Hillingdon Council praised for SEND services by Ofsted and CQC (20 February 2017)

Hillingdon Council has been praised by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for its work with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Ofsted and the CQC praised Hillingdon Council and its partners following a recent inspection of service delivery in the local area.

Between 28 November and 2 December 2016, inspectors met with children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in Hillingdon – as well as parents and carers, leaders for local health, social care and education, and representatives from Hillingdon Council and the NHS.

The Ofsted/CQC report commends leaders in Hillingdon for prioritising the safeguarding of children and young people in the borough – and highlights the strength of joint working between local service providers.

The report states that, without exception, all children and young people interviewed felt that they were kept safe by the adults who supported them and parents and carers were pleased with the support they receive.

The report is also positive about the involvement of parents and carers in planning for improvements for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents and carers are also well supported by local voluntary groups and charities, says the report. The council said it valued feedback from parents and carers.

The inspection reveals that parents and carers do not currently have enough information about what services the local council offer however and notes that waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services are too long currently.

However, the report also recognises that leaders are already proactively reviewing the service delivery in these areas, with a view to make future improvements.

Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Councillor David Simmonds, said:

"We are delighted that the recent Ofsted/CQC inspection has highlighted Hillingdon's joined up approach to safeguarding the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities – and we are pleased that parent and carer involvement and satisfaction has been recognised.

We fully take on board the recommendations to improve the service we deliver – and plans for many of the suggested improvements are already underway.

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the inspection – and we look forward to continuing to work together with our partners to improve outcomes for children and young people across the borough.”

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