Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken in response to the outcome of the SEND local area inspection of Kingston upon Hull City Council by the CQC and Ofsted that took place in October 2019.

The joint Ofsted and Care Quality Commission special educational needs and disabilities local area revisit to Kingston upon Hull in October 2019, published on 23 December 2019, found that sufficient improvement had been made in two out of the four significant weaknesses identified in the October 2017 inspection.

The Department for Education is clear that progress with addressing the remaining weaknesses must be accelerated. The Department requested leaders of local areas to submit an updated action plan setting out how they will achieve this.

This action plan must be co-produced with partners. It should state how the local area will report on progress and impact, as well as how partners, including families, will be kept fully aware and informed of progress.

The Department will review the plan with partners, including NHS England, as part of our assessment of the most appropriate actions that will bring about the required improvement in services.