2025 Brent's local area SEND inspection
The January 2025 inspection of Brent’s SEND services found that children and young people with SEND generally have positive experiences and outcomes. The local area partnership is taking action where improvements are needed, including long wait times for assessments and updates to care plans.
The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 5 years.
Ofsted and CQC ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in the report.
Read the full Area SEND inspection report of Brent Local Area Partnership
2019 local area revisit
Following Brent’s local area revisit of special educational and disabilities (SEND) provision in May 2019 by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), inspectors have said that local area leaders have made sufficient progress to improve each of the serious weaknesses identified at the initial inspection in May 2017.
Read the letter from Ofsted and the CQC (.pdf, 130.1kB) and Brent's SEND Strategy Implementation Plan (.pdf, 288.2kB).
2017 Brent's local area SEND inspection
Following Brent’s local area inspection of special educational and disabilities (SEND) provision in May 2017 by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Brent Children’s Trust has implemented a Written Statement of Action (plan) to respond to the five priority areas for action identified in the inspection.
The Written Statement of Action, which was agreed by Brent Children’s Trust and co-produced with parents, carers and professionals, sets out how services in Brent will work together to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Brent.
The Children’s Trust is tracking the implementation of the Written Statement of Action through a ‘monitoring dashboard’, which measures progress against the five priority areas.
Going forward into 2019, progress will be progressed through the implementation of Brent’s updated SEND strategy and SEND implementation plan.
Our SEND strategy priorities are:
- Ensure early intervention at all ages, and support for children and young people and their families to prevent escalation to more specialist services
- Provide services that are integrated and co-ordinated in a multi-agency approach so that families and young people need only, ‘tell the story once’, and find it easy to navigate the system with effective information sharing and advice.
- Make provision of the highest possible quality through effective joint commissioning so that children and young people with SEND can have their needs met locally wherever possible.
- Ensure the participation of parents, carers and children and young people in the design and delivery of services
- Improve outcomes and life chances for children and young people with SEND and improve their life chances to enable greater independence and transition into adulthood
The progress of our SEND strategy priorities will be measured against the following outcomes:
Priority 1
- Professionals feel more confident in identifying SEND, have the skills to assess need and develop SMART outcomes for children and young people.
- Foster carers are better able to support young people with SEND
- All children and young people with SEND, including vulnerable groups, receive timely support and access to services that help them maximise their potential
- Families are more resilient in coping with SEND, and have a better understanding of the local offer and how to access it
- More children enter Reception school ready with appropriate support in place to meet their needs
- Waiting times for access to services are reduced in line with national guidelines
Priority 2
- A better family experience of Brent SEND and Health services, clearly working in partnership
- EHC plans are holistic in setting out all the needs of the child/young person, and are completed within required timescales
Priority 3
- Young people with SEND have access to high quality education provision, with their needs met locally where possible.
- The local authority and the CCG jointly commission services for children and young people with SEND to ensure that the right provision is in place and children and young people have access to the services they need.
Priority 4
- Parents/carers and young people are meaningfully participating in the design and delivery of services - “Do nothing about us without us”
- All parents/carers are actively engaged in the co-production of EHC plans and agreeing outcomes for their child/young person.
- Parents are actively engaged in the Forum providing quality feedback about services, the Local Offer, Short breaks and the EHCP process
- Parents/carers report improved satisfaction with services that are better co-ordinated and reduce duplication – 'tell the story once'
- Young people are actively engaged in providing quality feedback about services
Priority 5
- Children and young people with SEND make appropriate progress and outcomes are improved, including those in vulnerable groups.
- More young people with SEND have access to employment and community activities to support them to lead independent lives