Systemic failings for children and young people with SEND in Nottinghamshire, report finds

Inspectors have found 'widespread failings' at the partnership which provides services for thousands of vulnerable children and young people in Nottinghamshire.

It comes as some parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) say they feel "worried and angry" over the support and care provided by SEND services in the county - which are the joint responsibility of Nottinghamshire County Council, NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).

A report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) says some parents and carers feel they are having to "fight" for their children as many of them wait too long to be assessed.

Conditions like ADHD and physical disabilities are among the broad range of needs encompassed by SEND, which 16,000 children and young people in Nottinghamshire are currently classed as having.

Tailored services range from education and activities to transport and healthcare, but the new report says the outcomes of those using such services need to be addressed "urgently."

One of the main issues is the time it takes to get an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in place.

EHCPs identify the additional support required to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, with local authorities having to make an assessment before such a plan is prepared.

The Government target is for these assessments to be carried out in 20 weeks, but the average time in Nottinghamshire is currently 32 weeks.

The partnership says 4,000 children and young people currently have an EHCP, with around 300 people at any time waiting for an assessment.

• What are the key findings in the report?

There are "widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about theexperiences and outcomes" of children and young people with special educational needsand disabilities.

Children and young people wait too long to have their needs accurately assessed. For those with the most complex needs, EHC plans do not identify health and social care needs, outcomes, or services well enough.

Some children in mainstream provision with SEND do not receive clear advice to preparefor moving to their next stages of education. This means that families and children andyoung people do not always get the support they require in a timely fashion.

The proportion of Nottinghamshire children and young people with SEND who are not in education, employment, or training is decreasing. However, many parents and carers lackconfidence in how well their children or young people are being prepared for adult lifebecause they do not know what support is available.

Children and young people are positive about how their views and aspirations arereflected in their individual EHC plans and the support they receive. However, manyparents and carers feel less informed and involved in decision-making for their children.

Where a child or young person’s special educational needs emerge over time, the effectiveness of identification and assessment to meet education and any health or social care needs is variable. Leaders do not have clear plans to improve the experiences of these children and young people.

Many of Nottinghamshire’s children and young people with SEND are reliant on schoolsand families for social activities and to make friends. This is because they do not knowwhat is available for them. This can leave some children and young people isolated.

Where children and young people with SEND receive travel training, it supports them wellto participate independently in their communities. Groups like ‘The Pioneers’ youth forumare ensuring that the voices of children and young people with SEND in Nottinghamshireare increasingly heard. However, partnership leaders have more work to do to gather andact on the voices of children and young people with SEND.

A Nottinghamshire SEND Partnership Improvement Board has been established to oversee the improvement actions needed. This Board will be chaired independently by a recognised sector expert, Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children.

Colin Pettigrew is the Director of Children's and Families' services at Nottinghamshire County Council, having worked at the authority since 2015. Mr Pettigrew says the long waits for assessments was "very well known" and that the plan to address that "wasn't effective enough."

He said: “We accept the findings of the report and we are committed to working across the partnership to improve the experience of children and young people with SEND. 

“There has been a substantial increase in demand and an acute shortage of the specialists to meet that need, such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, specialist teachers, social workers and specialist nurses.  We cannot meet the increased demand based on the shortage of specialists available. This is simply not good enough and we appreciate the impact this is having on children and young people and their families. 

“Children and young people with SEND are supported by health, education and care providers across the county including 350 schools, nurseries, and colleges as well as local authority, health services and private and voluntary sector organisations. It is vital we work together as a system to improve the experiences for children and young people and their families. 

“We are pleased that inspectors concluded that all partnership leaders and professionals want the best for children and young people with SEND in Nottinghamshire and their families.  It is our joint responsibility to make sure we back this up with stronger leadership and timely and effective access to the assessments and therapies children and young people need.”

A monitoring inspection will now take place within 18 months to assess improvements, with the next full inspection due in three years.

A 'priority action plan' will also have to be prepared following the most recent inspection, which took place in February.

Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, which is responsible for the delivery and oversight of commissioned services such as speech and language therapy, said: “We are sorry that the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are not as good as they should be. 

“The report rightly highlights the priorities we need to focus on to improve the overall experience of children and young people, including access to speech and language and other therapies and equipment.

“We are working with the Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum and children and young people with SEND and their families to develop and agree our improvement plan to make sure their views will directly influence the actions we’re committing to.“We are also working closely with Nottinghamshire County Council to address this urgently and I welcome the appointment of an independent chair to have critical oversight of our improvement plans.”