Shropshire has been notified that they will be subject to a Thematic Inspection focused on the SEND Local Offer. The Inspection Team will be in Shropshire between the 5th and the 8th May and are collecting data in the weeks leading up to this. A Thematic Inspection is different to a full area SEND Inspection, it doesn’t deliver a grading but there will be a report on the focus area, detailing strengths and areas for improvement. The finding will help to shape local and national systems and will be particularly valuable at this time of reform. The SEND Local Offer is described as;
‘The local offer is the provision available across education, health and social care for children and young people with SEND, and their families, in a local area. Information on the local offer must be set out in one place.’
The local offer has 2 key purposes:
- to provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it
- to make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving children and young people with SEND, their parents and carers, and service providers, in its development and review
You can find out more about the Thematic Inspection on the SEND Local Offer here
The voice of the SEND community remains central to this inspection process and there is a parent/family carer survey and a children’s and young people survey so you can share your views. These survey links will be open from 20 April 2026 to midday on 29 April 2026. The survey links are:
Shropshire thematic visit – Local Offer – parent and carer– this survey is for parents / family carers of children and young people (0-25) with SEND.
Shropshire thematic visit – Local Offer – children and young people – this survey is for children and young people with SEND (age 11-25)
The Inspection Team are also meeting with Parent Carer representatives, and an online meeting has been agreed with PACC for the 27th April at 1pm. PACC be inviting representation from IASS to share their feedback from families at this meeting and will be asking other Parent Carer groups if they also want to send representation. Your feedback previously shared with PACC through our Navigator Service, surveys, social media and events will inform our discussion with Inspectors.
PACC has asked the Lead Inspector to provide an outline of what they would like to hear about and he has sent the information below;
“We want to better understand:
- how local area partnerships understand the needs of children and young people with SEND in their area
- how local area partnerships provide strategic oversight and deliver the services outlined in the local offer
- how parents, carers, children and young people are involved in developing the local offer
- the experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families when accessing services in their local area”
We would encourage you complete the survey and to support your child to also share their views, so that the Inspection process is fully informed by the experience of Shropshire SEND families.