Sefton’s Local Area Partnership has received its latest SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) inspection report.

Positive experiences

The report highlights the positive experiences of children and young people in Sefton, with many telling inspectors they feel listened to, respected and involved in decisions about their lives.

Inspectors noted that local leaders are committed to hearing directly from children and young people, with growing opportunities for them to shape services and contribute their views at both an individual and strategic level. Strong, trusting relationships between professionals, children and families are helping to ensure their voices are not only heard, but have a real impact on the support they receive.

Strength of partnership

The report also recognises the strength of The Partnership working across education, health and social care, including close collaboration with the Parent Carer Forum. This joined-up approach is helping to ensure that children and young people with SEND benefit from effective early identification of their needs, allowing for timely and well-coordinated support. Sefton’s improvement journey means the Borough is well placed to implement the ambitious national SEND reforms.

Together, these findings reflect a system that is increasingly responsive, inclusive and focused on delivering positive outcomes for children and their families.

The report also showed areas where further improvement is still needed throughout The Partnership, particularly around the consistency of support, waiting times for some services and the quality and timeliness of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Unwavering commitment

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, said: “We warmly welcome this report and the clear recognition of the strong progress we have made, driven by effective partnership working and our unwavering commitment to putting children and families at the heart of everything we do.

“It is particularly encouraging to see the positive feedback on how well our services are working together, and on the meaningful ways we are listening to and responding to children, young people and their families.

“While we are proud of this progress, we are equally ambitious to go further. We are committed to addressing the areas identified for improvement, ensuring more consistent experiences and reducing waiting times so that every child and family receives the timely support they deserve.”

'Good' Ofsted rating

The findings come less than a year after Sefton’s Children’s Services were rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, reflecting significant improvements across the wider service.

Like many areas across the country, Sefton continues to see increasing demand for SEND services and is working within a national context of reform aimed at improving consistency, timeliness and outcomes for children and young people with additional needs.

Our local journey closely reflects and supports the ambitions of the national SEND reform agenda, which seeks to create a more inclusive, responsive and sustainable system.

Strong, relationships with families

Executive Director of Children’s Services, Becky Bibby, said: “The inspection report recognises the strength of The Partnership working across education, health and social care, and celebrates the important role that strong, trusted relationships with families and the Parent Carer Forum play in shaping services and improving outcomes.

“We are proud of this progress, and we are clear about where we need to go further. We are also working in line with national SEND reforms to strengthen how services are delivered and ensure greater consistency for families.

“Our focus remains on ensuring that every child and young person receives the right support at the right time.”

The Partnership will continue to work closely with families, schools, health services and wider partners to deliver improvements.

High-quality support

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, added: “We are committed to working openly and honestly with children, young people and families as we continue this journey, making the changes needed to deliver the consistent, high-quality support that every child and young person deserves.”

Further information on SEND services and support available in Sefton can be found on the Council website: Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities