Inspectors praise SEND arrangements in Hartlepool

They say the work of the Hartlepool Local Area Partnership typically leads to positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people.  This is the highest graded judgement Ofsted and CQC give under the new SEND inspection framework.

Hartlepool Borough Council and NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) are jointly responsible for planning and commissioning services for children and young people with SEND in Hartlepool, and it’s this partnership which was inspected from 13th-17th March this year.

“Leaders, across education, health and social care, articulate their vision for children and young people with SEND well. Leaders understand the issues facing families in the local area. They are committed to providing person-centred services to meet individual needs,” says the report.

The inspectors’ findings include:

• SEND children and young people are at the very centre of decision-making in Hartlepool.

• The Partnership’s vision that “these young people are our young people” shines through, and SEND children and young people are able to make their voices and opinions heard.

• Effective early help intervention contributes to the early identification of children and young people’s needs.

• Children and young people in mental health crisis have access to a 24-hour support service and intensive home treatments.

• Enhanced transition processes support SEND children and young people as they move between primary and secondary schools, ensuring a settled start to their new school.

• Primary, secondary and post-16 children and young people with SEND enjoy and benefit from a wide range of community-based activities.

Councillor Jim Lindridge, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council's Children's Services Committee, said: “I am delighted that Ofsted has endorsed the work of the Partnership which has the needs of children and young people with SEND and their families at its very heart.”

The inspection highlighted three areas for improvement:

• Ensuring that rapid improvements continue to be made to the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan assessment and review process so that individuals receive support in a timely manner.

• The Partnership collaborating with schools and academies to collect and analyse regular information on all children and young people receiving SEND support to check for trends.

• Ensuring that plans to target the reduction in waiting times for speech and language and neurodevelopmental assessments contain accurate targets and ambitious timescales for improvement.

Councillor Lindridge added: “We are pleased that the inspectors noted the on-going work of the Partnership to address areas requiring improvement. This demonstrates how we will never become complacent and continue to strive for the most effective services possible.”

Dave Gallagher, Executive Area Director for NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: "Every day our health, education and care teams work hard to make a difference in the lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. These are our young people, each with their own strengths and needs – along with their families, they are at the heart of everything we do.

"It's fantastic to see this great work recognised by the inspectors, but we know there is more we can do to give our children and young people the best possible start in life, so we are working together to continually improve the support we offer."

The inspection report can be read at http://eepurl.com/iTrDn