Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have missed learning or experienced a narrowed education and many of their families have been left "exhausted or despairing" because they have been unable to access services during the Covid crisis, according to this report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Longstanding problems in the system of care for children and young people with SEND have been made even worse by the Covid 19 pandemic, according to Ofsted.
The report describes the negative experiences of children and families, including missed and narrowed education, the absence of essential services such as physiotherapy or speech and language support, and long waiting times for assessment and treatment.
The report also finds that existing weaknesses in the SEND system have been exacerbated by the pandemic, as children are more likely to have been "out of sight" of services.
These weaknesses include:
- Weaknesses in universal education, health and care services, resulting in children and young people not learning essential skills and knowledge, and mistakenly being identified as having SEND.
- Significant inconsistencies in how SEND is identified.
- A lack of joined-up commissioning and joint working across education, health and care.
- A lack of clarity between organisations about who is responsible and accountable within local area SEND systems.