SEND Inspection Diagnostic Support

CASE STUDIES

At a Glance…

In early 2025, Peopletoo supported Cumberland Council in its preparations for an upcoming Ofsted/CQC Area SEND Inspection. Cumberland, a newly formed unitary authority serving a predominantly rural population of over 273,000, required an in-depth diagnostic of its SEND system. The goal was to identify strengths and areas for improvement, test readiness against inspection frameworks, and inform a strategic response through evidence-based recommendations. Peopletoo delivered a comprehensive multi-agency review across education, health, and social care—feeding directly into Cumberland’s Self-Evaluation Form (SEF), Annex A preparation, and SEND & Alternative Provision Strategy 2024–2028.

The Challenge

Cumberland faced multiple systemic challenges common in evolving local area partnerships:

Only 43.2% of EHCPs were completed within the statutory 20-week timescale.
Annual reviews were often outdated or lacked quality health and social care contributions.
Neurodevelopmental assessments (ASC/ADHD) had long waiting lists, with fragmented post-diagnostic support.
Transition planning into adulthood was inconsistent, with a lack of coordinated protocols and workforce capacity.
There were significant gaps in oversight of Alternative Provision and support for children out of school, particularly those affected by emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA).
The SEND SEF and strategy documents did not consistently align with health and sufficiency planning priorities, and lacked joint commissioning coherence.

With inspection readiness on the horizon, there was an urgent need to surface the true experience of children and young people, identify barriers to effective joint working, and recommend clear, actionable improvements across the partnership.

Our Approach & Delivery

Peopletoo’s diagnostic methodology combined strategic review with grounded operational insight. We delivered:

Multi-agency audit and virtual case file reviews: We reviewed six complex case files using Cumberland’s audit tool and facilitated six multi-agency audits with education, health and social care professionals. We tested quality of EHCPs, transition planning, early identification, and effectiveness of multi-agency oversight.
Strategy alignment and documentation review: We reviewed Cumberland’s SEND, health and sufficiency strategies, identifying gaps in language, joint commissioning logic, and age group focus. We provided recommendations for unifying these under a coherent joint commissioning framework.
Annex A preparation: Peopletoo mobilised a working group to compile and quality-assure the full Annex A evidence base. We provided a suite of tools, position statement templates, example storyboards, and supported Cumberland through a dry-run of List 1 and 2.
SEF and governance enhancement: We critiqued and enhanced the SEF to better reflect the lived experience of families, audit findings, and strategic gaps. We embedded health and social care recommendations and aligned these to Ofsted/CQC KLOEs.

Throughout, we facilitated honest conversations across system partners—creating a safe space to surface challenge, champion strengths, and define measurable improvements.

The Impact

Outcomes Achieved

Peopletoo’s support yielded significant strategic and operational outcomes:

Enhanced Inspection Readiness: Cumberland entered the pre-inspection window with a comprehensive SEF, well-organised Annex A library, and clear KLOE-aligned position statements ready for submission.
Shared Strategic Direction: We provided a detailed strategic briefing for senior leaders and councillors, aligning the SEND & AP Strategy, NHS priorities, and sufficiency plan into a unified framework with clear delivery actions.
Quality Assurance Improvements: Recommendations for a revised multi-agency QA framework were adopted, including better EHCP audit tools, escalation processes for missing advice, and SMART outcomes tracking.
System-Wide Recommendations: We proposed 30+ targeted actions across EHCP quality, early identification, transition, data sharing, and governance—many of which were adopted into the SEND Partnership Delivery Plan.
Culture Change and Co-Production: By modelling collaborative, cross-sector working and embedding feedback from parents and young people (e.g., through the “Unique Voices” forum), Peopletoo supported the shift toward a more inclusive and transparent system.

Through this work, Cumberland now has a more robust understanding of its strengths and challenges—and a roadmap for delivering measurable improvements across its SEND system.