Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum is involved in a range of SEND improvement, engagement and themed work across Nottinghamshire. This includes sharing parent carer experiences, contributing to local SEND discussions, and supporting projects or workstreams where parent carer feedback is important.
Local Area SEND Inspection and Monitoring Visit
Local Area SEND Inspection — 2023
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Nottinghamshire local area in early 2023. The inspection looked at how well local education, health and care services identified and met the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities aged 0 to 25.
As part of the inspection, inspectors:
- examined evidence
- visited services and settings
- invited parent carers to complete a survey
- looked in more detail at the experiences of some children and young people
- met with Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum
The inspection found:
“There are widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently.”
The full report is on Ofsted’s website. CLICK HERE TO READ: Area SEND inspection of Nottinghamshire Local Area Partnership report.
Sadly, the report reflected many of the experiences and concerns families had shared with NPCF. We had raised these concerns repeatedly in meetings with local area partners.
Following the inspection, the Local Area Partnership was required to take urgent action. As the recognised Parent Carer Forum for Nottinghamshire County, NPCF has continued to be involved in discussions linked to improvement work.
Monitoring Visit – 2025
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a monitoring inspection in July 2025. This visit focused on the two priority areas identified in the original 2023 inspection.
Inspectors concluded that the local area had taken “effective action” to address those urgent priorities.
However, families will know that significant challenges remain. The monitoring report also highlighted ongoing issues, including:
- inconsistencies in the quality of Education, Health and Care Plans
- annual reviews of EHC Plans not always being completed within expected timescales
- long waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments
- ongoing waits for speech and language therapy
The report explained that “effective action” means progress has been made in the two priority areas. It does not mean that all problems have been resolved, or that improvement work can stop.
The full Monitoring Visit report is available on Ofsted’s website.
CLICK HERE TO READ: The Full Monitoring Visit Report.
NPCF’s ongoing role
NPCF continues to be involved in local SEND improvement work across Nottinghamshire. We share parent carer experiences, concerns and feedback in meetings and discussions with the local area, and continue to raise the issues families tell us about.
Steering Group Members from NPCF sit on local area partnership governance boards, including:
- SEND Partnership Assurance and Improvement Group (PAIG)
- SEND Executive Leadership Group.
Through these meetings, NPCF raises wider parent carer themes and concerns, shares where progress is or is not being felt by families, and helps keep parent carer experiences visible within local SEND improvement work.
We will continue to press for changes that make a real and meaningful difference to children, young people and families across Nottinghamshire.
A full re-inspection is expected to take place in 2027, when Ofsted and CQC are likely to look again at wider SEND provision across Nottinghamshire.
Engagement work
2. Other project work that NPCF is involved in:
- Neurodiversity in Schools project (see our page on the project)
- SEND Reform work
- Autism Parent Sessions @ Children’s Development Centre, City Hospital
- SEND Voice and Delivery Group
- Safeguarding Children Partnership Monthly Briefings
- NPCF/NCC half-termly meetings
- Inclusive Mainstream Steering Group
- Home and community learning task and finish group
- SEND Local Offer Development Group
- Multi-Agency EHCP Quality Assurance Audits
- East Midlands SEND Forum
- Including Parents conference planning group
- Nottingham Neurodiversity Network
NPCF also attends:
- Joint Contact/ National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) National conference & AGM.
This is an opportunity to meet with representatives from parent carer forums across the country, share learning and hear about work happening in other areas.
These meetings offer an opportunity to learn about what other parent carer forums are doing in the region, share what’s happening in Nottinghamshire, and exchange ideas and experiences.
Future engagement
NPCF welcomes opportunities to work with services and organisations where parent carer participation would be helpful.
If you are a service provider planning, reviewing or changing a service, provision or piece of work, please get in touch with us early. We may be able to help you hear from parent carers, understand wider themes and involve families in a meaningful way.
You can find out more about how to engage with us here.
If you are a parent carer and would like to share your experience, raise a concern or tell us about a difficulty, please get in touch through our contact form.