What we’re doing to improve SEND services following the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection
Worcestershire’s services for children and young people with SEND were inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2024. The whole local area partnership was part of the inspection which includes NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board, Worcestershire Children First and Worcestershire County Council.
Read the full Ofsted and CQC report
Ofsted and CQC inspectors identified there are “widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which the local area partnership must address urgently”. Inspectors have given the partnership two priority actions to improve:
- address the long waiting times for community paediatrics, the neurodevelopment assessment pathway, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Leaders should also improve the support available while children and young people wait
- develop genuine co-production with children and young people with SEND at a strategic level. Children and young people should feel they have fully participated in the process of developing services, improvement strategies and plans that meet their needs
An additional three areas for improvement have also been identified through the inspection.
These are:
- Leaders across the partnership should work at pace to implement the action plans that underpin the SEND strategy and seek to address the areas identified as priorities
- Leaders across the partnership should work at pace to continue to improve the timeliness and quality of new EHC plans and the quality of existing plans
- Leaders across the partnership should continue to address the long waiting times for children and young people requesting support from CAMHS
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