Campaigners remain ‘concerned’ after plan to tackle Warwickshire SEND ‘crisis’ released
CAMPAIGNERS remain ‘concerned’ after the publication of a plan to deal with what they describe as a ‘crisis’ in services for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Warwickshire.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has issued a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) to address concerns raised in the damning Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) report last September.
The report raised ‘concerns about the effectiveness of the local area’, requiring the Coventry and Warwickshire (CCG) council and clinical commissioning group to explain how ‘significant areas of weakness’ will be addressed.
The statement outlines how the WCC and CCG plan to reduce wait times for autism diagnoses, strengthen relationships with parents and guardians, improve school leaders’ understanding of why the placement of certain children must be addressed, to better train the staff of primary and secondary schools to meet the needs of young people with SEND, and to ensure the quality of the local online offer.
A spokesman for pressure group SEND Crisis Warwickshire praised the WSoA – but said some concerns remained.
They said: “The WSoA continues to distort the complexity of the difficulties faced by children and young people in Warwickshire.
“There is a danger that blaming our already overstretched schools will lead to a weaponization of inclusion, leaving vulnerable learners without appropriate support or provision.
“We are committed to supporting the overview and scrutiny of this program to ensure better outcomes for all children and young people struggling to be seen or heard. We continue to work with marginalized families and will campaign on behalf of all children and families in Warwickshire.
The WSoA, which has been produced in conjunction with Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice, has been endorsed by Ofsted and the CQC.
WCC SEND spokesperson, Councilor Penny-Anne O’Donnell, said: “Senior leaders from WCC and GCC have been working with departments and stakeholders to understand the steps we need to take to bring improvements. This includes working with parents and guardians, staff, the SEND and Inclusion partnership, and schools and institutions.
“Progress on all actions in the plan will be regularly reviewed by our WSoA Steering Group, the Department for Education and NHS England.”
Elaine Lambe from Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice said: “The WSoA is a positive start. Now the hard work must continue with all partners working together to make the vision a reality. We look forward to increased co-production with caregiver parents in the areas of health, education and social support. »
When the Ofsted report was published in September, the ‘gravely concerned’ families said it had not ‘scratched the surface’ of the ‘trauma’ they had suffered.
A spokesperson for SEND Crisis Warwickshire said: ‘We have supported families with suicidal children who still have no support, families whose children have received inappropriate school placements which do not meet their needs and families whose children have been left without a proper education for years. .”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/2z85twr9 to read the written action statement.
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