Southend-on-Sea City Council and NHS Essex Integrated Care Board have welcomed the findings of the recent Area SEND inspection.
A report following the review recognised significant progress across a number of services supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), while also identifying areas where further improvement is needed.
The inspection, carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, highlighted the partnership’s shared ambition to ensure children and young people with SEND feel visible, valued and included, and recognised a range of strengths across education, health and care services.
Inspectors found that leaders have developed a strong understanding of the challenges facing the local SEND system and have introduced action plans to address areas of weakness. The report also recognised effective partnership working with parents, carers and young people, timely delivery of Education, Health and Care Plans, strong support for children in care with SEND, effective early help and social care services, and improvements in mental health support and specialist services.
The report noted that children and young people with SEND are increasingly helping to shape services, with the Southend SEND Independent Forum and local Youth Council playing an important role in influencing strategy, training and communications.
However, inspectors concluded that experiences and outcomes remain inconsistent across the system and identified a number of areas requiring further improvement, including waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments, support for preparation for adulthood, consistency of support in schools, and the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plan annual reviews.
We welcome this report and the recognition inspectors have given to the considerable progress made across Southend’s SEND partnership since the previous inspection. It is encouraging that inspectors recognised the commitment of staff across education, health and social care, the strength of our work with families and young people, and the improvements already being delivered for many children and young people with SEND.
Cllr Mandy O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Children and SEND, said:
Importantly, the report is equally clear about where we must do more. We fully acknowledge the areas identified for improvement and are committed to addressing them at pace alongside our NHS and education partners. Every child and young person deserves the right support at the right time, and we will continue working to build a more consistent and effective SEND system across Southend, working with settings and health partners to do so.
We are pleased the CQC has recognised the partnership has been proactive in addressing some of the challenges being faced in the Southend SEND system. We are already making progress in areas including waiting times for assessments and addressing health inequalities by reducing variation of access across Essex but know there is more to do. We are committed to improving services for children and young people with SEND and will continue working in partnership to achieve this.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive at the NHS Essex Integrated Care Board, said:
The partnership has already begun work in several of the areas highlighted by inspectors, including strengthening preparation for adulthood, developing support pathways and working with schools and settings to improve inclusion and support available. A refreshed strategic improvement plan will now be co-produced in response to the inspection findings and published in line with national requirements.
Southend-on-Sea City Council and NHS Essex Integrated Care Board remain committed to working collaboratively with children, young people, families, schools, health providers and community partners to improve experiences and outcomes for all children and young people with SEND.