This Ofsted report looks at how partners work together to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to prepare for adulthood and makes recommendations to strengthen arrangements both locally and nationally.
The journey from childhood to adulthood is an important time for all children and young people, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It is vital that children receive the right support and guidance at the earliest opportunity to prepare them for becoming an adult, and to help them reach their full potential and lead a fulfilling life.
The report found that the barriers to helping children and young people with SEND to prepare for adulthood are often beyond the immediate control of local area partnerships. Instead, they are systemic and long-standing.
The report reveals that where partnerships functioned well, they prioritised early preparation for adulthood, beginning in the early years and consistently integrated into a child or young person's Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. These stronger partnerships fostered collaborative working, sharing expertise and enhancing provision based on the views of children and young people themselves. They also developed "all age" services, supporting individuals with SEND up to the age of 25, and employed dedicated staff focused on preparing young people for adulthood, particularly benefiting children in care and care leavers with consistent support beyond the age of 18.
Conversely, the report found that weaker partnerships struggled with joint commissioning and coordination of services, failing to effectively bring together professionals across different agencies. Communication with parents and carers was often lacking, leaving them uninformed about available local services. Information and data sharing across the partnership was inconsistent, hindering service development and improvement. Furthermore, these partnerships were often slow to initiate the transition from children’s to adult health services.