We, the undersigned, call on Nottinghamshire County Council to take immediate and decisive action to improve Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services in our county. The current level of support is insufficient, causing significant challenges for children, young people, and their families.

 

Our Key Concerns are:

 

1. Insufficient Funding:

The current funding for SEND services does not meet the growing demand. Schools and support services are under severe pressure, leading to long delays in assessments and limited access to crucial services. Many families are forced to wait months, and in some cases years, before receiving the help their children need.

2. Lack of Transparency and Accountability:

There is an urgent need for more openness and accountability in how SEND services are managed. Without clear information on the quality of services, it is difficult for families to understand what is being done and whether progress is being made. More transparency will help ensure that resources are used effectively and that services meet the needs of those they are intended to support.
 

3. Poor Customer Service and Communication:

Families frequently struggle to get in touch with council staff or receive the information they need. Many phone calls and emails take substantial time to be answered, or go completely unanswered, adding to the stress that families feel.
 

4. Failure to Implement Network Meeting Actions:

Despite regular meetings aimed at improving SEND services, many agreed-upon actions remain unimplemented. This lack of follow-through prevents meaningful progress and leaves families without the support they have been promised.

5. High turnover of staff

High turnover of staff within SEND services leads to inconsistent support, making it harder for families to build relationships with staff and access continuous care.

 

6. EHCPs are not being delivered within the legal timeframe

The council is failing to complete EHCPs on time. In the year leading up to July 2024, only 36% of EHCPs were completed within the statutory 20-week period. Delays in issuing these vital plans are preventing children from receiving support.

 

7.   EHCPs are not being delivered to acceptable standards

 

The EHCPs that are completed are not always completed to a good enough standard (for example, missing vital sections), meaning that parents are unable to actually use them.

 

8.   Many parents feel that their views are not being represented via the Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum.

 

Many parents feel that their views and concerns are not being adequately represented through the Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum. As a result, they are left feeling excluded from important decision-making processes that directly affect their children’s education and support.

 

Our Demands:

 

1. Increase Funding for SEND:

We request that Nottinghamshire County Council allocates additional funding in the next budget specifically for SEND services. This funding is essential to provide the necessary resources to schools and specialist services and to ensure that children with SEND receive the support they need.

2. Increase accountability:

We call for the introduction of a formal accountability system to monitor the effectiveness of SEND services. The quality of services should be measured, not just the quantity. We specifically call for the quality of all EHCPs to be measured as well as quantity.

 

3. The council must meet its legal obligations by ensuring all EHCPs are completed within the statutory 20-week timeframe. 

 

We call for the council to meet this legal requirement, and delays are unacceptable as they directly impact children’s access to the support they need. As above, the quality of the EHCPs produced should be measured.

 

4. Introduce a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the council and parents:

 

This agreement should guarantee clear and timely communication, ensuring that parents receive the information they need without unnecessary delays or confusion.

We ask that the SLA specifies a response time of a maximum of 3 working days for emails and phone calls.

5. Measure the number of SEND complaints

Currently, the council does not record the number of SEND complaints. The complaints data is an all-inclusive figure for the council as a whole. We call for SEND complaints to be measured as a separate category so that the true scale of the problems can be measured.

 

6. Implement Actions from Network Meetings:

 

The council must ensure that all agreed actions from SEND meetings are fully implemented. A tracking system should be put in place to monitor progress and ensure that these actions are completed within set timeframes.   

 

7. Strengthen the representation of parents’ voices

 

The council should ensure that the views and concerns of parents are properly represented through the Nottinghamshire Parent Carer Forum. Mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that all parents feel heard and included in decisions affecting SEND provision.

 

8. Take action to reduce the high staff turnover

 

Proactive, deliberate action should be taken to attempt to limit staff turnover.

 

Why This Matters:

 

Every child deserves access to the support that will help them thrive. The current failings in SEND services are causing unnecessary delays and stress for families, putting children with SEND at a disadvantage. By addressing these issues, Nottinghamshire County Council can ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Improving SEND services is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one.

 

Conclusion:

We urge Nottinghamshire County Council to prioritise these essential improvements to SEND services. The current situation is unacceptable, and prompt action is needed to ensure that children and families receive the support they deserve.