Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Area SEND inspection of Hertfordshire Local Area Partnership report, published on 10 November 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of appointing a Children’s Services Commissioner to assist Hertfordshire County Council with their statutory responsibilities to SEND children and their families.

​​Every child and young person with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) should have access to high-quality services. Where a council does not meet their requirements to provide appropriate support for these children, the department will act quickly to bring about rapid improvement.

​​On 10 November 2023, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published their joint local area SEND inspection report of Hertfordshire. Inspectors highlighted two areas of priority action and five areas for improvement.

​The local area partnership is required to submit a detailed priority action plan to Ofsted and the CQC by 19 December 2023, within 35 days of receiving the final report. To ensure independent and expert oversight of delivery of this plan, the partnership has appointed Dame Christine Lenehan as the new chair of the partnership’s multi-agency improvement board.