PARENT carers in Worcestershire are demanding major changes following the county failing a SEND/Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection for a second time.
Campaigners from SEND National Crisis Worcestershire are demanding an external overview and a change to the management programme at the county’s care of children with special educational needs.
The call, backed by the MPs for Redditch and Worcester, comes after school inspectors from Ofsted and the CQC slammed the level of special needs care offered in the county.
The campaigners said: “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.”
The campaigners represent parent-carers and the wider SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – community to the Local Educational Partnership for SEND which is made up of the County Council and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board.
And now, in an unprecedented move, newly-elected county MPs Chris Bloore (Redditch) and Tom Collins (Worcester) are coming together with parent carers to tell the Local Area Partnership, but mainly Worcestershire County Council, that their failures are widespread and that its improvement plans will not work.
Tracy Winchester from SEND National Crisis Worcestershire said: “We continue to campaign for change in Worcestershire but sadly the narrative never seems to change, and the fights never seem to get smaller.
“Worcestershire Local Area Partnership have been called out on their failures yet again, but we have no faith that they even know how to improve.”
Campaigners are working collaboratively with Chris Bloore MP and Tom Collins MP, to urge Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, and Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to intervene in Worcestershire, and announce external intervention without delay.
Chris Bloore MP said: “After a damning CQC and Ofsted report, I want to know how Worcestershire County Council will deliver on their promises to meet their legal duty, to create a fit-for-purpose service.”
Joint statement from the Local Area Partnership, on behalf of Worcestershire Children First and Worcestershire County Council and NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board, said: “As a partnership, we absolutely accept the failings and are truly sorry that children and young people have not received the support they need.
“We are determined to carry out the actions set within our improvement plans following the independent Ofsted and CQC inspection.
“One of the priority actions is to reduce waiting times within our health services. We will do this by focusing on additional capacity to meet the high increase in demand over the last few years, to make sure children get the assessments and the care that they need.
“The other priority action is how we include our children, young people and families in plans to change and improve the services we provide. We are committed to working together as a genuine partnership, which includes our families, to ensure meaningful improvements are made.
“All of the actions from the improvement plans will be monitored independently to ensure they are being delivered. This includes regular reviews by the Department for Education and NHS England, the appointment of an Independent Chair following the creation of an Improvement Board and quarterly oversight from the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel.
“We understand that it will take time to build the trust of those have been let down. We promise we will work together to make the necessary improvements required.”
