OFSTED – Kent PACT Statement on the 2026 Area SEND Inspection

Kent PACT welcomes the publication of the latest Area SEND Inspection report for the Kent Local Area Partnership. It acknowledges that they recognise the commitment of many practitioners and leaders across education, health and social care who are working hard to improve support for children and young people with SEND. It also acknowledges many positive developments, including improvements to newer EHCP’s, increased early intervention, stronger multi-agency working and a growing focus on inclusion and neurodiversity support.

However, the report highlights that too many families continue to experience inconsistencies in the support they receive. It identifies ongoing concerns about delays in assessments and services, variations in provision across different areas of Kent, communication challenges and a lack of consistent co-production with families, children and young people. Inspectors also found that experiences and outcomes remain too dependent on where families live and the services available to them. 

As Kent’s Independent Parent Carer Forum, Kent PACT recognises many of the issues raised by us during the inspection in the report, as concerns that families have shared with us over a number of years. We are particularly encouraged that the report highlights the importance of meaningful co-production, transparent communication and ensuring that families can clearly see how their feedback influences decisions and service improvements. 

We will continue to challenge where necessary and advocate for a SEND system that above all, delivers timely, equitable and effective support for all children and young people, regardless of where they live in Kent. We remain committed to working constructively with Kent County Council, NHS Kent and Medway and wider partners to ensure that the voices and experiences of parent carers continue to shape improvement plans.  

We encourage families to read the report and continue sharing their experiences with Kent PACT so that parent carers remain at the heart of future improvements across the Kent SEND system.

We welcome your thoughts and involvement as we take this work forward. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute, share your experiences, or discuss how we can work together to improve outcomes for children, young people and families.