Government says Special Educational Needs Services must improve in BCP Council area
It follows an inspection by the Department of Education last year
A statutory direction – where the government instructs organisations to make improvements – has been published today, regarding Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) services in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, reflecting those findings and recognising the improved measures that have already been put in place.
The document, published by the Department for Education (DfE), calls on all partners including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, NHS Dorset, schools and colleges, multi-academy trusts, early years settings, and parent and carer groups to work together at pace to improve services.
Together, partners have set out the key changes they will make to improve services and create better outcomes for children and young people.
The plan, which involves BCP Council, NHS and schools will make sure the SEND service is responsive, child-led and offers early identification and support.
The new SEND Improvement plan has been created following a review in July 2023, when all partners alongside the Department for Education (DfE) agreed the pace of improvements across the SEND system were too slow and too many children were experiencing delays in accessing services.
Meaningful progress has already been made in SEND provision over the last seven months including:
• Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) issued to children more quickly: in January 24 27.9% of new EHCPs were issued in 20 weeks, compared to 0% in Jan 23 and Aug 23
• Reduction in ECHP backlog: from 211 waiting over 30 weeks for completion in January 2023 to 137 in January 2024
• Reduction in backlog of those waiting for Educational Psychologist (EP) advice with 294 cases in January 2023 down to 123 in January 2024
Cllr Richard Burton, BCP Council Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, said: “In the past the SEND service across BCP has not been where we have needed it to be.
“As SEND services are provided by the Council, NHS, schools, colleges and others, we are all working closely together to make sure we put in place improvements that will meet the needs of children, parents and carers in the future.
“We want to make sure that every child and young person with SEND in the area receives the support they need to reach their full potential. I welcome the input from the DfE as this has already helped us target key areas and make significant improvements.”
Cathi Hadley, BCP Council Director of Children’s Services said: “We, alongside our partners in the NHS and education sector, fully accept the findings of the DfE which reflect the review carried out over seven months ago.
“The partnership did have a plan, in 2021 signed off by the DfE, monitored by the SEND Board in which parents were involved.
“On review, it was collectively agreed that this plan would not have the desired impact. We then undertook a thorough analysis of the situation and readjusted the plan which has collective agreement which we are now working to.
“At the time we collectively acknowledged that rapid and meaningful progress was needed, supported by our health and education partners to improve the quality of the SEND support and provision.
“Since then, we have taken urgent steps to make sure we are on track to deliver the right support to children and young people at the right time.
“It’s encouraging to see some green shoots or recovery in the wider system’s SEND services but there is still more to be done before every child and their family sees that change for themselves.”
“I am pleased that the DfE has recognised our renewed effort to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.”
David Freeman, Acting Chief Executive Officer with NHS Dorset, said: "Supporting the wellbeing of children and young people is a top priority for Dorset’s integrated care system and we are continuing to work closely with our partners, families and carers to improve the SEND support in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
“We recognise that the changes we are putting in place need to happen more quickly. We fully acknowledge the pace of improvement so far has not been fast enough and we understand how distressing this is for any family who encounters delays in accessing the right support for their child.
“There is a shared commitment to strengthen our partnership and make improvements to ensure that all children and young people with SEND, and their families, get the help and support they need and rightly expect.”
This new SEND improvement plan was approved by the SEND Improvement Board in February 2024. The plan comes at a time when BCP Council alongside many other local authorities are facing increasing requests for provision of SEND services, but inadequate funding.