Leeds City Council: Area SEND full inspection

Local area partnership report

Area SEND inspection of Leeds Local Area Partnership

Inspection dates: 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026

Dates of previous inspection: 5 December to 8 December 2016.

Inspection outcome

There are widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.

A monitoring inspection will be carried out within approximately 18 months. The next full reinspection will be within approximately 3 years.

As a result of this inspection, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector requires the local area partnership to prepare and submit a priority action plan (area SEND) to address the identified areas for priority action.

Information about the local area partnership

Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (Icb) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Leeds.

There have been several changes to the senior leadership of Leeds City Council’s SEND services and the Icb since the previous inspection. This includes the appointment of an interim director of children’s services in January 2026 and a new director of nursing and quality in April 2026.

The commissioning of health services changed across England in 2022. On 1 July 2022, responsibility for the commissioning of health services in the area changed from NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group to NHS West Yorkshire Icb.

The partnership commissions Area Inclusion Partnerships across the city. These support children and young people who are at risk of permanent exclusion and those who require assessment places. Some children and young people who cannot attend school because of health needs are supported by the medical needs teaching service.

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 2

What is it like to be a child or young person with SEND in this area?

Too many children and young people with SEND wait an unacceptable length of time to have their needs accurately assessed and met in Leeds through the education, health and care (EHC) plan process. Recently, leaders have deployed additional case workers and educational psychologists to support assessment processes. However, there are long delays in the length of time that children and young people wait for their final EHC plan when they need one. This means that they do not receive the support they need quickly enough.

Furthermore, the needs of children and young people are not reflected well enough in EHC plans. The quality of EHC plans in Leeds is systemically weak, and the information typically does not meet statutory guidance. Parents, carers and children and young people’s views and needs are not always recorded accurately in EHC plans. Health and social care professionals contribute inconsistently to EHC plan reviews. The intended outcomes in EHC plans do not link well enough to the specific needs of children and young people. Therefore, planned strategies do not support them well enough to overcome the barriers that they may face. Many EHC plans do not reflect the aspirations and ambitions of children and young people, particularly as they approach adulthood.

Children and young people with SEND are well supported by their settings when they transition from primary to secondary school and then to post-16 education. Schools use AP appropriately to provide effective support when a child or young person needs it. This has contributed to a significant reduction in the number of children or young people with SEND who are suspended or permanently excluded from school.

Children and young people with SEND and their families in Leeds benefit from a wide range of health support services, some of which are readily accessible through digital resources and useful online information. However, a significant group of children and young people are experiencing unacceptable waiting times for neurodevelopmental (Nd) assessments and diagnoses. There is not enough partnership oversight in place of those who are waiting a long time. Some families who are in need of support feel lost in the system and children and young people’s needs escalate. There are some delays in other health services, including mental health support, as well as speech and language therapy. These delays can result in an escalation of need. However, children and young people waiting for these services benefit from support while waiting. Children and young people are prioritised based on need and risk. Children and young people’s access to and experiences of health provision vary depending on the education setting they attend. This disparity can lead to delays in accessing appropriate support.

Multi-agency family hub practitioners work hard to support the many children with SEND who are experiencing poor living conditions, which impacts on their health. Hub practitioners help families by referring to charities for equipment to reduce dampness in housing or provide safe play areas for children with SEND. Children and young people with SEND and their families are welcomed into the family hubs. Parents and carers

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 3

receive a prompt response to help them to support their child with emerging or changing SEND. Family hubs play an important role in the communities of Leeds and are a welcomed, well-used resource.

Children with SEND receive effective support from social workers in the Child Health and Disability Service (Chad). Social workers spend time communicating with children to understand their experiences and ascertain their wishes. Social workers from the transitions team listen to the voice of young people to plan their next steps into adulthood. However, some young adults with SEND have poorer outcomes than their peers because preparation for adulthood across the partnership is not robust enough. Transition from children’s to adults’ health services is also variable. Some children and young people and their families do not understand their rights and entitlements and the pathways through to adult services.

The SEND Youth Council and ‘Takeover Day’ offer children and young people the opportunity for their opinions and ideas to be heard. This has led to change, for example changes to playing areas in parks across Leeds to make them more accessible. Children and young people have contributed to the ‘12 Wishes for Leeds’, which are used to express the vision for the partnership. Active Leeds positively promotes participation and engagement for children and young people with SEND in their community. However, many children and young people with SEND do not participate in community groups and activities beyond school because they do not understand the local offer.

What is the area partnership doing that is effective?

◼ There have been many recent changes within the leadership of the local area

partnership. The current leadership has implemented appropriate changes to leadership and governance structures with a view to improving the provision for children and young people with SEND.

◼ Children and young people with SEND and their families benefit from knowledgeable,

skilled health practitioners who know their families and local areas well. They offer appropriate advice and support with useful strategies and information.

◼ Health records demonstrate the use of alerts to identify the reasonable adjustments

that children with SEND require. This makes health services more accessible. Community practitioners use the same clinical health record system and are also able to access hospital records. This helps communication between and within health services to inform the care and support given to children and young people.

◼ There are positive and effective relationships across the partnership. This is

particularly evident in the work of the community paediatricians and the 0 to 19 service. The designated clinical officer is a valuable source of information and support for health practitioners.

◼ There is an effective and well-established dynamic support register, with clear and

robust arrangements to support transition to the adult register. Strong multi-agency working across the partnership ensures timely access to services and helps prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. In addition, children and young people and their

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 4

families benefit from a well-established key-working service. This actively engages children and young people and works collaboratively with health professionals, ensuring that they receive comprehensive support and guidance.

◼ Leaders in the partnership are committed to the co-location of practitioners, which

promotes effective multi-agency working to support and safeguard children with SEND. The regional specialist team at Leeds General Infirmary provides a valuable link between social care and health, supporting children with medical conditions and their families in the hospital and community.

◼ Social workers in Chad are knowledgeable about children’s SEND. They coordinate

appropriate support packages that include overnight short breaks or placements with specialist foster carers. Eligible children and young people enjoy fun activities in the community, allowing parents to have short breaks knowing that their child is being well looked after.

◼ When children with SEND are placed in out of area residential special schools or

children’s homes, most of them are settled and receiving the right support to meet their needs. Social workers work closely with SEND caseworkers to identify the most appropriate provision. Children are supported to maintain relationships with their families, who are included in decisions about next steps, for example when moving into a new placement or preparing for adulthood.

◼ Education providers and settings know their children and young people well. They

typically make effective reasonable adjustments and adaptations to meet individual needs, and they are flexible in their approach and open to advice and support. When children and young people are waiting to access services such as speech and language therapy or occupational therapy, schools and settings routinely put appropriate support in place. Arrangements to ensure smooth transitions between phases of education are well established. The special educational needs inclusion team (Senit) provides effective advice and guidance, which plays a key role in supporting the youngest children as they move into nursery settings.

◼ Practitioners in early years settings are confident that they know how to access

support when they need it. The virtual school has innovative programmes for pre- school children to meet each other and crucially develop early movement and speech skills. Schools and settings value the support from Senit, particularly the practical advice and the work they do directly with children and young people with SEND through outreach. The ‘Inclusive Mainstream First’ guidance detailing the graduated approach in Leeds offers a wide range of practical support and prompts for education settings. However, it is not widely known or talked about by school leaders. The partnership’s training offer for special educational needs coordinators is highly valued. It provides an opportunity for these professionals to network with each other and improve provision for SEND in their schools.

◼ The Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team knows children and young people with

hearing difficulties well. The joint working with audiology, hearing and balance teams in health is highly effective in identifying early need and giving appropriate support. This support helps a significant number of these children and young people move into their next stage of education, training and employment successfully.

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 5

◼ There are a wide range of options for young people with SEND for post-16 study.

Young people are well supported to access progressive courses with supported work placements, and some go on to access apprenticeships. Many who attend college have very positive experiences. They are supported well to prepare for adulthood and experience the world of work through appropriate placements linked to specific interests and aspirations. There are effective transition plans for young people leaving college and continuing in educational placements.

◼ The partnership has found positive ways to encourage young people with SEND to

participate in sporting and cultural programmes. The Leeds local offer is advertised; however, many children and young people are unaware of what they can access beyond their education settings. Some children and young people are not confident or comfortable in taking part in activities across the city. Those who access a wealth of activities mostly do so through the support of parents and young carers. Some children and young people with SEND access personal assistants. They appreciate the freedom from parents and carers that this brings and the sense of independence.

◼ There are clear strengths in the provision for children in care with SEND. Social

workers are well informed about different school settings and the support that can be offered. This helps them to steer children and young people to the most suitable setting. Robust checks on independent schools are completed every half term. This provides assurance about the progress of children and young people with SEND in care and the safety of the provision.

◼ Oversight of children and young people with SEND who are electively home educated

(Ehe) is well managed. Effective systems are in place, which ensures that the partnership is aware of who is being home educated. Many children and young people with SEND successfully return to an appropriate education setting because the Ehe team keeps in touch with the family and supports them in overcoming barriers to their education.

◼ The attendance of children and young people with SEND in school is well managed by

a multi-disciplinary team. The attendance team closely monitors and supports a range of schools. This allows the team to target support to schools, children and young people when there are any concerns about their rates of attendance.

◼ The partnership has significantly reduced rates of suspensions and permanent

exclusions by working with schools to identify children and young people at risk and providing timely support, including the use of alternative provision (AP) where appropriate. This targeted approach has contributed to a sustained decrease in exclusions and has helped more children and young people remain engaged in education, with a growing proportion successfully returning to their school from AP.

◼ The SEND information, advice and support service (Sendiass) is highly valued by

parents who are seeking independent advice. The parent carer forum (Pcf) is committed to their role. More recently the partnership has included the Pcf in discussions about future provision for children and young people with SEND. The members of Pcf are advocates for further change in the partnership systems and processes.

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 6

What does the area partnership need to do better?

◼ New partnership governance structures have been put in place recently. These have

not yet been tried or tested enough or brought about any measurable impact. Leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement planning does not fully consider the views of partners such as Sendiass or the Pcf. The members of the Pcf are valued in terms of providing their views in executive meetings but do not have a strategic enough input to steer change.

◼ The systems within the partnership to share data are not yet effective, and as a

result, health, social care and education practitioners can work in isolation. For example, information about AP that individual schools commission directly from providers is not shared effectively with the partnership. This limits the partnership’s ability to maintain full oversight and to understand the impact of these AP providers on children and young people with SEND. The partnership does not have enough information to be able to effectively plan for the changing needs of children and young people. This has had a negative impact on children and young people with SEND, for example the availability of speech and language therapy.

◼ The quality of EHC plans is poor. They do not support children and young people to

work towards their goals. There are few examples of children and young people expressing their aspiration for future training and employment. Many EHC plans lack clear educational outcomes to support future pathways. As a result, practitioners working with these children and young people do not have the information that they need to support them well.

◼ There are significant delays in the time it takes to complete a statutory assessment

and implement an EHC plan. This has a negative impact on the experiences of children and young people who are not having their needs met. There is a prioritisation strategy in place to deal with the backlog of EHC plan assessments. However, quality assurance processes are weak and there is a lack of suitable training and guidance for those who contribute to EHC plans.

◼ There is not a robust process for recording health advice or quality assuring health

outcomes for EHC plans. Health input and outcomes are not clearly articulated within some EHC plans. Leaders are developing processes to address this weakness.

◼ The voice of the child or young person is not given prominence on EHC plans and is

often out of date. EHC plans rarely capture the aspirations and ambitions of children and young people, including those approaching the end of school or college. This variation in quality and information puts the onus on practitioners working with children or young people to establish their ambitions. Plans typically lack detail about preparation for adulthood, even for young people who are in key stage 4 or post-16 provision.

◼ Some EHC plans have not been amended for a considerable amount of time. In these

plans, it is unclear what outcomes children and young people should be working towards. Similarly, some children and young people with considerable social care needs have no input from social care workers into their EHC plans. It is therefore

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 7

unclear what the impact of their social care needs are on children and young people’s SEND.

◼ The partnership has produced a clear vision for ‘inclusive mainstream first’ as a

strategy for addressing individual need. However, it is apparent that not all schools are on board with this strategy and it is unclear whether schools have the right skills and resources to deal with the increasingly complex educational needs of children and young people. In addition, the Pcf has expressed a lack of confidence in the effectiveness of this approach.

◼ Some children and young people experience a delay in the initial assessment of their

needs. Many of these children and young people do not get the support that they need while they wait, such as those facing unacceptably long waits for a Nd assessment.

◼ The partnership has commissioned an organisation to administer the Nd waiting list.

Direct contact has been made with half of those on the waiting list. They have been offered an alternative pathway through an accredited provider for an Nd assessment. The partnership has not provided assurance that all children and young people who are waiting will receive the care and support that they need when the current contract ends.

◼ There is variation in the quality of health provision across education settings in Leeds.

Some individual schools and settings purchase speech and language therapy and occupational therapy independently. As a result, children and young people experience differences in health support. There is no oversight by the partnership of the effectiveness, quality and type of this additional provision.

◼ Transition from children’s to adults’ health services is variable. Differences in eligibility

criteria and service offer mean that there is disparity between what children and young people with SEND can access in children’s and adults’ services. The local area acknowledges that this is an area that needs further development.

◼ Many parents and carers and young people do not understand that options are

available for post-16 education, employment and training. They do not have enough guidance and advice when making choices about their future. Some children and young people with SEND do not have enough preparation for adulthood support and lack easy access to independent travel training, where this is required. Placement planning and commissioning for children and young people with SEND in social care is not always effectively joined up. This can result in a lag between the identification of care and education placements.

◼ Leaders ensure that the statutory criteria for educational otherwise than at school

(EOTAS) is met prior to the partnership making suitable arrangements. This can be a slow process, in some cases taking years to coordinate and leading to lost opportunities for learning. There is lack of direction from leaders to EOTAS providers about curriculum expectations. There is not enough oversight of the quality of EOTAS placements in delivering educational outcomes and ensuring accountability.

◼ While leaders have some oversight of which children and young people with SEND

have a part-time timetable, there is not enough analysis of patterns and trends. Leaders do not have a full understanding of how long children and young people with

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 8

SEND remain on part-time timetables and if some educational establishments are more likely than others to use this strategy. This limits the partnership’s ability to intervene to support children and young people and their families when appropriate.

◼ There is considerable variation in what is available across the partnership as a core

offer for children and young people with SEND. Some families are unable to access local activities or groups promoted within the SEND local offer because they are not operated within their home area. Some children and young people with SEND reported being fearful of venturing into the city centre or beyond their home and school. Some children and young people have not received appropriate travel training to be able to access clubs and activities independently. Stretched resources prevent some children and young people receiving the right help at the right time. This includes the provision of personal assistants. This risks children and young people with SEND and their families becoming increasingly isolated.

◼ The partnership has a limited awareness of the number of children and young people

with SEND who attend AP that is commissioned by schools. This includes unregistered AP. While the schools are responsible for monitoring the suitability of these placements, as the commissioner, some schools do not consistently report the number of AP placements, including children and young people with EHC plans, to the partnership. This limits the partnership’s ability to understand and respond to trends in AP commissioning across Leeds. There is also variability in the AP offer depending on where the children and young people live or attend school. Each Area Inclusion Partnership area has their own offer and way of working. The partnership does not quality assure AP, including when pupils with an EHC plan attend. The partnership does not have enough oversight of the quality and the impact of AP.

Areas for priority action

Responsible body Areas for priority action Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Icb

Leaders across the partnership must continue to act with urgency to:

◼ ensure that amended EHC plans are completed and

issued in a timely way

◼ ensure that EHC plans better reflect the current

needs and provision for the child or young person across health, education and social care, particularly as they move through different phases of education

◼ improve and embed processes for the quality

assurance of EHC plans and annual reviews.

Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Icb

The local area partnership must urgently assure itself that:

◼ all children and young people who are waiting for an

Nd assessment are receiving the continued

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 9

communication and support that they need while they wait

◼ an effective plan and process is in place to

monitor children and young people who are experiencing long waiting times for health services such as Nd assessments to minimise adverse impact on their health and wellbeing.

Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Icb

The local area partnership must urgently improve leadership and governance systems to drive whole- system improvement:

◼ to make best use of collective resources and joint

commissioning to respond to immediate needs and deliver more long-term strategy to ensure a coordinated and equitable approach; and

◼ strengthen multi-agency data-sharing across health,

education and social care and ensure a better overview of provision, including AP, and resources, and improve accountability and help measure impact so that children and young people with SEND are well known to services and monitored effectively.

Areas for improvement

◼ Leaders across the partnership should improve the transition for children

and young people between children’s and adults’ services in health, education and social care, and improve their strategy in relation to preparing children and young people with SEND for adulthood from the earliest years.

◼ The local area partnership should ensure that there is equitable health

provision across schools in the city and have assurance of the quality and effectiveness of these services.

◼ The local area partnership should strengthen its oversight and quality

assurance of all AP to ensure that:

• it has clear oversight of which children and young people are attending AP, including those on part-time, flexible or bespoke arrangements, so that timely intervention can take place when needed; and

• systems are in place to independently quality assure all AP, providing a reliable understanding of its availability, effectiveness and impact across Leeds.

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 10

◼ Leaders across the partnership should improve communication with parents,

carers and professionals to ensure that:

• there is meaningful co-production of services and ways of working

• stakeholders are well informed about service developments and how their contributions have influenced change and improvements; and

• they have the knowledge of and can navigate the local offer effectively and can access the range of support services and resources available in their communities.

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 11

Local area partnership details

Local authority Integrated care board Leeds City Council

NHS West Yorkshire Icb

Peter Thorpe, Interim Director of Children’s Services

Jonathan Webb, Chief Executive Officer

www.leeds.gov.uk

www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk Merrion House, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 8LX

Scorex House, 1 Bolton Road, Bradford BD1 4AS Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out at the request of the Secretary of State for Education under section 20(1)(a) of the Children Act 2004.

The inspection was led by one of His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) from Ofsted, with a team of inspectors, including: three HMIs from education and social care; a lead Children’s Services Inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC); and another Children’s Services Inspector from the CQC.

Inspection team

Ofsted Care Quality Commission Mary Cook, Ofsted HMI, Lead inspector Tessa Valpy, CQC Lead inspector

Nikki Heron, Ofsted HMI Amy-Louise Butler, CQC inspector

Jo Warburton, Ofsted HMI

Area SEND inspection report: Leeds Local Area Partnership 27 April 2026 to 1 May 2026 12

The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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