Key Points
- Ofsted’s Area SEND inspection (May 2025) found “widespread and/or systemic failings” in Redbridge’s special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provision, requiring urgent action.
- Children and young people with SEND face fragmented services, delays, and poor coordination across education, health, and social care.
- Families report feeling “worn down and unheard,” with little involvement in decision-making and repeated need to explain their situations.
- A Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigation revealed a boy missed 16 months of provision due to council errors, prompting a nearly £10,000 compensation order and a borough-wide SEND audit.
- Ofsted highlighted long waits for neurodevelopmental assessments and insufficient specialist school places.
- Therapy services (speech and language, occupational, physiotherapy) are disjointed, causing confusion and delays.
- Redbridge Council required to submit a priority action plan and faces a monitoring inspection within 18 months.
- Leadership changes and underdeveloped data systems cited as contributing factors.
- Some positive practice in early years and advisory services noted, but impact not yet evident.
- Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment but has not yet issued a statement.
Redbridge’s provision for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has come under severe criticism following a damning Ofsted inspection and a separate Local Government Ombudsman investigation, both highlighting systemic failings, delays in support, and distress for families.
What Did Ofsted Find in Its 2025 Inspection of Redbridge’s SEND Services?
As reported by Ofsted in its Area SEND inspection conducted from 12 to 16 May 2025, the London Borough of Redbridge’s SEND provision suffers from “widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.” The inspection outcome requires Redbridge to submit a priority action plan and will be subject to a monitoring inspection within 18 months, with a full reinspection in about three years.
According to the Ofsted report, many children and young people with SEND in Redbridge face a “fragmented system marked by delays, poor coordination and inconsistent access to services.” Strategic leadership across education, health, and social care is described as “disjointed,” resulting in limited accountability and services falling short of statutory standards.
How Are Families and Children with SEND Affected?
Ofsted inspectors found that families are often unaware of key services and how to access therapies such as speech and language, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy. Many parents and carers reported feeling “worn down and unheard,” with no effective mechanisms for co-production or involvement in decision-making. Families are frequently required to repeat their stories to multiple professionals, adding to their emotional strain.
The report highlights that Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan reviews are often not completed on time and lack multi-agency input. There is a persistent gap between what is specified in EHC plans and what is actually delivered, leading to “inequitable, poor-quality and delayed support.” This failure breaches statutory duties and erodes trust between families and the council.
What Issues Did the Ombudsman Investigation Uncover?
As reported by Adam Carey for Local Government Lawyer, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigation found that Redbridge Council left a boy with autism and severe epilepsy without the support he needed for more than two years. The Ombudsman ordered the council to pay almost £10,000 in compensation to the family and to audit all children receiving SEND provision in the borough.
According to the Ombudsman’s findings, Redbridge failed to assess whether the boy could access its home tuition service when he was too ill to attend secondary school. As a result, he missed a full year of education and special needs provision, and his mother had to pay for private physiotherapy sessions. The council also took 27 weeks too long to transfer his Statement of SEN to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, further delaying appropriate support.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, stated:
“Councils have a duty to meet the special educational provisions laid out in Statements and EHC Plans, but in this case the boy missed out on the therapies and support he needed for 16 months, and his mother felt forced to pay for services the council should have ensured were provided. I now urge Redbridge council to take on board the recommendations in my report and consider how they might implement them to improve services for children with Special Educational Needs in the borough.”
The Ombudsman recommended the council apologise, pay £4,000 for lost education and SEN provision for the 2015/16 school year, £2,400 to cover private physiotherapy costs, £3,200 for further lost provision, and £200 for distress and inconvenience. The council was also instructed to audit SEND provision at the boy’s school and inform affected families of the complaints procedure.
Why Are Therapy and Assessment Services a Major Concern?
Ofsted’s inspection identified therapy services—including speech and language, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy—as “disjointed across health and local authority systems,” causing confusion for families and practitioners, disrupting continuity of care, and contributing to long waits and unmet needs, especially for those with EHC plans.
Children and young people face excessive waits for neurodevelopmental assessments due to insufficient capacity in community paediatric services. Although these delays are recognised on the local area partnership’s risk register, Ofsted noted that “no effective action has been taken” to address them.
What Is the State of Specialist Provision and Post-16 Options?
Children who are able to access special schools or specially resourced provision receive tailored support from skilled staff, and collaboration between schools and the partnership has expanded specialist provision. However, Ofsted found this expansion “remains insufficient to meet the increasing level of need.” There is also a lack of suitable post-16 options, resulting in too many young people with SEND being not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
How Has Leadership and Data Management Impacted SEND Provision?
Ofsted noted recent changes in leadership, including a new interim executive director of people at Redbridge Council since February 2025. The report highlights that underdeveloped data collection systems have prevented a full understanding of children’s and young people’s needs. Leaders have acknowledged “historic failures” and are committed to improving data collection and sharing to better inform local strategy and commissioning.
Are There Any Positive Elements in Redbridge’s SEND Services?
Despite the overall negative findings, Ofsted acknowledged some strengths:
- The early years SEND team provides “responsive and effective service,” supporting early identification and timely referrals.
- The Redbridge SEND advisory and training service offers a well-structured programme of advice and training to schools, settings, and parents, supporting inclusive practice.
- New leadership has made efforts to integrate SEND needs into early help services, though these initiatives are too recent to show significant impact.
What Are the Next Steps for Redbridge Council?
As a result of the inspection, Redbridge Council must prepare and submit a priority action plan to address the identified failings. Ofsted will conduct a monitoring inspection within approximately 18 months and a full reinspection within three years.
The council has also been asked by the Ombudsman to audit all children receiving SEND provision at the affected school and to put an action plan in place if provision is found lacking. Affected families must be informed of the council’s complaints procedure.
Redbridge Council has been contacted for a statement regarding these findings but has not yet responded.
