practice, with some parents continuing to experience difficulty in securing appropriate provision for their child's needs.

The full report can be found here.

Norfolk County Council

Inspectors visited Norfolk between 28 and 30 November 2022.

They found significant progress had been made to address all of the significant areas of weakness identified at the previous inspection. Leaders recruited additional EHC plan coordinators and provided training on the EHC plan processes for staff in health and social care, resulting in a "much better understanding" of roles and responsibilities among staff, the report states.

Communication with parents and carers had also been improved, with leaders holding a series of online engagement sessions with parents to gather their views on services. 

The full report can be found here.

Shropshire Council

Inspectors visited Shropshire between 21 and 23 November 2022.

They identified sufficient progress in improving the inclusion of health services' input into the area's SEND action plan, with the report praising a "much improved and integrated oversight of the provision for children and young people with SEND". 

Insufficient progress was found in the area's efforts to reduce the significant wait times experienced by large numbers of children on the ASD and ADHD diagnostic pathways, with parents and carers telling inspectors there is a "lack of clarity in how to access the service".

The full report can be found here.

City of York Council

Inspectors visited York between 14 and 16 November 2022.

They found that sufficient progress has been made in all areas that previously had significant weaknesses. 

The report states that "leaders understand local needs well", with particular praise going to the jointly commissioned autism hub, ‘All About Autism’. It highlights that parents and carers have reported "great satisfaction" with the provision.

Inspectors also commended the involvement of children and young people in designing service provision and the area's outcomes framework is described as a "sound example of co-production". 

The full report can be found here.

Leicestershire County Council

Inspectors visited Leicestershire between 14 and 16 November 2022.

They identified sufficient progress in the development of a defined joint commissioning strategy for SEND provision, and praised "strengthened" working relationships and improved oversight.

Whilst the format of EHC plans has been redeveloped to better meet the needs of children with SEND, the authority has not made sufficient progress in the area, and inspectors commented on the backlog of plans awaiting transfer to the new template.

The full report can be found here.

Merton Borough Council

Inspectors visited Merton between 17 and 19 October 2022.

They found that sufficient improvements have been made to address all significant weaknesses found at the time of the initial inspection.

The report states that “health leaders now have more impact and influence on strategic decision-making at all levels of SEND governance.” Ofsted also commended the improved quality of education, health and care plans (EHCP).

Read the full report here.

Luton Borough Council

Inspectors visited Luton between 17 and 19 October 2022.

Ofsted found sufficient progress in all areas previously deemed to have significant weaknesses. In particular, they praised the creation of a new online resource “the local offer SEND hub” which was co-produced with parents, carers and young people.

They also commended the coordinated approach across health services which has been developed to better meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. 

Read the full report here.

South Tyneside Council

Inspectors visited South Tyneside between 10 and 12 October 2022.

They identified sufficient progress in all five of the areas in which significant weakness was previously identified.

Amongst other things, the report praises the area’s offering of leisure activities. “Leaders have listened to what children and young people with SEND want in terms of leisure activities. There is now improved access to leisure activities for children and young people with SEND in local sports centres,” it states.

The full report can be found here.

Kingston upon Thames Borough Council

Inspectors visited Kingston between 4 and 6 October 2022.

Sufficient progress has been made on all four areas of significant weakness previously identified by Ofsted.

Inspectors praised the “clear governance and accountability framework” in use at Kingston.

The report states: “SENCos and leaders of education settings say that they are held to account for submitting their annual review documentation on time. They speak positively about the communication that they have with area leaders about ARs.”

Although inspectors found difficulties in staff recruitment and retention, they noted that staffing in SEND services was more stable than during previous visits.  

The full report can be found here.

Bristol City Council

Inspectors visited Bristol to examine the effectiveness of SEND services between 4 and 6 October 2022.

Despite not making “sufficient progress” in developing the quality of engagement with parents and carers, it was found to have improved on four other significant weaknesses identified at the initial inspection.

Inspectors praised the positive culture and said that: “leaders share a commitment to improving the support for children and young people with SEND in the area”.

Read the full report here.

Kent County Council

Inspectors visited Kent between 27 and 29 September 2022.

Whilst Ofsted praised the improved cohesiveness of the council’s joint commissioning team, inspectors found that overall the area has not made sufficient progress in addressing any of the significant weaknesses identified in a previous inspection.

The report states that “leadership and governance of SEND in the Kent area is weak,” and “the lack of willingness of some schools to accommodate children with SEND has continued.”

Read the full report here.

Stockport Council

Inspectors visited Stockport between 27 and 30 September 2022.

Of the areas in which significant weaknesses were found at the time of the previous inspection, only one - the assessment of social care needs in conjunction with EHC assessments - was found not to have improved sufficiently.

To better meet the needs of those with SEND, the report states that “following the previous inspection, leaders took the urgent action needed to resolve this significant weakness. They established a multi-agency joint commissioning group, which includes parent and carer representatives, to lead on this work.”

The full report can be found here.

Stockton-on-Tees Council

Inspectors visited Stockton-on-Tees between 11 and 13 July 2022.

The area was praised for progress made in all four of the areas previously found to have significant weaknesses.

Ofsted commended the “substantial” work undertaken by area leaders and parents, to improve co-production, and communication with parents and carers, citing the new neurodevelopmental pathway as an example of good practice.

The full report can be found here.

Central Bedfordshire Council

Inspectors visited Bedfordshire between 4 and 6 July 2022.

They reported that the area has made sufficient progress in addressing three of the six significant weaknesses identified during a previous inspection.

Although they found that the council has not yet addressed weaknesses in education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in a “meaningful or timely way”, they praised the “sea change” in culture which has reportedly made leaders “determined to resolve the long-standing difficulties across the area”.

Read the full report here.

Wandsworth Borough Council

Inspectors visited Wandsworth between 27 and 29 June 2022.

They found that the area has made sufficient progress in addressing both the significant weaknesses identified at the initial inspection. According to the report, leaders are taking better account of the views of parents, carers, and young people when evaluating their SEND strategy.

Although inspectors said that “the designated medical officer does not yet influence SEND provision enough”, they commended professionals from mental health services who “have worked with partners in education to better meet the needs of children and young people with SEND”.

The full report can be found here.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspectors visited Walsall between 20 and 22 June 2022.

Ofsted found that the area has made sufficient progress in addressing seven of the nine significant weaknesses identified at the initial inspection. 

The report commends the area's "strong processes" for improving children and young people’s outcomes. It notes that leaders have introduced a co-produced SEND strategy which "sets a high expectation for improving the outcomes for children and young people with SEND". 

Although the report highlights "noticeable changes" to the coordination of EHC plans, it laments that they are still of poor quality.

The full report can be found here.

Devon County Council

Inspectors visited Devon between 23 and 25 May 2022.

It was decided that the area has not made “sufficient progress” in addressing any of the significant weaknesses identified previously. Whilst inspectors acknowledged the existence of a SEND strategy, they found that “the impact of the work was not evident.”

Read the full report here.