Local Area Ofsted – CQC SEND Inspection Report 

Inspectors found that Gloucestershire’s Local Area Partnership need to do more to make sure experiences and outcomes are consistent for all children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).   

They also recognised improvements in a number of areas and highlighted leaders’ shared vision for excellence and recent investment as factors contributing to these improvements. Inspectors said that the Local Area's strategic plans are ambitious and designed to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in Gloucestershire.    

The Partnership’s recent investment of £10 million into SEND services to support children and young people with additional needs, was recognised as beginning to reap benefits, with additional staff and improved systems found to be making a difference to the experiences of children and families across the county.  

Progress is being achieved in the areas inspectors found needed further improvement, including the need to identify children’s individual needs sooner, reducing waiting times for some services, closer working between organisations, and ensuring the voice of children, young people and families is better reflected in services.  

We will be sharing our Local Area SEND Improvement plan in the next few weeks. This is the plan all partners were working to deliver before the inspection, and which we will refine in light of our learning from the inspection.