Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - the report's author's - visited six local area partnerships and surveyed more than 2,000 children and young people, parents, carers and practitioners to explore how effectively partners are working together to help young people with SEND prepare for a healthy adult life and meaningful participation in society.

The report highlights a stark disparity in PfA provision for young people with and without an education, health and care (EHC) plan, noting, for example, that those without an EHC plan are often not able to benefit from supported internship arrangements. 

Ofsted and the CQC also found that too many young people with SEND face a ‘cliff edge' in health support as they reach 18, with health services often not involved in planning for their transition to adult life.

The report identifies examples of good practice and describes the new and creative solutions that some local areas are developing in response to the challenges they face. It notes that partnerships offering stronger PfA arrangements make sure that preparation begins in the early years, and they work strategically across areas to share expertise and enhance provision in a way that reflects the views and wishes of children and young people. 

In areas with weaker PfA arrangements, inspectors found ineffective joint commissioning of services, poorer information sharing, and a lack of communication with parents and carers about the local services available.

The report makes clear that challenges will not be solved by any one part of the system in isolation. It calls for improved joint working across children's and adult health services and makes a number of recommendations for relevant government departments and organisations, including:  

• developing a national EHC plan template that includes PfA, so it is considered at the earliest possible stage, as well as national guidance to ensure there is a transitional period of support when an EHC plan ends.
• continuing to increase the number of supported internships on offer for young people with SEND and expanding access to these opportunities, supported by a national campaign to encourage more employers to provide opportunities for young people with SEND.
• strengthening national guidance on transitions from children's to adult health services.
• addressing conflicting responsibilities and gaps across social care, education and health-related provision, and creating a national set of standards outlining clear responsibilities for these different organisations.
• addressing the national shortage of high-quality specialist residential and supported living accommodation.
• ensuring all EHC plans consistently and accurately specify the health support that should be available at different stages of a child's life as they reach adulthood.

Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty's chief inspector, said: ‘I hope this report, and its examples of good practice, can help government and partners across health, education and social care to deliver improvements for children with SEND at the earliest opportunity.'

Lucy Harte, deputy director for Multi-Agency Operations at the CQC, added: ‘We found that partnerships have the greatest impact when they work together with children and families at the earliest opportunities on the critical transition to adulthood. 

‘However, this report also lays bare the reality that too many young people with SEND are not getting the support they need.'