SEND system failures impacting adulthood for young people

A report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) finds that local areas are working hard to improve support for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), but a number of systemic challenges are limiting their ability to provide these young people with strong preparation for adulthood (PfA) arrangements.  

Ofsted and the CQC visited 6 local area partnerships for the report, and surveyed over 2,000 children and young people, parents, carers and practitioners to explore how effectively partners are working together to help young people with SEND prepare for a healthy adult life and meaningful participation in society.

The report highlights a stark disparity in PfA provision for young people with and without an education, health and care (EHC) plan, noting, for example, that those without an EHC plan are often not able to benefit from supported internship arrangements.  

Ofsted and the CQC also found that too many young people with SEND face a ‘cliff edge’ in health support as they reach 18, with health services often not involved in planning for their transition to adult life. The report describes how one young person who has spent almost a year awaiting an autism diagnosis has been unable to access additional support for her mental health difficulties and substance misuse. Despite agencies working together to review the support offered by her school and children’s social care, health services have been entirely absent from discussions about her needs.  

The report identifies examples of good practice and describes the new and creative solutions that some local areas are developing in response to the challenges they face. It notes that partnerships offering stronger PfA arrangements make sure that preparation begins in the early years, and they work strategically across areas to share expertise and enhance provision in a way that reflects the views and wishes of children and young people.  

In areas with weaker PfA arrangements, inspectors found ineffective joint commissioning of services, poorer information sharing, and a lack of communication with parents and carers about the local services available.

The report makes clear that challenges will not be solved by any one part of the system in isolation. It calls for improved joint working across children’s and adult health services and makes a number of recommendations for relevant government departments and organisations, including developing a national EHC plan template that includes PfA, so it is considered at the earliest possible stage, as well as national guidance to ensure there is a transitional period of support when an EHC plan ends.

It suggests continuing to increase the number of supported internships on offer for young people with SEND and expanding access to these opportunities, supported by a national campaign to encourage more employers to provide opportunities for young people with SEND, and strengthening national guidance on transitions from children’s to adult health services.

The report says that conflicting responsibilities and gaps across social care, education and health-related provision, need to be addressed, and to create a national set of standards outlining clear responsibilities for these different organisations.

Addressing the national shortage of high-quality specialist residential and supported living accommodation, is also recommended, as well as ensuring all EHC plans consistently and accurately specify the health support that should be available at different stages of a child’s life as they reach adulthood.