The government has lifted the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Improvement Notice issued to Hertfordshire County Council, with the county's Liberal Democrat administration welcoming the decision as a sign of progress in local services.

The announcement comes less than a year after the Liberal Democrats took control of the council, with improving SEND provision described by the administration as one of its key priorities.

The Improvement Notice had previously been issued following concerns around the delivery of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Hertfordshire.

In a statement, the Liberal Democrats said the decision to lift the notice was "welcome recognition" from the government that significant progress had been made.

The party added that it would continue lobbying ministers to reform the national SEND funding system, arguing that Hertfordshire is disadvantaged by the current formula.

A spokesperson said the Liberal Democrats would continue campaigning for "the government to fix the broken funding formula which penalises Hertfordshire and to fix the SEND system for the long term".

SEND services support children and young people with additional educational needs, including access to specialist support, education plans and tailored provision in schools and other settings across the county.

Labour Spokesperson for Education, SEND and Inclusion, Cllr Beth Kelly said: "It's very welcome that the Government has lifted the SEND Improvement Notice on Hertfordshire County Council. But it must be remembered that we should have never, ever have got there in the first place under the last Tory administration.

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There has been an incredible team effort in the last year by staff, teachers and parents to deliver this change. But there is still more to do. It's not enough just to get an Improvement Notice lifted. This is why it is so important that the Labour Government has now invested extra money on children with SEND and as well paid off £80 million pounds of budget deficit faced by the County Council on SEND costs.

This has enabled the Council to begin to provide children and their teachers with the appropriate support to enable each child to achieve to their full potential. The Liberal Democrat administration now need to produce a Local SEND Reform Plan by next month. We will critically review and, where necessary, challenge and amend that Plan to ensure it is fit for purpose".