Laura Johnson

I bring extensive, hands‑on experience of Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection frameworks, with particular expertise in ILACS and Local Area SEND inspections. My leadership is rooted in the lived experiences of children, young people and their families, ensuring that strategic decisions translate into meaningful, measurable improvements in practice.

I am committed to strong governance, robust quality assurance, and multi‑agency collaboration that drives better outcomes and supports inclusive practice across the system.

As a Designated Social Care Officer (DSCO) and Service Manager, I provide strategic leadership for SEND across the Local Authority, shaping direction at the interface of social care, education and health. I ensure that pathways are aligned, efficient and outcome‑focused, and that the Social Care contribution to EHCPs is consistently timely, accurate and reflective of need. I lead co‑production with partners, children and families, embedding the voice of the child and parent/carer insight into service design, commissioning priorities and inspection readiness.

I have contributed to Annex A preparation work, helping to coordinate complex datasets and narratives about placement oversight, commissioning arrangements, performance data and funding splits for children and young people accessing residential provision/ICB funding, in and out of borough. This has required rapid mobilisation, cross‑service data validation, and assurance to senior leaders ahead of inspection calls.

My portfolio includes the disabled children's service redesign, transformation and change delivery. I have successfully led teams through restructure while maintaining high‑quality practice and safeguarding fundamentals. I have authored and refined service overview materials and operational crib sheets to support inspection interviews and frontline consistency, translating policy requirements into accessible guidance for practitioners.

Performance and quality management is a core strength. I have designed and implemented DIP (Deep‑Dive/DiP) sampling tools with SEND‑specific Key Lines of Enquiry, linking findings to ILACS evaluation criteria and driving action tracking through to completion. This approach has tightened QA loops, improved EHCP practice (including Social Care sections), and strengthened evidence for self‑evaluation frameworks across SEND and Social Care.

I lead SEND & inclusion service transformation for short breaks—overseeing multi‑agency panels, criteria, and pathways across play & leisure, specialist provision, direct payments, overnight short breaks, joint packages and complex packages. I ensure that decisions are defensible and equitable, with clear audit trails and preparation for adulthood embedded from early review points. My role interfaces closely with commissioning and finance, supporting recommissioning cycles, provider market development, and robust procurement that balances quality, cost and capacity. I have been responsible for an 8 million pounds budget.

Preparation for adulthood (PfA) is threaded throughout my leadership—aligning Panel referrals, Continuing Care considerations and transition milestones to deliver smooth handovers and reduce service risk at 18+. I have escalated and resolved complex transition funding and placement decisions, ensuring clarity of accountability across children’s and adults’ services.

I have extensive experience in policy development, co‑production and service evaluation. I use intelligence from audits, feedback and performance dashboards to identify strengths, diagnose system pressures and drive improvement. I have developed and run panels relating to legal decisions, provided senior management QA of needs assessments and EHCPs, and supported strategic development across specialist services including hearing, vision and portage.

Leadership is central to my practice. I build high‑performing, compassionate teams and coach managers to lead with clarity, accountability and ambition. My approach fosters continuous improvement and a strong performance culture, always keeping children’s outcomes central to decision‑making. I lead with integrity, authenticity and a relentless focus on inclusion, ensuring that vulnerable children and young people receive the high‑quality support they deserve.

I am also a short breaks foster carer.