Local Offer - Area SEND Inspection
In January 2023, Ofsted and The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published the new Area SEND Inspection: Framework and Handbook. This framework and handbook describes how inspectors will inspect education, health and care services for children and young people, aged 0-25 years, with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in a local area.
The last area SEND inspection in Doncaster was in May 2019 and a new inspection could take place at anytime.
When inspectors visit Doncaster, they will gather information about the services we offer and also consider how well we commission and oversee alternative provisions (AP). An alternative provision is a setting that provides education for children and young people who cannot attend a mainstream school.
The inspection will look at:
- How well we provide services for children and young people with SEND
- How well local services work together to make life better for children and young people with SEND
- Information about services for children and young people with SEND in Doncaster.
Inspectors will also want to gain the views and experiences of children and young people, and their families, on the services they/their child receives. You can tell them what you think is working well and what you think could be improved.
Getting involved with the SEND inspection
When we are told that inspectors are coming to visit us, we will notify children, young people and families. We will do this by sending letters to early years providers, schools, colleges, and our AP providers. We will also post updates on our social media accounts and do our best to make sure that you have opportunities to share your views and experiences.
You can share your views in lots of different ways, for example by:
- Filling in an online survey about the kind of support you and your child receive
- Meeting with inspectors to share your views - contact Doncaster Parents Voice to find out more about this
If you get involved with the inspection by sharing your views then you will not be identified in the inspection report.
After the inspection
After the inspection, the inspectors will write a detailed report about their findings. It will tell us what services are doing well and what services need to improve - it will also tell us how services can make these improvements.
If the inspection finds that we are not doing well enough, we will need to create a plan on how we can improve.
The report will also tell us approximately when our next area SEND inspection will take place.
Our previous area SEND inspection
Doncaster's previous area SEND inspection took place in May 2019. You can read the full inspection report here.
More information
Ofsted and the CQC have produced a range of guides for parents, carers, children and young people about inspections of local services for children and young people with SEND. You can view them on the link below:
New Framework and Handbook for Area SEND Inspections:
Downloads & Resources
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City of Doncaster Council’s Families Information Service is responsible for co-ordinating and publishing the Local Offer – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).