Inspections and outcomes

Ofsted and CQC Local Area SEND services inspection

The inspection took place in February 2019. The Ofsted and CQC inspection identified nine areas of concern in the way that SEND services were being delivered in Walsall. The Local Area, which is a partnership across organisations, was instructed to develop and deliver a Written Statement of Action (WSoA). This outlined how we intended to:

  • improve services for children with SEND
  • address the issues

Re-inspection 20-22 June 2022

The re-inspection assessed whether the Local Area had made enough progress.

The inspection team a held focus groups with key people who have been involved in the delivery of the WSoA. They met with schools, parents, carers, children and young people to get their feedback. This included feedback from SENDIASS and the parent/carer forum, FACE Walsall.

What the inspection found

Seven out of the nine identified areas showed progress and improvement.

The inspectors acknowledged:

  • how Local Area leaders have worked with FACE Walsall to improve communication with parents and carers about SEND issues. FACE Walsall also now sit on the Local Area Improvement Board, ensuring that families' voices are heard and understood
  • that the local area has collaborated well to develop Walsall's SENDIAS. This has been well received by all. Parents and carers have welcomed the help and guidance this service provides.
  • how we’ve developed groups to get views of children and young people. These groups will helps us to shape and improve support for Autism. This includes post-diagnosis support for parents and children, and specialist training for professionals
  • our progress in co-production work with parents and carers
  • increased use of the Education, Health and Care Plan Hub
  • our Holiday Activity and Food Programme
  • the improvements in communication by the service

You can read the full report on the Ofsted website.

What we are doing

An Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) was agreed with the Department for Education on 8 April 2022. This looks at:

  • actions we are taking to improve the quality of education health and care plans and the Local Offer
  • timescales
  • how we will measure impact; and
  • how you will be kept informed on actions and progress