SEND services still inconsistent, inspectors say

Support for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) remains inconsistent in part of Dorset despite improvements made over recent years, inspectors have found.

Ofsted said some children and young people are still not well catered for but that leaders at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) are "increasingly securing" better outcomes.

Inspectors will return for a full SEND inspection within about three years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

BCP Council leader Millie Earl said it is working to address "historic weaknesses" and has called for "urgent national reform".

Ofsted found leaders "have not fully secured the confidence of children and young people with SEND and their families" and "variability and inequity" within the system remains.

Some children are waiting "too long" for neurodevelopment assessment and diagnosis, inspectors said.

A previous inspection in 2021 found the services suffered from "deep cultural issues" which hampered progress. Ofsted said leaders were "distracted and delayed" by the reorganisation that formed BCP Council at that time.

BCP Council has asked the government for permission to increase council tax above the normal maximum rate of 4.99% to pay for support and education for children with special needs.

Mark Harris, deputy director of place (BCP) for NHS Dorset ICB said: "We are pleased that our strengthened partnership arrangements have been recognised in this report. It is positive to see the progress made since the last inspection.

"We also know there is more to do to ensure all our children, young people, and their families receive consistent, high quality and timely support and care.

"We remain fully committed to our improvement journey and to working closely with our partners to provide the best possible opportunities for children and young people to flourish and grow."

Earl added that the inspection "rightly acknowledges the progress" the partnership has made.

"But it also highlights that we must address historic weaknesses that have led to increased needs and pressure on the SEND system. That makes our call for urgent national reform even more critical.

"With the right funding, we could go further and faster to deliver the inclusive, high-quality support every child deserves. We will continue to lobby government for a sustainable solution while protecting frontline services for families."

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