INSPECTORS have noted an improvement in Warwickshire’s services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – but say more work is needed.
Warwickshire Local Area SEND Partnership has been assessed by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as meeting the ‘middle’ rating of three possible outcomes, in its first inspection under a new national framework.
It represents an improvement on the previous inspection in 2021, which identified ‘significant areas of weakness’.
Inspectors found ‘inconsistent experiences and outcomes’ for children and young people with SEND, and highlighted the need for the Warwickshire local area partnership to work collaboratively to drive further improvement.
The report praised leaders for their understanding of the needs of children and young people, underpinned by the effective use of data to identify priorities and target areas for improvement.
Inspectors also recognised the role of Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice in supporting partners across Education, Health and Social Care to work more effectively together and deliver improvements for children, young people and their families.
The report said more work needed to be done to improve consistency for families by reducing waiting times for assessments and services such as ADHD, autism, speech and language therapy and CAMHS; strengthening strategic leadership and commissioning; and improving the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
Warwickshire County Council said it had delivered a ‘sustained programme of SEND improvement’ in recent years, supported by £1million of government funding.
A spokesperson said: “Building on this, work is already underway across the partnership to address the areas for improvement identified in the inspection report.
“This includes strengthening early identification and support, reducing waiting times for assessment and intervention, and improving the consistency and inclusiveness of mainstream provision.
“This work will continue through the Council’s Recalibrating Warwickshire plan, with a clear focus on strong partnership working, effective use of resources, and delivering better outcomes for children and young people with SEND.”
John Coleman, Warwickshire County Council’s Executive Director for Children and Young People, welcomed the report.
He said: “This report recognises the continued commitment of our staff and partners, alongside the progress made in several important areas.
“It also reflects an improved position compared with the previous inspection, indicating that steps are being taken in the right direction.
“As a local area partnership, we are clear about the work that still needs to be done to further improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. We recognise that not all families consistently receive the timely and effective support they need, and we are committed to addressing this.
“By working together, we will build on our strengths, respond to the areas identified for development, and drive forward sustained improvements to ensure that all children and young people with SEND in Warwickshire can thrive and have the best chance in life.”
Mari Gay, Executive Director of Integration and Delivery and Senior Responsible Officer for SEND for NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), said the ICB was focused on improving services such as mental health support and diagnostic pathways.
She added: “We remain committed to working closely with families, education colleagues and partner organisations to ensure services are responsive, joined up and aligned to the needs of children and young people in Warwickshire.”
Elaine Lambe of Warwickshire Parent Care Voice said the report reflected what the organisation hears from many parent carers.
She added: “It is encouraging that the progress we are making has been recognised, and we welcome the focus to help build on these.
“We will continue to work closely with partners to ensure that the voices and experiences of families remain central to shaping services and driving meaningful change and improvements.”
The area SEND partnership will publish a strategic plan to address the findings of the inspection within 50 working days of the report, which was published on June 18.
Visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/80576 to read the inspection report.
