'Widespread and systemic failings' found within Leeds City Council's SEND provision - Ofsted report

An inspection has uncovered “widespread and/or systemic failings” within Leeds City Council’s services for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND).

Published today (Thursday, June 18), the joint report from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission said “significant concerns” about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND needed to be urgently addressed by City Council and the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

As a result of this inspection, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector requires the local area partnership to prepare and submit a priority action plan (area SEND) to address the identified areas for priority action.

A monitoring inspection will now be carried out within approximately 18 months. The next full reinspection will be within approximately 3 years.

“Too many children and young people with SEND wait an unacceptable length of time to have their needs accurately assessed and met in Leeds through the education, health and care (EHC) plan process,” inspectors said.

“Recently, leaders have deployed additional case workers and educational psychologists to support assessment processes. However, there are long delays in the length of time that children and young people wait for their final EHC plan when they need one. This means that they do not receive the support they need quickly enough.

“Furthermore, the needs of children and young people are not reflected well enough in EHC plans. The quality of EHC plans in Leeds is systemically weak, and the information typically does not meet statutory guidance.”

There have been many recent changes within the leadership of the local area partnership, according to the report. The current leadership has implemented appropriate changes to leadership and governance structures with a view to improving the provision for children and young people with SEND.

Children and young people with SEND and their families benefit from knowledgeable, skilled health practitioners who know their families and local areas well. They offer appropriate advice and support with useful strategies and information.

Although, education providers and settings know their children and young people well, the systems within the partnership to share data are not yet effective, and as a result, health, social care and education practitioners can work in isolation.

In a statement, the Leeds Health and Care Partnership has welcomed today's report, including the areas where urgent improvement is needed, and said that as a partnership Leeds City Council and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board take “full responsibility.”

“We know that delays in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and neurodevelopmental assessments have had a real impact on children, young people and their families,” a spokesperson said. “Too many families are waiting too long for the support they need, and we are fully committed to putting that right. Our focus now is on delivering rapid and sustained improvement.

“We will continue to work closely with children, young people, families and partners across Leeds to deliver the improvements that are needed, and are keen to work with central government to align this work with the national SEND reforms.

“We are determined to build on the strengths identified in the report, address the areas where we need to do better, and make sure children and young people with SEND receive the support, opportunities and outcomes they deserve. We will submit our SEND improvement plan to the Department for Education and NHS England within the next seven weeks and provide regular updates on the progress we are making.”

There are significant delays in the time it takes to complete a statutory assessment and implement an EHC plan, according to the report. This has a negative impact on the experiences of children and young people who are not having their needs met. There is a prioritisation strategy in place to deal with the backlog of EHC plan assessments.

The voice of the child or young person is “not given prominence” on EHC plans and is often out of date. EHC plans rarely capture the aspirations and ambitions of children and young people, including those approaching the end of school or college.

Some families are unable to access local activities or groups promoted within the SEND local offer because they are not operated within their home area, while some children and young people with SEND reported being fearful of venturing into the city centre or beyond their home and school.

Councillor Alan Lamb, Leader of the Conservative opposition on Leeds City Council, has described the report as a “failure of leadership, governance and the system itself,” but insisted it is in no way a criticism of the many dedicated teachers, social workers, therapists, health professionals and council staff.

“Every child deserves the chance to thrive, and every parent deserves to know that when their child needs help, that help will be there,” Coun Lamb said. “This is an extremely serious report and one which should concern everyone across Leeds.

“These are not numbers on spreadsheets. They are children with one childhood. Months and years lost at a crucial stage in their development are months and years that can never be given back. Parents should not have to spend years fighting battles with the very system that is supposed to help them. Children should not be left waiting while adults debate structures, processes and governance.

“What matters now is not blame for its own sake, but honesty, urgency and a determination to rebuild trust. Families deserve better. Children deserve better. And after years of warnings, Leeds must now deliver the improvements that those children and families have every right to expect.”

There are positive and effective relationships across the partnership, according to the report. This is particularly evident in the work of the community paediatricians and the 0 to 19 service. The designated clinical officer is a valuable source of information and support for health practitioners.

The SEND information, advice and support service (SENDIASS) is highly valued by parents who are seeking independent advice. The parent carer forum (PCF) is committed to their role.

Despite this, many parents, carers and young people do not understand that options are available for post-16 education, employment and training. They do not have enough guidance and advice when making choices about their future.