Inspectors will begin their detailed work next week, with on-site visits taking place at Sessions House, Maidstone, from 6–10 July.
What happens in a SEND Local Area Inspection?
During the inspection, Ofsted and the CQC work together to look at how well services across Kent identify needs, provide support and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Inspectors are particularly interested in:
- The experiences of children, young people and families
- How well services are working - both individually and together
- Whether support is making a positive difference to outcomes.
To build this picture, inspectors will:
- Review a wide range of information about services across Kent
- Speak with professionals from education, health and care
- Talk with leaders from Kent County Council and NHS partners
- Meet with children, young people and parents/carers
- Look closely at a small number of individual experiences in more detail.
Inspectors may hear from:
- School and college staff (including SENCos and leaders)
- Health professionals (such as therapists, consultants, nurses and doctors)
- Social care staff
- Parent carer forums and local groups
- Children and young people themselves (with appropriate consent).
How the inspection works
The inspection usually takes place over a short, focused period of on-site visits, alongside time spent reviewing information off-site.
- Before the visit: Inspectors review information and launch an online survey for families and practitioners to complete.
- During the visit days: Inspectors come into Kent to meet people, visit services and gather first-hand evidence from a small number of children, young people and families.
- Afterwards: They analyse everything they've heard and seen before writing their report.
The aim is to understand what is working well, where things could be better and what needs to happen next.
You can find guides about the inspection here: Area SEND inspections: information about ongoing inspections - GOV.UK
You can also watch the video below to find out more about Area SEND inspections:
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Why is Kent being inspected?
All areas in England are inspected regularly as part of a national programme.
Kent was previously inspected in September 2022 when inspectors found that not enough progress had been made on previously identified areas of weakness. This led to an improvement notice being issued in March 2023 to speed up progress - and this was lifted in August 2024 after significant progress had been made.
The inspection is an opportunity to:
- Take an independent look at the progress made in Kent
- Hear directly from families
- Identify what still needs to improve
Day-to-day support and activities for your child will continue as normal during the inspection.
Share your views and experiences
Your voice is really important. Inspectors want to hear directly from young people, families and people working with them, about their experiences of SEND support in Kent.
You can do this by completing the Ofsted survey (there are different surveys for young people, parents/carers and practitioners): Area SEND inspection for Kent Local Area Partnership
Hard copies of the surveys are also available from Kent PACT (Parents and Carers Together).
The surveys will close at 9am on Tuesday 30 June 2026.
The survey is:
- Anonymous
- Confidential
- Sent directly to Ofsted, not KCC
There are no right or wrong answers - inspectors just want your honest experiences.
Your feedback will help inspectors understand what is working well and what could be better for children and young people with SEND in Kent.
What happens next
Once the inspection is complete, Ofsted and the CQC will publish a report, usually within a few weeks.
The report will set out:
- What is working well in Kent
- What needs to improve
- What actions local services should take next.
Kent County Council, the NHS and other partners will use the findings to continue improving support for children and young people with SEND.
We will share the results of the inspection with you once they are published.
