Parents not confident in plan to address failures of Worcestershire Children First
Councillors scrutinised the plan during a meeting yesterday
Last updated 24th Feb 2022
Parents of children with special educational needs say they aren't confident in the plan to tackle to failures of Worcestershire Children First (WCF).
WCF is in charge of providing support to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the county.
A 2018 Ofsted inspection of the service found 12 areas of significant weaknesses.
In a follow-up inspection in Novemeber 2021, eight of those areas were found to have been made better however four key areas were still rated "insufficient".
They include a lack of specialist provision of care plans for children and a fractured relationship with parents and carers.
Following the recent inspection, the body has created an accelerated plan to address the failures.
This was scrutinised by councillors during a meeting yesterday (23 February).
"These are children's lives we're talking about"
Around a dozen parents and carers attended and spoke of their personal struggles with the service at the beginning where some of them held up photographs of their children.
One father told councillors how they had to make their own hydrotherapy pool for their disabled son during the pandemic due to a lack of support from WCF.
Tina Russell, the chief executive of Worcestershire Children First, told councillors "I am listeneing to these parents" and is confident the plan will address the failures as well as the concerns from parents.
"I understand the relationships (between parents and carers) are very strained and I know with some families they are very broken.
"But that's not all families and we do have some very positive responses from parents including those who have talked to us very recently.
"Within recent weeks I know they think things have developed and are much happier with our reponses so I think there is evidence that we can rebuild these relationships."
"Nothing is going to change"
But parents say they still have a lack of confidence in the plan and don't feel that it's going to address many of their concerns.
Tracy Winchester, who has two children who suffer with autism and anxiety, said: "They can't even see the flaws in it (the plan) when they're being pointed out to them.
Elena Round, who's 18-year-old son has complex needs, added: "It's really concerning officers are still telling members in the committee room incorrect procedural elemnts of the law.
"Unfortunately members are being hoodwinked by the officers but because the members aren't qualified in the law they have no idea what's going on.
"We can see no element of this changing. It's still going to be the same and what is worrying us more than anything is that it's been three-and-a-half years since the last Ofsted and we're going to have a three years again.
"Nothing is going to change and this is a child's life we're talking about here."
"We are genuinely listening"
Tina Russell stressed she is listening to parents about their concerns and the plan will address them properly.
"I've recently been reading many of the concerns parents have brought to my attention so hearing them in person today wasn't a surprise but it was still hard to hear.
"I absolutely feel confident in the plan. We heard these things which were emphasised again today and those are the things we've reflected on."
SEND National Crisis Worcestershire, who represent over 500 families in the county who have children with special educational needs, wrote an open letter to education and health secretaries recently to say they still have no faith in WCF.
Also speaking at the meeting, Councillor Marcus Hart, cabinet member with Responsibility for Education, said: "We are genuinely listening and I as the political leader of this area of the council am determined that we get this right.
"Those aren't just hollow words and I do believe we have made substantial strides since the inspection in 2018.