Current projects - Single Assessment - OfSTED Consultation on the SEND Inspection Framework

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Section: Current projects

Subsection: Current projects - Single Assessment

OfSTED Consultation on the SEND Inspection Framework

During December 2015, the Wiltshire Parent Carer Council informed its members about OfSTED and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) launching a public consultation on proposals for inspecting local areas’ (the places where people live) effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people who are disabled and have special educational needs (SEND).


This was a consultation on OfSTED and the CQC's proposals for inspecting, (under section 20 of the Children Act 2004), how effectively local areas fulfil their responsibilities towards disabled children and young people and those who have special educational needs (SEND).

It set out the principles under which Ofsted and the CQC propose to undertake the joint inspections. Importantly, the consultation also set the proposals for the key evaluations inspectors will make when inspecting local areas and how they will ensure that the views of disabled children and young people and those who have special educational needs, and their parents and carers are taken into account.

OfSTED and CQC were seeking the widest possible range of views from those with an interest in, or expertise relating to, disability and special educational needs. They particularly wanted to hear from disabled young people and those with special educational needs and their parents and carers.

OfSTED/ CQC will inspect all local areas over a five-year period; the first inspections will commence in May 2016. This is a local area inspection not a Local Authority inspection, as successful implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014 will require joint working across all partner agencies as well as working with children, young people and their families.

There will be three broad elements being inspected in every local area:-
(i) Co-production with parent carers and young people
(ii) Evidence that outcomes are being improved for all Children and Young People with SEND (birth-25)
(iii) Evidence of joint working across all partner agencies

OfSTED/ CQC will be focusing on the needs of all children and young people with SEND, those who have a My Plan and those who access support through a My Support Plan, and the Local Offer.

  • Local areas must know whether their provision is improving outcomes for ALL children and young people with SEND or not.
  • They must agree aspirational yet realistic targets for young people and monitor their progress towards achieving them.
  • The setting and reviewing of goals or targets must involve children and young people and their parents and carers.


The inspection framework will therefore be focusing on the following questions:-

1. How effectively does the local area identify children and young people who are disabled and/ or have special educational needs?
2. How effectively does the local area meet the needs and improve the outcomes of children and young people who are disabled and/or have special educational needs?

The consultation period ended on 4th January 2016.

During the consultation period, the WPCC encouraged parent carers to respond individually by supplying links to the consultation and survey on the Government website. There was also a link to another version of this survey for children and young people with SEND. .

As well as the above, we also ran our own survey to send a collective response; the results of this can be seen in the following letter

.