More than two thirds of councils inspected by Ofsted last year had 鈥渟ignificant weaknesses鈥 in how they support pupils with special educational needs (SEND) 鈥 the worst record since the watchdog started visits six years ago. Schools Week has extensively covered the failures of councils in their SEND provision. Around half of inspections already resulted in councils being ordered to produce a written statement of action. An investigation last year revealed how seven of the eight areas visited by the watchdog after inspections restarted following Covid found 鈥渟ignificant areas of weakness鈥. New Ofsted figures, , show 68 per cent of councils effectively failed inspections in 2021-22. This is worse than the 56 per cent in 2019-20, before the pandemic, and since inspections started in 2016-17. Overall, 55 per cent of councils visited since inspections began have been ordered to produce action plans (82 of 149). But there are stark regional divides. As of March, over four in five inspections in the East of England and nearly three-quarters in the North West had to produce action plans. That compares to just a third in London. Ofsted aims to revisit such councils within 18 months. As of August, 46 had been done 鈥 but just under half were making 鈥渟ufficient progress in addressing all significant weaknesses鈥. Where an area is making insufficient progress on any of its weaknesses, the government makes a call on whether to intervene. Schools Week reported last week how Kent council faces intervention after failing to address nine significant weaknesses. The joint area SEND inspection report actually found the quality of provision had 鈥渞egressed鈥 since a critical inspection three years ago. While some schools offer a 鈥渨arm welcome鈥 to children with SEND, others 鈥渘either participate in opportunities to share and learn from good practice nor overtly welcome鈥 these pupils. School leaders said the council has 鈥渇ailed鈥 to address the 鈥渦nequal admission鈥 of children. This 鈥渁dds to inequities鈥 in the SEND system and 鈥渁nxiety that some children and young people who really do need a specialist place are not able to access one鈥. Three councils 鈥 Birmingham, North Somerset and Devon 鈥 have been issued with improvement notices or statutory directions from government following reinspections. Last year the government sent a SEND commissioner to remedy failures in Birmingham 鈥 the first intervention of its kind. An investigation by School Week last year into SEND failures found youngsters were waiting more than two years for support in some areas, with delays exacerbated by the pandemic. In Rotherham, Ofsted found 鈥渢oo many children and young people reach crisis point鈥. Ofsted said the reports were 鈥渧ery concerning. As before the pandemic, we鈥檙e seeing children and young people with special educational needs, and their families, being let down by the system鈥. Ofsted will introduce revamped SEND inspections early next year. It is now just carrying out revisits until the new framework starts, claiming this means “there will be no accountability gap”.