New report finds children with additional needs are proud to be from Leeds

A joint inspection carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission has found that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Leeds are proud to be citizens of the city and have a real voice in shaping their education, health and care plans.

Joint area SEND inspections consider how effectively the local area identifies, meets the needs of and improves the outcomes of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspectors from Ofsted and the CQC spoke with children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, parents and carers, as well as representatives from Leeds City Council and the NHS.

Published today, the other main findings of the Leeds inspection include:

• Leaders listen to children and young people and respond by doing all they can to keep them safe.

• Leaders across education, health and care services demonstrate clear insight and capacity to improve services in response to unmet needs, by working together with parents and young people. For example, the development of the Future in Mind strategy has led to improved services to assess and meet the needs of children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

• Outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities are improving in relation to the progress they make towards their personal development goals and ambitions. However, academic progress is poor, particularly for secondary-aged young people who require support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities.

• Leaders are beginning to develop a systematic approach to understanding the reasons for the poor educational outcomes and attendance of children and young people with different types of special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is too soon to assess the impact of this crucial aspect of the local area’s work.

  The findings of the inspection are contained in an outcomes letter, which is published here

  and highlights some areas of further development for the local authority and NHS in Leeds as well as areas of strength.

  Councillor Lisa Mulherin, executive member for children and families said:

  “Our ambition is for Leeds to be a child friendly city and the best place for children and young people to grow up in.

  “We are pleased that the inspection highlighted many areas of strength and acknowledge the areas that require further development. We are continually striving to improve our support for families and that is why we are proud to have launched the pioneering Future in Mind strategy in Leeds and to be investing in new schools in the city for children with social, emotional and mental health.

  “We will continue to work closely with our partners in health to ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities get the support they need to achieve their potential.”