Overview
We want children and young people with SEND to get the right support at the right time and have the opportunity to achieve their goals.
An Area SEND inspection is an independent check of well education, health and care services work together to support children and young people with SEND in Somerset.
Inspectors want to understand:
- what is working well
- what needs to improve
- what difference support is making to children, young people and families
The inspection is carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). They have published information for families explaining the Area SEND inspection and how children, young people, parents and carers can be involved. Information is available in a range of formats, including Easy Read and British Sign Language (BSL).
This page will be updated before, during and after the inspection.
The current inspection
Area SEND inspections take place regularly. Ofsted and the CQC decide when inspections happen and will let local areas know when they are due to be inspected.
Somerset Council and NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board have received notification that Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are visiting Somerset to undertake our area SEND Inspection from 2 to 20 November 2026. We will add updates and links to this page when they become available.
Previous inspections
Somerset’s last full Area SEND inspection took place in 2020.
Inspectors returned in 2022 to review the progress Somerset had made since the inspection and the improvements that were underway.
Both visits looked at how education, health and care services worked together to support children and young people with SEND. The findings in the outcome letters below helped shape Somerset’s SEND improvement work over the following years.
Why your views matter
Inspectors want to hear from children, young people, parent carers and professionals.
Your experiences help inspectors understand what life is really like for children and young people with SEND in Somerset. Including what difference the support is making.
How to share your views
When the inspection starts, Ofsted opens surveys for a short time. This gives children and young people with SEND, parent carers and professionals a chance to tell Ofsted and the CQC about their experiences.
The surveys are open from 2 November until 9am on Tuesday 10 November 2026:
- children and young people with SEND survey
- parent carers survey (and easy read version)
- professionals who support children and young people with SEND in education, health or social care
Surveys are anonymous and confidential. Your answers go directly to Ofsted and are not shared with Somerset Council.
There are no right or wrong answers. Inspectors want to hear about your experiences and views.
Inspectors may also meet with children, young people, families and professionals during the inspection.
How families’ views are also represented
Inspectors do not only hear from people who complete the inspection surveys.
They also meet with representatives from Somerset Parent Carer Forum and The Unstoppables Youth Forum.
These groups gather feedback throughout the year through surveys, events, meetings and other engagement activities. This helps build a wider picture of the experiences of children, young people and families across Somerset.
During an inspection, they may share common themes, feedback and examples of what is working well and where improvements are still needed. This helps inspectors understand experiences from across Somerset, alongside the views shared directly through inspection surveys and meetings.
How inspections work
The inspection looks at how well education, health and care services work together to support children and young people with SEND.
Before the inspection
Inspectors:
- review information about SEND services in Somerset
- consider feedback from children, young people and families
- review information from education, health and care services
During the inspection
Inspectors may:
- visit schools, colleges and services
- meet with children and young people
- speak with parent carers
- meet with professionals and leaders
- review evidence from across education, health and care
After the inspection
Ofsted and the CQC will publish an inspection report.
The report will explain:
- what inspectors found
- what is working well
- any areas that need to improve
- any actions the local area partnership should take
Somerset and its partners will review the findings and continue improvement work.
How inspections fit with our wider SEND improvement work
The inspection is one way of checking how well SEND services are working.
We also use feedback from families, local data and regular reviews of services to understand what is working well and where we need to improve.
You can learn more about Somerset’s SEND improvement work on: