Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director, Education and Inclusion

The Assistant Director, Education and Inclusion submitted a report (previously circulated) to provide Scrutiny Members with an update on the Ofsted/CQC Inspection carried out between January and 1 February 2022, on the provision of Special Educational Needs (SEND) support in Darlington and the subsequent development of a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) also previously circulated.

It was reported that the inspection was to see how well the area had put in place the changes across all services that the Children and Families Act 2014 requires for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families; and in particular it assessed how well Darlington Borough Council, Schools, Academy Trusts and all parts of the Health Service identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, as well as the outcomes they achieve.

It was also reported that although the inspection was not graded a detailed letter was produced which identified a number of strengths in the local area, however also highlighted two areas of significant weakness identified across Darlington which were detailed in the report.

The Assistant Director of Education and Inclusion advised Members of the Scrutiny that since the inspection there had been a lot of work undertaken locally and will continue to update Members on the implementation and progress of the action plan.

RESOLVED – That the report and Written Statement of Action be noted.