SEND children 'waiting too long' for diagnosis

Some children with SEND in Lancashire are waiting "too long for their needs to be identified and met", inspectors have said.

It comes after a report into SEND services run by Blackburn with Darwen Council and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an inspection in December and found gaps in services and a "lack of clarity" in how families get a diagnosis of a learning disability.

The assessment comes after referrals for autism and ADHD diagnoses for some children and young people in the region have been paused over "unprecedented high levels of demand".

The report focuses on the experiences of children who are supported by Blackburn with Darwen Council and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Pathways for young people aged 16 to 25 with autism, and those aged 18 to 25 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), "are not commissioned in a way that meets need", inspectors found.

"There is a lack of clarity across Blackburn with Darwen about the arrangements for confirming a diagnosis of a learning disability," they said.

There are also "gaps" in services that leaders have not addressed.

But the joint report found "for many children and young people with SEND, practitioners work well together to understand children's needs and are effective at providing the right support at the right time".

Joanne Siddle, the council's director of children's services and education, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We are always keen to hear from inspectors regarding any key gaps in our provision and are already strengthening governance and any oversight across the partnership."

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board's chief executive Aaron Cummins, said: "We acknowledge the findings of the report.

"The ICB is aware that the lengthy waiting times to access some health services are unacceptable.

"A range of improvement programmes are in place to transform services with long waiting times."

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