Action urged over support given to children with special needs

A joint report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission into the delivery of Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) in the county identified a number of areas that need to be improved.

This includes better coordination and delivery across services, sharing good and effective work across the county, more support for children using pupil referral units, improving pupils’ academic results, and returning pupils with SEND to mainstream education.

The report says: "Children and young people with SEND in Staffordshire do not achieve well and are often ill prepared for the next stages of their education, employment and training.

"Ineffective leadership has resulted in a fragmented and dysfunctional approach to education, health and care agencies working together."

Staffordshire County Council said that in the last five years the number of children with a special educational need or disability has increased by a third.

Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “We are aware some areas need improving and we are clear that we must do more with our partners to ensure families receive the right support at the right time.

“In the last five years the number of children with a special educational need or disability in Staffordshire has increased by a third to more than 15,800, but government funding has not kept pace.

“We have done a great deal, and the report identifies some strong pilot schemes, but there is no doubt that we have struggled to cope with this large increase.

“However, the report clearly identifies where we need to focus and we are committed to working with health services, schools and parents themselves to do better.

“The county council, Staffordshire’s CCGs and other health providers will be working very closely together to develop our plans and we will be writing to Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission setting out how we intend to deliver services that enable every young person to receive the help they need.”

Marcus Warnes, accountable officer for the Staffordshire CCGs, said: “Whilst we acknowledge there is work to do to address areas of joint responsibility, there were some very positive messages around some aspects of the SEND agenda which the CCGs are involved in and supportive of and that we will continue to work in partnership to improve.

“This was an important and valuable inspection for the children and young people of Staffordshire.”