As part of their work to understand how local areas improve outcomes for children with SEND, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will look at the information that local areas use to monitor the performance of your SEND services. Your data should be timely, comprehensive, enable you to understand quickly how you are doing and, crucially, make it clear what your priorities for action are.
If you find that this isn’t yet the case, you are not alone. Issues about the quality of data and the ability of managers and councillors to evaluate how they are doing have been raised in numerous SEND inspection reports.
However, we can help – and have already helped dozens of local authorities prepare for inspection through a range of analysis services. These have ranged from our analysis dashboards being used in the pre-inspection evidence pack, our interactive analysis systems being used to instantly respond to queries raised during inspection week, and self-evaluation reports drawing together insights from benchmark analysis, our forecasting work and more.
Wandsworth Borough Council SEND Inspection – Case Study
We supported Wandsworth through their first SEND Local Area Inspection in 2019, and when inspectors have returned in the following years. Our SEND Dashboard service formed a key pillar of this support throughout the inspection period. In particular the SEND Dashboard:
- Allowed Wandsworth to identity relative strengths and weaknesses. This enabled them to better prepare for the inspection by understanding which areas were likely to receive the most scrutiny
- Was used to prepare a briefing on Wandsworth’s SEND data for everyone involved in the inspection. This ensured messages were consistent across the numerous officers and managers meeting with inspectors
- Formed part of Wandsworth’s submission to the inspection team
- Was a valuable tool for Wandsworth when asked questions or to provide evidence in meetings with the inspection team.
Post-inspection, Wandsworth continued to use the SEND Dashboard to monitor progress.
We also led work to improve the data quality of data on young people with SEND in advance of the first person level SEN2 return, and continue to help with evidence based decision making across the local area.
You can see more information on our SEND services here or contact us.
