Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on improving SEND services at Hertfordshire County Council.

The department issued an improvement notice to Hertfordshire Council in February of this year to ensure that the local area makes improvements quickly and effectively.

The local authority has appointed Dame Christine Lenehan, a former director at the council for disabled children, as the independent chair of the partnership’s multi-agency improvement board.

Departmental officials are continuing to support and challenge Hertfordshire's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) improvement. The department has appointed a specialist professional SEND adviser to provide additional advice and support to the local SEND leaders, until such time as my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is satisfied this is no longer required. The department has also procured expert support for the local area partnership from the council of disabled children and the national development team for inclusion.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission will visit in early 2025 for formal monitoring, with a full reinspection taking place in summer 2026.