Education services for vulnerable youngsters 'on the road to recovery' in Walsall

Ofsted said Walsall Council had made ‘sufficient progress’ in fixing seven of nine significant weaknesses found in a review of the special education needs and disability (SEND) department carried out alongside the Care Quality Commission back in 2019.

The other two areas – quality of education health care plans and local services – still remained weak but inspectors said progress was being made.

The SEND service provides help for children and young people aged between 0 and 25 who have learning difficulties to ensure they get the education they need.

Council bosses said better communication with families, carers and the schools had helped bring  improvements.

Following the 2019 inspection, the authority was ordered to make an action plan.

A local area improvement board was set up to oversee the recovery, chaired by parent of SEND children from outside the area.

The re-inspection took place in June this year – delayed by a year because of Covid – and Ofsted will continue to monitor the two areas still requiring improvements.

Councillor Mark Statham, portfolio holder for Education and Skills, said: “The key point was the collaborative working, this is not a council issue but a local area issue.

“The partnership chaired by an independent person brings parents and carers to the table and the voice of children, healthcare professionals was fundamental to recognise the issue was there and to put solutions together.

“I’ll be as bold as to say had this inspection taken six months later, the other two areas not found to be up to threshold would have been covered.

“We have new policies coming in, new directions on the EHC plans which will be more involved with the schools, parents and child.

“It’s collaborative and pulling all the entities together which is what I’m most pleased about.

“The one thing I heard from the inspectors was they were really pleased with the collaborative effect.

“Getting families, carers, schools more involved and also improving their perception about SEND and not feel inadequate and at a loss what to do.

“There is much better communication and help is available. Communication is everything and the feeling someone is there for you lifts the weight off a lot of parents.

“Parents are now saying they feel involve have a stake in there and have a say in there. No one knows children better than parents. Before they felt or had the perception they were out on the sidelines.

“The work never ceases, we’re constantly reviewing and executing the plans. The important thing is the outcome for children and that’s what the process is all about.

“Forget the paperwork, we are interested in positive outcomes and favourable results for individuals.”

Victoria Whittaker-Stokes, chair of the Local Area Improvement Board, said: “I am pleased that inspectors have recognised the progress that has been made in improving SEND services in Walsall.

“I would like to thank the young people, families and carers who have worked with us to make this possible and the staff that have taken on board feedback and made changes.

“We will continue to listen to what families are telling us and drive forward improvements to make sure children, young people, families and carers in Walsall get the services they are entitled to and need to ensure they have the opportunities to achieve positive outcomes.”

Sally Roberts, chief nursing officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Card Board, added: “This is an encouraging report that shows significant progress and highlights some clear examples of good practice.

“There are still some areas for improvement and we look forward to working with the council and partners to continuously improve the support offered to children and families with their health and educational needs.”