In May 2022, Ofsted rated Leeds Children’s Services as Outstanding. On paper, that sounds reassuring. But for hundreds of families with children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the reality was anything but.
At the same time that inspectors were handing out gold stars, local parents were experiencing delays, refusals, and inadequate support. Their children were being failed – quietly, persistently, and without visibility.
This isn’t just a Leeds problem. Across the country, there is often a stark mismatch between the headline assessments and what families live through every day.
So how do we hold our local authorities to account?
The answer begins with data.
Parents and carers need more than warm words and official ratings. We need clear, accessible, and regular performance statistics – and not just the ones chosen for press releases. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), families have the right to request the raw numbers behind local SEND services:
- How many EHCPs are issued on time?
- How many requests are refused?
- How long are tribunal decisions taking to implement?
- What is the average wait time for assessments?
This information empowers communities to ask better questions, challenge delays, and push for real change.
That’s why I’ve created a new tool to help track local authority SEND performance.
It brings together key indicators, allowing parents to see what’s really going on – not just what’s reported. You can use it to compare performance over time, make FOI requests, and understand how your local authority is doing compared to national standards.
If Ofsted won’t always see the full picture, it’s up to us to build it ourselves.