Education, health and care services supporting children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in February 2023.

What we do well

The inspection found that most children and young people with SEND living in Warrington benefit from:

1. Effective identification of their needs
2. Effective careers education information, advice and guidance in school
3. Valuable work experience which prepares them well for the future
4. A wide range of inclusive leisure activities which offer dedicated sessions for them to attend
5. Support from a trusted adult – this means that their voices matter and they take part in decision-making about the support they receive

Areas for improvement

The inspection team found that overall, Warrington’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. As a result, Warrington Borough Council and Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) have been asked to address the following areas for improvement:

1. Leaders across health, education and social care must improve the efficiency and quality of their information gathering processes so that that children's and young people's assessments are coordinated across providers and services.
2. Leaders across the partnership should ensure that assessments for EHC plans are completed within the statutory timeframes.
3. Health commissioners and providers should ensure that children and young people receive health services in line with area plans and that service specifications better meet children’s and young people’s needs in Warrington.
4. Leaders across health, social care and education should ensure that they have effective systems to share information about children and young people’s needs in a more useful, timely and effective way.

A copy of Warrington’s Inspection Letter can be found on the Ofsted website.

Further information

As a result, partners have come together to provide a collective response to the findings which outlines Warrington’s commitment to children, young people and their families to provide an honest account of the changes needed in Warrington to address the findings so that children and young people with SEND living in Warrington have access to the best quality education, care and support services.

Comments and reflections

Cllr Sarah Hall, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “I’m pleased with this report, which highlights some of the good work our local area partnership is doing to make a difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND, so that they are listened to and given the best opportunities to reach their full potential.

“We will also fully take on board the areas of improvement highlighted in the report. By better sharing information between partners and putting measures in place to deal with increased pressures on services, we can further strengthen our ability to meet the needs of all young people with SEND in Warrington. We’ll be working hard to achieve this.”

Carl Marsh, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Place Director for Warrington, said: “This report demonstrates the work being done by partners in Warrington to improve the lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. 

“We also recognise there is still more to do and we’re committed to working closely with partners through the Warrington Together health and care partnership to use the report’s feedback and recommendations to further improve the support available for children and young people with SEND.”

Jean Fitzpatrick, Chair of Warrington Parents and Carers Forum (WarrPAC), said “Following the publication of the recent area SEND inspection report, Warrington Parents and Carers welcome the implementation of the ‘SEND Inspection Improvement Plan’ from Warrington Borough Council and Health services.”

“WarrPAC have been working closely with professionals on shaping the plan and will continue to be fully committed to working alongside all area leads in coproduction.  We will ensure not only the voice of children, young people and their families is embedded in any decisions that involve changes to services, but to hold the professionals to account with regards to documented actions and outcomes set out in the plan.  We are looking forward to the positive changes predicted for the future of SEND in Warrington.”