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. Seven out of the nine identified areas showed progress and improvement and an Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) was agreed with the Department for Education on 8 April 2022.
The Accelerated Progress Plan was reviewed in November 2023. Sharon Kelly, Director of Access and Inclusion said:
“ Walsall Local Area attended a meeting with the Department for Education (DfE) SEND and NHS England officials on November 21st 2023 to review the progress made against our APP over the last twelve months. Based on the evidence provided, it is the view of the Department and NHS England that we had demonstrated clear and sustained progress. This means that the DfE and NHS longer need to continue with formal monitoring of the APP.
We know that this positive outcome is as a result, of a great deal of commitment and hard work on the part of the local authority, the Integrated Care Board, families and front-line staff across education, health and social care. We would like to thank you for all that you are doing to support some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Walsall. We hope to continue with these efforts and build on the successes we have already achieved. “
You can read the letter from the Department for Education about the review of the APP and the outcome.