Inconsistencies found in Calderdale SEND service

Arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Calderdale are "inconsistent" and need improving, an education watchdog has said.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said they found wide variation in the support received and urged local agencies to work more closely to drive improvement.

The findings follow an inspection of Calderdale's SEND partnership, which are jointly commissioned by the council and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

Acknowledging the report, Martyn Stenton, director of children and young people's services at Calderdale Council said it would be "really helpful in taking the SEND agenda forward".

"Children and young people's experiences remain inconsistent because many recent improvements are still becoming established," the report said.

The watchdog said SEND provision was "at the heart" of local plans and acknowledged progress, but concluded changes had yet to deliver their "full intended impact".

Too many education, health and care (EHC) plans lacked "clear and specific outcomes", inspectors found, while annual reviews did not always lead to timely updates, leaving some pupils without the support they need during key transitions, including into adulthood.

The report stated some young people received "effective" help when moving on to further education, but others felt "unprepared and anxious" about adult life, with barriers beyond age 16 not sufficiently addressed.

Early years support was viewed as generally strong, but identification of some children's needs "was slower than it should be", with delays in accessing mental health support also highlighted.

The report noted strengths, including an "ambitious" strategy developed with families, improved access to speech and language therapy, and expanding specialist provision within mainstream schools.

Family hubs were also praised for offering accessible early help.

Inspectors called for clearer EHC plans, with "specific, clear and measurable" outcomes.

Leaders were also urged to strengthen support in mainstream schools, reduce exclusions and ensure pupils receive the right help at the right time.

Stenton, who said there were nearly 8,000 children and young people with SEND in Calderdale, said: "The report is really helpful in terms of helping us to take the SEND agenda forward in Calderdale.

"We know there are sometimes frustrations and inconsistencies for families, and having the findings from the team of inspectors will really us to progress some really important areas for development in the next couple of years."

Debi Gibson, director of nursing and quality for Calderdale NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, added: "The report gives us an opportunity to reflect on our services, to ensure that we are delivering the best possible service to our children and young people and their families, and to reflect on what's going well and where we need to continuously improve."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.