Hammersmith and Fulham's services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have received the highest possible rating in a recent inspection, signifying that the partnership's arrangements typically lead to positive experiences and outcomes for these individuals, while also actively addressing areas for improvement.

The Families, Health and Care Policy and Accountability Committee heard that the Hammersmith & Fulham Children's Health, Education and Social Care partnership achieved this top-tier outcome. The inspection, conducted by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), highlighted the success of the partnership's approach.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of a new facility, likely related to family services, with council members and children present.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of a new facility, likely related to family services, with council members and children present.

Key strengths identified in the inspection include that children and young people with SEND are highly valued, visible and included. They are consistently involved in decision-making, with the local area partnership actively engaging with them to ensure their views inform local decisions. The report also noted that children and young people with SEND enjoy being part of making improvements for themselves and their peers.

The partnership benefits from a highly skilled and thoughtful workforce across education, health, and social care, with effective multi-agency collaboration. Needs are identified in a timely manner, and support is delivered with compassion. Children and young people with SEND have access to a wide range of support, and many have positive experiences in education, with good preparation for adulthood, including progressing into further learning, training, or employment. Specialist family and youth hubs were also praised for providing integrated access to services and opportunities for inclusion in the local community.

A young person holds up a t-shirt with their hopes and dreams written on it, including aspirations for college, travel, and future success.
A young person holds up a t-shirt with their hopes and dreams written on it, including aspirations for college, travel, and future success.

However, the inspection did identify areas for improvement, which were already known to the local authority. These include reducing waiting times for a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental need and for wheelchair repairs and reviews. The partnership also needs to ensure that Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are updated in a timely way following annual reviews.

Action plans are in place to address these issues, including increased capacity, workforce training, and digital options for neurodevelopmental assessments. A remedial action plan for the Wheelchair Service is also being monitored.

More information on the committee's discussions can be found in the Public reports pack for the Families, Health and Care Policy and Accountability Committee meeting on 29 June 2026. The agenda frontsheet is also available here.

A group of people, likely council members and officers, are seated around a large conference table during a meeting.
A group of people, likely council members and officers, are seated around a large conference table during a meeting.