Improvements in several areas of Herefordshire’s services for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities have been recognised by national inspectors in a report published today (7 February 2025).
Herefordshire’s SEND Partnership, jointly led by Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), commissions services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the county.
Following an inspection that took place on 2 to 6 December 2024, the partnership has been given the middle rating of three possible outcomes by inspectors from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The next full area SEND inspection will be within approximately three years.
The report notes many areas of good practice across the partnership. Co-production with children and young people with SEND and their families was recognised as strong with the inspectorate saying, ‘The development of Herefordshire Helpers has raised the profile of children and young people at the highest levels.’ Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire told inspectors that they feel heard and that their views are acted on by the partnership.
Inspectors found that, ‘There has been investment in appointing additional staff and improved training and that across the partnership ‘professionals know children and young people well’ and that ‘children and young people with SEND known to early help services access swift support from education, health and social care teams where appropriate.’
Also recognised was the positive impact of new ways of working, including drop-in clinics for speech and language therapy and physiotherapy and access to early years ‘while you wait’ groups.
The report highlights good practice within Herefordshire mainstream schools where, ‘Staff typically spot emerging needs of children and young people quickly and identify whether there is a need for further assessment and provision.’ Inspectors also found, ‘Specialist settings are innovative in finding appropriate solutions for meeting the most complex learning and health needs.’
Further findings include, ‘Most disabled children and young people known to social care have plans that fully identify their needs. Plans are reviewed through regular multi-agency meetings, ensuring that most children and young people’s plans progress and their needs are met and that there is a ‘comprehensive offer for short breaks.’
The findings report also highlights that there are no extended waits for core child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS) team, meaning that children and young people are seen quickly and that the health visiting service supports the early identification of needs effectively.
The report makes four recommendations for improvement. This feedback and the priorities will inform the work of the partnership to improve the experiences and outcomes for all children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in Herefordshire.
The Local Area Partnership, on behalf of Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board, has issued a joint statement in response to the publication of the report.
“As a partnership, we welcome the findings of the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report.
“We are pleased that the report recognises so many strengths within the partnership workforce at both a strategic and operational level. The partnership remains highly committed to serving children and families well, despite the nationally acknowledged pressures on SEND services.
“We acknowledge that our current partnership’s arrangements have led to some inconsistent experiences for some children, young people and their families. We will continue to ensure that through our Local Offer families are aware of our services and how to access them.”
You can view a full copy of the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Local Area Partnership SEND inspection report here.