Essex has received the ‘middle’ outcome under the new inspection framework.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have published their inspection report on Essex SEND services.
This was the first time the Essex SEND system has been inspected under the new national framework.
The framework sets out three possible outcomes rather than a single rating. The local area partnership has received the ‘middle’ outcome. The partnership is made up of Essex County Council and NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB).
This outcome states that ‘arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and the local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements’.
The report highlights known challenges within the Essex SEND system. The partnership has been working hard to address these in recent years.
These challenges are consistent with the national SEND picture. More than half of the areas already inspected have received this outcome. This reflects the significant and growing pressures facing SEND systems across the country. Local area partnerships have been working hard to meet rising levels of need and deliver the right support for children and young people.
The report confirms no new areas of concern were identified during the inspection. It also highlights current strengths within the system, including the clarity and strength of system leadership.
Essex has been on a SEND improvement journey for several years, with significant investments. This includes a recent £1.5 million investment from the County Council. The money will ensure capacity remains in place to manage the high number of education, health and care needs assessment requests.
Work is already underway to address the recommendations in the inspection report. These improvements are aligned with key areas for SEND reform set out in the Government’s Schools White Paper. These include a focus on early help, increasing capacity and strengthening mainstream inclusion.
We want the Essex SEND system to provide all children, young people and their families with consistent and effective support.
Councillor Peter Harris, Leader of Essex County Council’s Reform UK Group and Leader Elect
The report is an important document for us to understand how Essex is performing, and where we should focus our attention to make improvements. My political colleagues and I are committed to continue the work to improve the service in partnership with schools, partners and of course families themselves.
We are pleased to see that the CQC noted the progress that has been made in Essex and the strong partnerships that we have to improve the support children and young people with SEND receive, but we recognise there remains much to be done so that every child and young person gets the consistent high quality support they need. We will continue to work to make services better in Essex, in partnership with children, young people and their families.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive at NHS Essex ICB