An inspection of Kirklees SEND services for children and young people is underway.

The services are currently being scrutinised by the inspection by Ofsted and the CQC (Care Quality Commission).

This will run until June 20 and will evaluate how well the local area – which includes the local authority and agencies such as health partners and education providers – meets its responsibilities, as well as the impact for children, young people and their families.

At the time of the last inspection by the two agencies in February 2022, “significant areas of weakness” were found in reforms of SEND at Kirklees Council and Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group.

Staff from the Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team, standing outside the House of Lords.

placeholder image — Staff from the Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team, standing outside the House of Lords.

This resulted in a Written Statement of Action – a detailed action plan to set out how services will be improved – being drawn up.

The joint inspection, carried out over five days, found lengthy waiting times for key health services ranging from 90 weeks for autistic spectrum disorder to 194 weeks – more than three years – for a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Kirklees Council and other partners are working to transform SEND services in Kirklees, with this set out in ‘The SEND Big Plan’.

The council is funding multi-million pound investments in special school facilities, enabling more children with additional needs to be educated locally and improve outcomes.

Both Woodley School and College, which is for pupils with autism, and Joseph Norton Academy, which is for pupils with Social Emotional and Mental Health needs, are being rebuilt and relocated.

Other improvements have included the creation of ‘Additionally Resourced Provisions’, which create a greater number of specialist places in local schools.

Meantime, staff from Kirklees Council’s Early Years SEND team were recently invited to visit the House of Lords after being recognised for their “outstanding” support for children under five years’ old with SEND.

The honour follows the council’s work with national charity Dingley’s Promise, which has helped local childcare providers develop inclusive learning environments for vulnerable learners.

This work gives families more choice when looking for a suitable childcare placement that meets their child’s needs, the council says.