Progress being made to improve services for children with additional needs and disabilities
A report published 24 November 2023 by national inspectors recognises that services for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in Surrey have made progress since they were previously inspected in 2019, but that there is lots of work still to do to improve the experiences and outcomes for some families.
The rating, the middle of three possible outcomes, notes 'inconsistencies' in experiences and outcomes and the report makes several clear recommendations for improvement but also notes areas of good practice putting Surrey's provision in line with many other Local Areas, which nationally have experienced significant pressure on services.
Read the full Area SEND inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Delivering improvements for Surrey children
Ofsted and CQC asked that the Local Area Partnership updates and publishes its strategic plan based on the recommendations set out in their report.
For more information, you can read the updated Additional Needs and Inclusion Partnership Strategy (2023 to 2026).
Special Cabinet meeting: 11 December 2023
A special meeting of the Surrey County Council Cabinet was held on Monday 11 December 2023, 9.30 to 11am, to consider the outcomes of the Local Area SEND Inspection. Representatives from the Additional Needs and Disabilities (AND) Partnership's statutory partners (Surrey County Council and Surrey Heartlands and Frimley Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)), Family Voice Surrey and Surrey school leaders also attended.
For more information, please see the minutes of the meeting on the My Council website.
The Inspection findings
Inspectors found that, "there is ambition for children and young people with SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] in Surrey" and that "leaders have identified the areas that they need to improve" and "have put in place important actions that are starting to make a difference", but that the "overall pace is too slow".
The report also recognised that partnership working had led to innovative improvements in joint commissioning and that strengthened multi-agency working had led to improved early identification of the needs of young people. Co-production was recognised as a "shining beacon", with members of the 'Accept, Teach, Listen, Access, Support' (ATLAS) participation group of children and young people seen to be involved in "many of the recent positive changes across the Local Area" and "helping partnership leaders to understand and respond well to the current situation of inconsistency". The report also acknowledged that leaders have been creative to address the rising mental health needs of children and young people in Surrey.
Despite these improvements, the report observed that inconsistencies remained. The report notes that children and young people and their families were found to be waiting too long for identification of their needs. Communication with parents and carers was considered in need of improvement, and the system found to be "hard to understand and navigate". Inspectors noted that some parents and carers "feel 'bounced about' and confused", and that to them "services appear disjointed and uncaring". This is in turn contributing to "many parents and carers find[ing] it hard to build trusting relationships with professionals".
While the Transitions team was noted as having "well understood referral pathways for young people needing support in adulthood", support for children and young people during transitions between phases, geographical locations or placements was deemed "inconsistent". The need to ensure children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, and their families, feel valued and visible in their communities was also highlighted.
Background: the inspection process
The Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Local Area SEND inspection was carried out from 11 to 29 September 2023 and was an independent review of the provision for children and families across the whole of the Surrey Local Area, as coordinated by the Additional Needs and Disabilities Partnership. The Partnership, which plans and commissions these services, is jointly led by Surrey County Council and NHS Frimley and NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).
The inspection took place under a framework introduced earlier this year, with three possible outcome gradings:
- Typically positive experiences and outcomes
- Inconsistent experiences and outcomes
- Widespread and/or systematic failings.
For further information about Area SEND Inspections in England, you can visit the Area SEND Inspection webpage.