Organisation

OFSTED

32 stories · discussed at 17 council meetings · 21 councils

Councils are responding to Ofsted inspection findings on children's and SEND services, while also developing new children's homes.

Sutton's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services were identified as an Area for Priority Action in September 2026 following a joint Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection. This highlighted systemic failures in dysphagia pathways. In October 2026, Hillingdon Council approved plans for a new children's care home. Wandsworth's children's services achieved an 'outstanding' Ofsted rating in September 2026, while Lambeth and Southwark maintained 'good' ratings in September and July 2026 respectively.

Newham Council approved plans to open two new children's homes in September 2026 to provide specialist care. Hackney's services for care leavers were praised by Ofsted in July 2026, noting strengthened services since 2024. Harrow Council revamped its care leaver offer in July 2026, informed by Ofsted findings from January 2026 that identified significant shortcomings. Hammersmith and Fulham's SEND services received the highest possible rating in June 2026.

No upcoming meetings are listed in the provided material. Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, is a non-ministerial department of the UK government responsible for inspecting education and care services in England.

Key facts

  1. Hillingdon Council's Planning Committee approved plans for a new care home for up to four children on 14 October 2026. Source
  2. Sutton's SEND services were identified as an Area for Priority Action by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in September 2026. Source
  3. Wandsworth's children's services were rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in September 2026. Source
  4. Newham Council approved plans to open two new children's homes on 22 September 2026. Source
  5. Lambeth's Children's Services was rated 'Good' by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2026. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 16 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 4

  1. Wandsworth SACRE Hears Interfaith Presentation The Wandsworth Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) convened on Monday, 3 November 2025, to discuss interfaith relations, Faith Trails, Faith Direct... Wandsworth 7 November 2025
  2. Sutton Children's Services Rated 'Good' by Ofsted, Action Plan Implemented for Areas of Improvement Sutton's Children's Services have been rated as 'Good' across all areas following an Ofsted inspection in June 2025, marking a significant achievement for the local authority.... Sutton 29 September 2025
  3. Hackney Schools Review Behaviour Management and Inclusion Practices with Input from Ofsted and DfE Hackney's Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission is conducting an in-depth review of behaviour management and school inclusion, with input from Ofsted and the Department... Hackney 17 September 2025
  4. Merton Children's Services Retain 'Outstanding' Ofsted Rating Merton Council's children's services have once again been recognised as 'Outstanding' following an Ofsted inspection in July, maintaining the rating from the previous... Merton 14 September 2025
  5. Ofsted Urges Havering to Update Corporate Parenting Strategy; Panel Discusses Children in Care Initiatives and Data Ofsted has advised Havering Council to update its Corporate Parenting Strategy following a recent monitoring visit. The recommendation came to light during the Council meeting... Havering 29 July 2025
  6. Council to Open Children's Homes to Address Placement Issues Barking and Dagenham Council is planning to open its own children's homes to address ongoing placement issues for vulnerable youngsters. The decision was revealed during the... Barking and Dagenham 25 July 2025
  7. Harrow Council Faces Scrutiny Over Inadequate Care Leaver Services Harrow Council is facing increased scrutiny after a recent Ofsted inspection deemed its services for care leavers inadequate. The inspection, conducted in January 2025, found... Harrow 11 July 2025
  8. Ofsted Praises Child Services, Flags Pre-Proceeding Delays Barking and Dagenham's child services have received praise from Ofsted for sustained improvements, but the watchdog has also highlighted delays in pre-proceeding processes. The... Barking and Dagenham 4 July 2025