SEND improvement journey progress, one year on from inspection report
Twelve months on from the local area partnership SEND inspection, partners have reflected on the improvement journey so far, recognising some of the progress made while recognising there is still work to be done to improve families' experiences in Nottinghamshire.
Progress is being made to make positive changes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Nottinghamshire – 12 months after significant concerns were highlighted by watchdogs about the service.
The local area partnership is committed to continuous improvement to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Read the media release for more details.
In this video, Dame Christine Lenehan, Independent Chair of the Improvement Board, talks about the work so far and the next steps to improve services for children and young people in Nottinghamshire.
In this video, Rosa Waddingham, Chief Nurse at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, reflects on the journey so far.
One year on - progress and areas for focus
Progress made
- Increased number of educational psychologists by 55%
- 10 more staff working on education, health and care plans (EHCPs)
- Reduced mediation and tribunal activity
- 6 new SEND pathway officers to improve link between families and settings
- More families receiving EHCPs within timescales (28% in 2024 compared to 4.5% in 2022)
- Developed outcomes with 800 parents, carers and young people
- Involved parents, carers and young people to hear their voices through 7 roadshows, engagement events, coproduction work and the Parent Carer Reference Group
- Brought health and local authority data together to analyse needs of families and identify gaps in services
- Five more staff to reduce neurodevelopmental waiting times. Average monthly assessments increased from 45 to 83
- Worked with young people transitioning from paediatric to adult services to improve their experiences
- Recruited more specialist therapists to help reduce waiting times for autism pathways within Speech Language and Communication Needs services
- Improved process for getting equipment following feedback from families
- Provided better information for families waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments
Work still to do
- Engage social care professionals and wider education settings more in improvement work
- Communicating the variety of services and support available to families in a way that meets their needs
- More work needed to reduce time taken to issue EHCPs
- More work to reduce waiting times for assessment by speech and language services for young people with autism
- Develop a sensory support offer for children with complex needs
- Work with families to develop a sleep support service for children with complex needs.
SEND progress and work to do as a simple infographic [PDF]
Need help or support?
Notts Parent Carer Forum
An independent parent carer led organisation run by volunteers who represent the views, experiences and ideas of families that live in or access services in Nottinghamshire and have a child or young person with an additional need and/or a disability.
Any questions, please contact Notts Parent Carer Forum
Ask Us Nottinghamshire
Ask Us Nottinghamshire is the information, advice and support service for young people and parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities. You can call the helpline or go to the website for help on a wide range of issues.
Ask Us offers help to parents of a child with SEND, or if you are a young person up to the age of 25, looking for answers.
For questions or more information, use the Ask Us Nottinghamshire's contact form
ASK Us helpline: 0800 121 7772 (leave the details requested and Ask Us will get back to you within two working days).
Notts Help Yourself
Our local offer website is a one-stop shop of information for families, with a directory of services to support children and young people with additional needs and their families.
To find out more, visit the Notts Help Yourself website
