The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) work together to look at how children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are supported in your area. The inspection includes education services, children’s social care and the health support for children and young people.
This is called an area SEND inspection.
Essex is expecting an area SEND inspection in the coming months.
During the inspection, inspectors will:
- look at information about the services for children and young people with SEND in Essex
- talk directly to children and young people and families to understand their experiences
- meet with Essex Family Forum as the parent carer forum for SEND families in Essex
You can read more about local area SEND inspections on GOV.UK
How you can be involved in an inspection
There are different ways you and your family can be involved in the inspection.
Surveys
Before inspectors arrive, you will be invited to complete a survey. The survey will ask about your child’s support.
The survey will be sent to children and young people with SEND and their families. During the inspection, we will also share the survey here.
Tracking meetings
Inspectors will hold tracking meetings with children and young people, their families and the practitioners who work with them. Inspectors will choose 6 children and young people, and their families to be involved in tracking meetings.
They will choose children and young people:
- with a range of needs
- in different age groups
- who access a range of services
Inspectors will usually include at least one child or young person who is studying in an alternative provision, and at least two children who have a One Plan.
They want to hear about:
- your experience of being the parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND
- what it is like to be a child or young person with SEND in Essex
If your child is selected, a practitioner who works with your child will contact you and ask for your agreement to be involved. You will be given more information on what is involved before you decide whether to agree.
If you agree to take part, you will be invited to a meeting with an inspector. The tracking meeting might be online or over the phone. The inspector will ask some questions about the help and support your child currently receives.
Find out more about how you can be involved in an inspection by visiting the GOV.UK website.
What happens after the inspection
Inspectors will write a report, which will include:
- the inspection outcome
- what it is like to be a child or young person with SEND in the local area
- what the local area is doing well and what needs to be improved
- recommendations for improvements that the local area partnership should act on
Find out more about inspection outcomes by visiting the GOV.UK website