Users of Suffolk SEND services are asked for feedback as part of inspection by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission

An inspection has begun into special education needs and disabilities (SEND) services in Suffolk.

The inspection, which looks at how Suffolk County Council (SCC) and NHS health partners support young people with SEND and their families, is being carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission and will last for three weeks.

As part of it, young people, parents and carers who use SEND services are being encouraged to give feedback as part of an online Ofsted survey.

Councillor Rachel Hood, cabinet member for education, SEND and skills at SCC, said: “It is important that Ofsted get a full picture of SEND services in Suffolk and day to day experiences.

"They would like to hear for everyone - those who have opinions about where improvement can be made and those who are satisfied with the services they receive. Every voice is welcome."

The survey can be found here and will close at 9am on November 7.

The purpose of the inspection is to provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of Suffolk's partnership arrangements for children and young people with SEND. The publication date for the report is not yet known.

Campaigners have been fighting for improvements to the county council’s SEND services and have been trying to hold the local authority to account.

In August SCC apologised to families and children where it has not been able to provide a better service and accepted the number of complaints within its education and children's services was too high.

SCC has said it is undergoing widescale reform of SEND services, with 32 activities suggested by the Lincolnshire Review having all been completed.

The effectiveness and pace of reform has been described as ‘reassuring’ by the Department for Education.

A Suffolk SEND inspection in 2016 found ‘significant weaknesses’ in the local area’s practice and in 2019 inspectors felt local area leaders had not made sufficient progress to improve the serious weaknesses.