Cornwall SEND services praised but waiting times too long, says Ofsted

Families across Cornwall have been waiting to hear how the county’s services for children with special educational needs measure up. Now they know, and the verdict is mixed.

Inspectors from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have recognised both strengths and areas for improvement in SEND services across Cornwall. A report was published on Wednesday 27th May following an inspection that took place in March this year.

The report highlights the quality of leadership across services and a strong commitment to identifying children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early so they can access the right support. It also states that more could be done to improve accessibility of services and communication with families of SEND children.

Inspections are carried out under a new framework, which gives reports one of three possible inspection outcomes. The Cornwall Local Area Partnership obtained the middle outcome on the scale. Cornwall’s inspection outcome states: “The local area partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.”

Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board are responsible for commissioning and planning services for children and young people with SEND. This includes community health, education and social care.

What inspectors praised

The report singled out several areas for commendation. Early years teams, including health visitors and specialist teachers, work with parents and carers to quickly identify SEND in children and make sure support is available.

SEND system leaders were praised for having “effective oversight” of services and for closely monitoring support provided to young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Inspectors also pointed to the “high-quality support” for staff and parents that many education settings receive from SEND services.

And families of SEND children frequently describe health, education and social care staff as “compassionate, knowledgeable and responsive”.

Where things need to improve

The picture was not all positive. Inspectors found waiting times, particularly for children and young people’s neurodevelopmental assessment and access to support services, are too long.

Communication with families about waiting times, decision-making, and available interim support was described as “unclear or inconsistent”. Some children and young people continue to face delays in accessing appropriate education placements, despite efforts by leaders to reduce this. The report also said the “quality and consistency” of EHCPs needs to be better.

What leaders are saying

Cllr Hilary Frank, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families at Cornwall Council, welcomed the findings.

“I am pleased that inspectors have recognised the commitment and professionalism of staff across Cornwall, and the many strengths in the support being provided for children and young people with SEND and their families,” Hilary said.

“At the same time, we recognise the areas where improvement is needed and fully accept the importance of addressing them. We also recognise the frustration many families feel when support is delayed or communication is unclear, and we know we must do better.

“We are committed to driving the improvements identified through the inspection, working alongside schools, health services and families to improve communication, strengthen support and reduce waiting times.

“The findings give us a clear basis for continuing to improve services and outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Cornwall.”

Susan Bracefield, Chief Clinical Officer at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, echoed that view.

“We welcome this report which recognises the strong commitment across our partnership to identifying and supporting children and young people with SEND at an early stage,” Susan said.

“It is encouraging that inspectors have highlighted the compassion, expertise and dedication of staff working across health, education and care services, as well as the progress we have made in strengthening leadership and oversight.

“However, we fully acknowledge the areas where improvement is needed, particularly around waiting times, access to services and how we communicate with families. We know the impact delays and unclear information can have, and we are determined to address this.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners, schools and families to build on what is working well and to make the improvements needed to ensure every child and young person with SEND receives timely, high-quality support and achieves the best possible outcomes.”

The partnership will now update and publish its strategic improvement plan in response to the inspection findings. The next full area SEND inspection will be within the next three years.