A joint inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has concluded that services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Kent need significant improvement. The review, carried out by a six-person team in July, found inconsistent practice across the county and set out a series of reforms for the local partnership to deliver.
Inspectors highlight delays, variation and poor oversight
The inspection report, running to eight pages, identifies a pattern of weaknesses that contribute to a “lengthy and stressful process” for families and to “continued dissatisfaction, anxiety and reduced confidence” among those seeking support. The local area partnership — comprising Kent County Council (KCC) and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) — was told it must work jointly to make changes.
“The LAP’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND),”
Inspectors itemised six areas in which the partnership must make improvements. They include strengthening the quality, timeliness and oversight of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), tackling geographical variation in services, and improving the use of data to inform strategic planning. The report also stresses the need to address delays in assessment, provision and placement decisions so that families are not left waiting.
- Improve quality, timeliness and oversight of EHCPs.
- Reduce geographical variation in SEND support across Kent and Medway.
- Strengthen data use to drive strategic improvements and eliminate delays.
Local politics and recent history
The inspection came as KCC is led by the Reform UK group. In response to the report KCC said the findings were a “fair assessment of where we are”. The Liberal Democrat group on the council said the cabinet member for education and skills, Beverley Fordham, should “do the honourable thing” and stand down.
Official scrutiny of Kent’s SEND arrangements is not new. Inspectors made adverse findings in earlier reviews under previous administrations, and ministers have previously required formal improvement measures. In March 2023 an improvement notice was issued, and it remained in force until August 2024, by which time a government minister had acknowledged that “considerable progress” had been made.
| Year | Action |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Critical findings in inspection reports |
| 2022 | Further critical findings |
| March 2023–Aug 2024 | Improvement notice in place; later partial recognition of progress |
| July (this year) | Joint Ofsted/CQC reinspection identifying six priority areas |
Inspectors’ renewed concerns about timeliness and variability are especially significant because delays in statutory assessment and in arranging appropriate placements can materially affect outcomes for children with complex needs. In practical terms, slow decisions over support and school placement can mean missed opportunities for early intervention and disruption for families seeking stability.
What happens next
The report requires the local area partnership to set out and deliver plans to remedy the shortcomings. That will involve closer working between education, health and care services, better use of data to target resources and reduce variation, and improved case oversight so that EHCPs are produced and reviewed within statutory timeframes.
For parents, carers and school leaders the inspection underscores continuing frustration with the system: progress since the last formal intervention has not yet delivered consistently improved experience across the county. For policymakers and ministers it raises questions about how to ensure local partnerships have the capacity and systems to meet statutory duties for children with SEND.
How quickly Kent’s leaders and health partners respond, and whether those actions translate into more reliable services on the ground, will determine whether families begin to see the steady improvements inspectors demand.
