Sutton's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services are set to receive priority action following a critical review by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The joint inspection identified an Area for Priority Action
concerning dysphagia pathways and risk management within the health system. This was triggered by widespread and or systemic failures
arising from the CQC's assessment of the dysphagia pathway and the local area partnership's mechanisms for identifying, understanding, and mitigating risks jointly. Specifically, the inspection highlighted that children and families were experiencing unacceptable delays in accessing specialist assessment and intervention for dysphagia, leading to some children not having timely, coordinated, and risk-assessed plans for their feeding needs. Leaders were found to not have sufficient assurances that dysphagia support was accessible and coordinated across the partnership. The report also noted that while dysphagia was a trigger, the underlying issue was the lack of a strong enough mechanism within the local area partnership to identify and address such risks.
Alongside this critical area, four further areas require improvement: establishing a representative parent voice, strengthening preparation for adulthood, improving data sharing, and ensuring equitable early years provision.
The local area partnership has developed a Priority Action Plan (PAP) to address these issues, which has been submitted to the Department for Education (DfE). The PAP was submitted on August 26, 2026, and the Local Area Partnership is awaiting feedback from the DfE on its acceptance, with a decision expected in September 2026. The expected outcomes of the PAP include strengthened clinical governance arrangements for dysphagia, timely and safe care for children requiring support, consistent identification and review of strategic risks, and improved family confidence in service communication and risk management. A monitoring inspection is scheduled to assess progress approximately 18 months after the report's publication, around December 2027.
Key areas of focus include reducing waiting times for dysphagia assessments, which have seen a significant reduction, and improving access to video fluoroscopy services. Health partners have also made progress in addressing weaknesses in the dysphagia pathway, with eating, drinking, and swallowing plans for high-risk cases being updated.
To address the need for a stronger parent voice, Sutton Mencap has been appointed as a development partner to establish a new Parent Carer Forum (PCF). Engagement sessions with parents have already taken place, and the PCF is expected to have its steering group up and running by mid to late October 2026. The PCF will be positioned as a key partner in co-production, strategic planning, and evaluation of SEND services. The chair/co-chairs of this group will sit on the SEND Reform and Improvement Board, ensuring the PCF's priorities are integrated into the partnership's work.
In terms of preparation for adulthood, the local area is working to strengthen transition pathways for young people with neurodevelopmental needs, learning disabilities, and complex health conditions. This includes mapping existing services and developing a draft diagnostic pathway for learning disabilities. Concrete steps include early intervention from age 14, an equitable transition pathway to a dedicated Transition Team, and integrated partnership working through a monthly Transitional Operational Group. A diagnostic pathway for children and young people aged 5-18 with learning disabilities is being developed, alongside commissioning of community accommodation for supported living and expansion of supported internships and employment pathways.
The SEND Reform Plan also aims to improve data sharing and use across education, health, and social care. A single partnership performance framework and integrated dashboard are being developed to provide a shared understanding of SEND data and inform commissioning decisions. However, ongoing challenges exist in aligning data between the local authority, commissioned education services, and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). While leaders analyse activity and trends, there is limited evidence that data is used systematically to predict need, adapt services, or measure impact over time. This results in gaps in commissioned services and a failure to routinely identify the needs of some children and young people. Long waits for occupational therapy and speech and language therapy for young children mean their needs are not identified or met in a timely way. Furthermore, there is a recognised gap in cohesive, multi-agency input for neurodevelopmental assessments of young children, leading to extended waits.
For early years provision, the focus is on improving integrated pathways and ensuring equitable access to therapies and paediatric services. A joint review of early years pathways is underway, with the aim of establishing integrated services and standardising referral arrangements.
Financially, the SEND system faces significant pressure, with a projected overspend of £13.55 million for 2026/27. The DfE has committed to writing down 90% of accumulated deficits up to 2025/26, conditional on the approval of SEND Reform Plans. Sutton's residual 10% liability is estimated at £2.15 million. While further government support for 2026/27 and 2027/28 deficits is anticipated, specific measures to mitigate the £13.55 million overspend for 2026/27 beyond this support are not detailed in the current information.
