Ofsted has identified “systemic failings” in Derbyshire County Council’s SEND provision – raising “significant concerns” and prompting bosses to address them “urgently”

Findings from a September inspection – published today (November 14) – paint a picture of families of SEND children in the county in “crisis” and being “ignored” by the authority.

Inspectors found Derbyshire County Council and NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board had left parents and carers waiting over two years for their children’s needs to be assessed in many cases.

While Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans were woefully slow and often inaccurate with no contributions from health or social care professionals. Apologising for the disastrous report, the council director for children’s services, Alison Noble, said “We know we need to do better”.

Some of the families featured in the DT who have been battling with the council over their children's special educational needs. Cally Hewer, 39, and her son Phoenix Ray, 5, who has complex special needs has been forced to stay at home – after his mobility equipment did not fit in the mainstream school classroom. Twins Noah and Riley Askew, have been both diagnosed with have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and are nonverbal. Their parents John Askew and Kimberley Webb spent 12 months fighting to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Nichola Rodgers’ daughter Jasmin Featherstone has been off school for two years waiting for a place at a school for children with special educational needs. Vincent and Rachel Greaves are disappointed with the council as their son Oscar has to be homeschooled due to lack of places in special school.

She added: “We fully accept the findings of the report and apologise to the children and families who have been affected by Derbyshire Local Area Partnership SEND services not responding in a timely way and being of the quality they should expect.

“We know we need to do better and we continue to work hard with our health, education, private, public and voluntary sector partners to offer a service these children deserve. It is our joint responsibility and we take it extremely seriously.”

In a long list of areas which need improvement Ofsted inspectors recite the following failures:

- A lack joint strategic direction in the partnership, leaving leaders unable to make effective decisions

Lacey Hanrahan, mum of 11-year-old Spencer Jay Oscroft, branded SEND provision in the county as "shattered"

- Poor joined-up thinking leading to inadequate sufficiency plans to address a lack of special school places

- Local area leaders have “neither jointly nor accurately” identified, assessed or provided for the needs of children and young people with SEND and have presided over a significant delay in completing needs assessments

- Highly-functioning disabled children do not have access to the right level of help at the right time

Children’s services boss Alison Noble, announcing "a multi-million-pound investment”, outlined plans to employ more specialist staff, improving efficiency around assessments and creating more special needs school places.

Nichola Rodgers' daughter Jasmin has not been in school over two years - despite an ongoing battle with the broken system

She said: “Those changes are already starting to show positive improvements, but the report published today shows we are not yet where we need to be, and for that we apologise to the children and families affected now.”

Claire Walsh, chairman of SEND parents’ participation and campaign charity Derbyshire Parent Carer Voice said the report findings “align with what parent carers have consistently reported”. She added: “While the outcome may not come as a surprise it does represent a pivotal opportunity for reflection, healing, and ultimately, progress.”

“The system is shattered” says Derbyshire mother in limbo over lack of school pl...

Cllr Joan Dixon, leader of the Derbyshire Labour group said: “What we must not lose sight of, is what this has meant for some of our most vulnerable children who we have let down badly.

“Some of them have missed out on large chunks of their education because they don’t have the right support. Some children have been suspended and excluded from school as their needs have not been properly identified.”

Ofsted says a monitoring inspection will be carried out within approximately 18 months and has set out a detailed list of priority actions the agency must undertake – they include:

- Identifying the needs of children and young people with SEND in the local area

- Ensuring a clear and cohesive strategic direction for the local partnership

- A co-produced strategy with effective joint plans which clearly demonstrate how improvements will be made

Ofsted finds “systemic failings” in Derbyshire County Council’s SEND provision - demanding "urgent" action

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