Lancashire SEND Partnership responds to area SEND inspection findings

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Lancashire County Council, as part of the Lancashire SEND Partnership, are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Lancashire. 

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a five-day inspection of the Lancashire Local Area Partnership in December 2024. 

The inspectors report, published today, Wednesday 12 February, highlights several areas, across the partnership, that require work to improve experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND. 

The report notes that there were widespread failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently. 

The key areas of concern highlighted in the report are issues that local area partnerships across the country are facing, many of which have been identified by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission following inspections. The issues are largely being driven by increasing demand for specialist support which are in turn causing significant financial pressures on the system.

The report noted that Lancashire has had a surge in requests for Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan assessments and these are being dealt with alongside updates to EHC plans following annual reviews.

The inspectors report also highlights that the Lancashire Local Area Partnership has a clear ambition to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND and found that, overall, educational outcomes for children and young people with SEND were improving. 

Inspectors found that early years services had a well-established framework to identify and support children who may have SEND from birth. 

Lancashire's multi-agency Family Hubs offer was also praised, with inspectors noting that families’ engagement with this initiative was having a positive impact on their lives. 

Inspectors also commended the SEND information, advice and support service (SENDIAS), noting that the team were passionate and committed to offering support, guidance and signposting to parents and carers.  

It also acknowledges that the local authority had been successful in recently obtaining a significant financial investment for SEND to commission and deliver improvements through a recovery plan. 

Actions already underway include: 

• Making progress with our plans for a new Hub to improve communication with families during the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan process and we are increasing capacity for SEND support at our Family Hubs and via our SENDIAS services. 

• Strengthened of the process used to test that EHC plans are high quality.
• Established a SEND academy for staff development. 

• Additional recruitment to the statutory SEND team and to our educational psychology team, which will enable us to complete 30 additional EHC plan assessments per month.  

• Approved proposals to create a total of 265 additional specialist places in mainstream schools and special schools across Lancashire in 2025. 

Additionally, the county council has already invested more than £2.5 million this year to bolster SEND staffing and have appointed a new Head of Service for SEND. 

Alongside the £2.5 million that has been invested, £5m has been included in the 2025/26 budget to address the high demand levels due to the level of referrals received across the service relating to education, health and care plans. 

Professor Sarah O’Brien, chair of Lancashire SEND Partnership Board and chief nursing officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said:  

“We fully accept the findings of the report and will be working closely with partner organisations to ensure services are improved and updated.

 “Unacceptable waiting times for children and young people with SEND is a national challenge and one that we recognise in Lancashire and South Cumbria.

 “As an Integrated Care Board, we are committed to moving towards a needs-led approach where children and young people with SEND and their families will receive responsive provisions that support them with their education and in their home life, whatever their ability or challenge.

“We have established a delivery programme board to ensure that service transformation occurs in a joined-up way with all stakeholders and happens at pace and scale. We’re committed to developing and delivering on our shared strategic vision with Lancashire County Council through co-production with our local communities and families to improve outcomes for all children and young people with SEND across Lancashire.”  

Jacqui Old CBE, vice chair of Lancashire SEND Partnership Board and Executive Director for Education and Children's Services, said:  

"While we are bitterly disappointed with this outcome, we acknowledge and understand the inspectors' findings and we know that, though our commitment to providing the right support at the right time for children and young people with SEND, we can make vital improvements. 

"We accept that, despite our best efforts, children’s and young people’s needs are not met as quickly and effectively as they should be. 

"We understand that these delays are a great source of frustration for families, and we know we must do better.

"Nationally, there is a huge increase in the number of children seeking SEND support along with a growing demand for education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

"The problems we are facing are not exclusive to Lancashire – these are issues being faced by local authorities across the country.

"I want to be clear that the issues highlighted in the report are systemic and are in no way a reflection of our staff, who are dedicated to improving outcomes for all children, including those with SEND. I would like to thank staff for their continued hard work and dedication to improving the lives of children and young people in Lancashire.

The capacity to improve was noted by the inspectors who had confidence that we are in a good place to move the system forwards.

"In light of the findings, we are undertaking a thorough review of our SEND processes and systems and will continue to work alongside our partners to ensure further improvements happen at pace and that outcomes improve for all children and young people in our county." 

 Sam Jones, chair of the Lancashire Parent Carer Forum, said: 

"Lancashire Parent Carer Forum is an independent forum, run by parent carers. We agree with the findings of the recent Lancashire Local Area Inspection, that there is a need for substantial improvement and lasting change in the support and services provided for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. 

"The Inspection report is consistent with feedback from parent carers, through the Forum and the LPCF Round Table, through services and individually. It recognises our challenges and our lived experience of support and services and reflects the challenges made by the Forum on behalf of parent carers. 

"While the outcome of the inspection will not come as a surprise to parent carers, it presents us with a real chance for a new start. 

"We feel that we have been offered the reassurance that the parent carer perspective, delivered by the Forum as an equal partner in the Lancashire SEND Partnership, will be listened to and acted upon. 

"Lancashire Parent Carer Forum remains committed to our work on building a wider network of parent carers.  

"We will continue to build the LPCF Round Table to bring local community SEND group leaders to represent their group members and the communities of Lancashire. The Forum will continue to provide individual parent carers with opportunities to participate in the work of improving services. 

"We commit to working positively with partners and to offer constructive challenge on behalf of parent carers to ensure that the necessary improvements highlighted in the report are delivered. 

"With a clear focus and a determination to work together for the best outcomes for our children and young people, parent carers and practitioners will make considerable improvements for families."