Spring Term 2016/17 SEN Update: “It’s Better When You Do It Twice"

Firstly, let me say Happy New Year and wish you a good and peaceful 2017. 

This is my first update for the chronological year 2017 - in this update, you find sections entitled:

• WE’RE WATCHING YOU (JOINT OFSTED/CQC INSPECTIONS)
• WORD ON THE STREET (SCOTT REPORT)
• JOIN MY TEAM (SOLICITOR VACANCY)
• RECENT/FORTHCOMING SEN EVENTS
• TWO HEADS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN ONE

​As I always say, I know how busy everyone is, so please feel free to either just read the sections that are of interest to you or read everything; the choice is always yours.

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WE’RE WATCHING YOU (JOINT OFSTED/CQC INSPECTIONS)
From April last year, Ofsted and CQC (the Care Quality Commission) now jointly inspect local areas, to see how well they are fulfilling their responsibilities to children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This was following the Government issuing a document entitled: ‘The Framework for the Inspection of Local Areas’ Effectiveness in Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Children and Young People Who Have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities’.

It is a fairly short document, running to just 12 pages and, aside from explaining about ‘Inspections of Local Areas and Providers’,  it also explains other things, including chapters entitled: ‘The Purpose of Inspections’, ‘The Focus of Inspections’ and ‘Conduct During Inspections’.

It states that:

“The inspection leads to a published report that:

• Provides children and young people, parents, elected council members, local providers and those who lead and manage the delivery of services at local level with an assessment of how well the local area is meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and how well service providers work together to deliver positive outcomes;
• Provides information for the Secretary of State for Education about how well the local area is performing its role in line with its statutory responsibilities and the Code of Practice;
• Promotes improvement in the local area, its education, health and social care provision;
• Where relevant, requires the local area to consider the actions that it should take in light of the report and prepare a written statement that sets out those actions and the timetable for them.”

It adds:

“It is important to note that these inspections will evaluate how effectively the local area meets its responsibilities, and not just the local authority. The local area includes the local authority, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), public health, NHS England for specialist services, early year’s settings, schools and further education providers.”

During an inspection, inspectors are supposed to visit providers (e.g. nurseries, schools, colleges and specialist services, such as Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services [CAMHS]). Inspections are supposed to be constructive for local areas, as well as to be able to hold them to account. 

​Inspectors will provide a ‘Written Statement Of Action’ if they find that something is ‘not fit for purpose’, which will make recommendations as to how to improve things.  The local area should then make these changes.

Things that inspections look at include (this is not an exhaustive list):

• The academic achievement of relevant children and young people over time, taking account of both attainment and progress;
• Rates of attendance and exclusion for relevant children and young people;
• The destinations of relevant children and young people including data for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET);
• The outcomes of any inspections of Local Authorities and of educational establishments, and health services carried out by Ofsted or CQC;
• Complaints received about providers or services that are regulated or inspected by CQC and/or Ofsted;
• Local area performance in the completion of assessments and the making of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans within the statutory timescales;
• Rates of appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber);
• Any other significant and relevant concerns that are brought to Ofsted’s and/or CQC’s attention.

One of the things that inspections focus on are how well the local area communicates with children & young people and their parents or carers