SSIF response to Area SEND Inspection
Firstly, a huge thank you to our SEND community
Before we talk about the outcome of the Area SEND inspection, we want to start by saying a huge thank you to every parent carer, child and young person who took the time to share their experiences as part of the inspection.
Whether you completed the parent carer survey, supported your child or young person to have their say, took part in a meeting or conversation, or shared your experiences in another way, your contribution was incredibly important. We know that finding the time to take part isn't always easy, particularly when you're already juggling the many demands that can come with being a parent carer. We also know that talking openly about your family's experiences – especially when things haven't gone well – can sometimes be difficult.
We'd also like to say a special thank you to those of you who had the opportunity to speak directly with the Ofsted and CQC inspectors at our SEND Information Day. It was really valuable to have inspectors there listening directly to parent carers, hearing about your experiences in your own words and getting a better understanding of what life is really like for SEND families in Southend.
Some of you shared positive experiences, some spoke about the challenges and frustrations you've faced, and for many families the reality is a mixture of both. All of those experiences matter. Together, they helped inspectors build a fuller picture of what is working well, where experiences remain inconsistent and where further change is needed.
Your voices helped inform this inspection, and they must continue to be heard as we move from the inspection report into the work that comes next.
Our Response to the Area SEND Inspection : A message to parent carers.
The Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspection is an important opportunity to understand what is working well for children and young people with SEND in Southend-on-Sea, as well as where further improvements are needed.
The outcome report concludes that children and young people with SEND in Southend-on-Sea experience of services and outcomes is inconsistent. It identifies areas of effective practice alongside important improvements that are still needed.
The local area partnership is required to work jointly, update its strategic plan and take action in response to the report’s recommendations and a further full Area SEND inspection is expected within approximately three years.
At Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) fully recognise the variation highlighted in the report. There remains an inconsistent experience of families across Southend and across different services. While considerable changes have already been made, we recognise that not every family has seen or felt the impact of those changes.
SSIF as your Parent Carer Forum (PCF), will continue to work with the Southend partnership and contribute to the ongoing improvement work. Our role is to make sure that the experiences of parent carers remain central to this process and that improvements lead to meaningful and lasting changes for children, young people and their families.
Your experience must inform the changes
We have extensive experience of the Area SEND inspection and improvement process. We have taken part in two full Area SEND inspections and a revisit, and we attend six-monthly monitoring meetings with representatives from the Department for Education and NHS England.
At these meetings, your voice and lived experience as a parent carer are central. The feedback you share helps us understand and communicate:
- what is working well and should be maintained;
- where families are experiencing difficulties or inconsistencies;
- where services are not meeting children and families’ needs; and
- where further change and improvement are needed.
We do not want to hear only about problems. Positive experiences are equally important because they help us identify effective practice that could be shared and strengthened across Southend.
How you can share your experience
There are a number of ways you can get involved and tell us about your experiences. You can attend:
- our monthly coffee mornings at SAVS;
- our termly drop-in sessions;
- our SEND Information Day;
- our Feedback Form, which is always open on our website.
You can share feedback about any aspect of your child or young person’s SEND experience. Whether your experience has been positive, difficult or mixed, we want to hear from you.
Everything we do, we bring the feedback and key themes we hear from parent carers. This gives you a direct route for your experiences to inform discussions, challenge where improvements are needed and help shape the work being taken forward across Southend-on-Sea.
If you are a group or organisation based in or working with families in Southend, you can also join the SEND Network. The network meets termly and is a space for groups to share their families experiences and the work they do. You can find out more here: https://www.livewellsouthend.com/send-local-offer/southend-send-network
The inspection is not the end of the process
The inspection report gives us an important picture of where Southend is now, but the real test is what happens next.
Change will take time, and it is important that we continue to listen to families throughout the improvement process. Your experiences can help us understand whether changes are actually making a difference on the ground—not just whether plans have been written or actions have been completed.
Please keep sharing your experiences with us.
Every piece of feedback contributes to a fuller picture of SEND services in Southend. Your voice helps us recognise good practice, identify where families continue to face barriers, hold services to account and ensure that the experiences of children, young people and their families fully inform the changes being made.
The inspection is not the end. This is the start of the change—and your voice helps make the changes.
