Ofsted and the CQC revisited Bexley earlier this year after delivering a damning report on the borough’s SEND services in February 2024
Bexley has been praised for improving its services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) after “widespread and/or systemic failings” were found just over two years ago.
During a December 2023 inspection, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found failings in the South East London borough that led to “significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities”.
As a result of this inspection, Bexley Council and the South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) had to prepare and submit a Priority Action Plan to address the problems identified.
Specific areas of concern included how Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans were not always issued “in a timely way” nor did they always include “a clear focus on how the child and young person will be supported to achieve the best outcomes in adult life”.
EHC plans, also called EHCPs, are legal documents provided by local authorities for children and young people aged 0 to 25 who need more support than mainstream educational settings can normally provide. EHC plans outline the extra support needed for the young person to thrive in school.
Another problem identified in the 2023 inspection were delays and gaps in commissioning, and providing speech and language and occupational therapies.
Ofsted and the CQC returned to Bexley in February 2026 to assess what the borough had been doing to improve its SEND services. It was found that Bexley had taken “effective action” and “reasonable steps” to address the areas of concern identified during the 2023 inspection.
Inspectors found that Bexley Council and the South East London ICB had strengthened joint working across services – schools, colleges etc – to better support children with SEND as they prepare for adult life.
The report reads: “Schools and caseworkers now prioritise preparation for adulthood when updating children and young people’s EHC plans. As a result, many EHC plans are more detailed, personalised and focused on key adult life outcomes, such as independence, health, community participation and employment.”
Inspectors also found that the quality and speed in which EHC plans are published had both improved in Bexley. This was primarily put down to the introduction of a SEND Hub, an online tool that brings schools, caseworkers and other services into one place “to draft and update plans quickly and effectively”.
In response to the speech and language and occupational therapy problems, Bexley Council and the South East London ICB launched a new collaborative therapy commissioning model which inspectors said gave the NHS provider more stability so that it can plan its workforce recruitment in advance.
Therapists now work more regularly in schools and online tools are used to better track therapy provision across Bexley schools. This allows the borough to “spot where support is uneven, direct resources more fairly and identify unmet needs sooner”.
In response to the latest inspection, Bexley Council Leader David Leaf said: “It is clear from the report that the inspectors have recognised all the extremely hard work that has been put in to make these improvements. Our officers and partners have been able to more than deliver on our Priority Action Plan.
“The changes have been made to a high standard, often using innovative new ways of working. I know that the inspectors were with the changes that we have put in place. The improvement work was underpinned by political support and engagement by all members throughout our journey.
“At the heart of all this hard work are our children and young people. We never forget that we ultimately work for them and any improvements we make can only lead to a better outcome for them. I am grateful for the parents and carers and school pupils who have played an important part in the improvement and inspection process.
“I’d like to extend my thanks to all those involved in the improvement work. Their commitment and input have helped us to raise standards and to pioneer new initiatives that will benefit children, young people and families across the borough.”
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