A new report has highlighted areas where improvements are needed for young people with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in Warrington, while also recognising good practices.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have published their Area SEND inspection report of Warrington Local Area Partnership, following their inspection in February 2022.
Warrington Borough Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for planning and commissioning services for children and young people with SEND.
The inspection found the local area partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and says the local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements. The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately 3 years.
The report found that some children and young people wait too long to be assessed for health services. This includes those waiting for assessments from the speech, language and communication therapy service, the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) and the neurodevelopmental pathway. While leaders have introduced support and guidance for children, young people and their families while they wait. However, some needs escalate as children and young people continue to wait for specialist support and guidance.
Parents, carers and professionals also report problems with communication. Too often, professionals signpost parents and carers to other services. While this is enough for some families, other families struggle while they wait. A significant number of parents and carers who are waiting for their child to be assessed on the neurodevelopmental pathway reported that they are not updated often enough on wait times. This causes increased stress and worry.
Warrington Borough Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Warrington.
There have been several changes to the senior leadership of Warrington’s SEND services since the previous inspection. These include the appointment of a new director of children’s services and cabinet member for children and young people. The commissioning of health services changed across England in 2022. On 1 July 2022, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB became responsible for the commissioning of health services in Warrington.
The local authority commissions a single provider to provide education for children or young people, including those who cannot attend school due to social, emotional, mental health and medical needs, or for those who are at risk of or have been permanently excluded. The local authority does not commission any other alternative provision.
The report highlighted that senior leaders across the Warrington Partnership are ambitious for children and young people with SEND. Inspectors also found a number of areas where Warrington Partnership is making a positive difference to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND.
The report also praised the work of education, health and social care professionals to enable young people to take part in decision-making about their education, care and support.
Most children and young people who responded to the online survey during the inspection reported having a trusted adult in their lives, who listens and acts on their views.
The report also stated that the workforce benefits from training opportunities, which help to improve staff’s ability to quickly identify and meet the needs of children and young people.
The inspection also found that many children and young people with SEND enjoy a wide range of inclusive leisure activities across Warrington, including dedicated sessions at Warrington Youth Zone.
Ofsted found that the local area partnership supports young people to gain valuable work experience. These experiences help children and young people with SEND to be visible in the community and prepares them well for the future. Young people with SEND were found to benefit from good quality careers information, advice and guidance.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for children’s services, Cllr Sarah Hall, said: “I’m pleased with this report, which highlights some of the good work our local area partnership is doing to make a difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND, so that they are listened to and given the best opportunities to reach their full potential.
“We will also fully take on board the areas of improvement highlighted in the report. By better sharing information between partners and putting measures in place to deal with increased pressures on services, we can further strengthen our ability to meet the needs of all young people with SEND in Warrington. We’ll be working hard to achieve this.”
Carl Marsh, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Place Director for Warrington said: “This report demonstrates the work being done by partners in Warrington to improve the lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
“We also recognise there is still more to do and we’re committed to working closely with partners through the Warrington Together health and care partnership to use the report’s feedback and recommendations to further improve the support available for children and young people with SEND.”
To read the full report CLICK HERE
