SEND services are jointly overseen by the City of London Corporation and the North East London Integrated Care Board and provide essential support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The City of London commissions alternative provision from several providers for a range of purposes, including children unable to attend school due to their social, emotional or medical needs.
Inspectors found ‘a deeply embedded culture of collaboration among professionals in education, health and social care drives collective efforts to help children and young people reach their full potential.’
The report was published on December 1, following inspections from September 29, 2025, to October 3, 2025, and highlighted how coordinated efforts are key in early identification and swift access to support.
Children and young people are routinely assessed through holistic reviews in early-years settings, and targeted family support and input from adolescent mental health services contribute to reducing further needs.
In particular, the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service was praised for ‘valuable support to children and young people with SEND, as well as their families.’
Inspectors found that ‘practitioners have carefully shaped the service to ensure that it is both easy to access and offers extensive support.’
Other commendable initiatives include the prompt completion of education, health, and care (EHC) plans, which are reviewed for quality and effectiveness in a timely manner to ensure they accurately reflect children and young people’s health and care needs; open referral systems for therapy services, allowing parents direct access to support; and the proactive role of the City of London Corporation’s sole GP surgery in training staff about autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.
The report also noted the active involvement of the Parent Carer Forum, which has been influential in the SEND and AP strategy development of neurodevelopmental pathways.
Despite these positives, the report outlined some areas for improvement.
A concern was a lack of rigorous scrutiny in the quality assurance of AP and provisions for those educated outside the school system.
The report noted that the partnership was reviewing these checks, but it was too early to determine the impact of this work.
They also highlighted the need for better communication across the partnership with families, with some parents reportedly unclear about the decision-making regarding their child’s support or provision.
Inspectors found: “On other occasions, decisions which are made at short notice are not fed back to families swiftly.
“This can leave parents feeling less involved and at times confused.”
An additional concern was the lack of access to professional interpreting services for families needing translation support, leading to a reliance on family members or known individuals to the family to help interpret.
This can create barriers to open and impartial communication, leaving some families uncomfortable with sharing confidential information through someone they know.
To address these issues, the report suggested improving regular communication with parents to provide clarity on decision-making processes, giving them better knowledge of the local offer to help access available services, and ensuring routine access to interpreters in health services to facilitate open and transparent conversations with professionals.
The report stated: “Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission ask that the local area partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in this report.”
