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(UK) Knowsley: "More than 700 children/young people" waiting for ASD diagnosis

May 24, 2022, Liverpool Echo: 'Significant' weakness found in Knowsley special needs provisions https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/significant-weakness-found-knowsley-special-24050230

NW England

Provisions for children and young people with special educational needs in Knowsley have been called into question.

“Significant areas of weakness” have been identified through a joint inspection of Knowsley Council earlier this year by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to judge the effectiveness of the area in implementing the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014. The four-day visit found that while leaders are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND in the borough, a Written Statement of Action (WSOA) is required because of significant areas of weakness in the area’s practice. The joint report said that Knowsley has been too slow to reforms made in relation to SEND in 2014, but had “made progress at pace” in the last four years…. It was said that for many children and young people with SEND in Knowsley, preparation for adulthood starts too late. “This means that too many children and young people with SEND face uncertainty in their future education, training or employment pathways. Many parents report that they do not have the information and guidance needed to be well informed about the next stages of education, employment or training that are available for their child or young person.”

The effectiveness of the healthy child programme - which enables the commissioning of health visitors for young people up to the age of 19 - was also questioned by the inspection, which said it was limited due to the current low levels of staffing. It added that young children’s needs are not identified early enough and that more than 700 children and young people are awaiting an assessment on the neurodevelopmental pathway.

The report said: “A small number have waited for more than three years.” Since 2019, it was recognised that the pathway was “not fit for purpose” and as a result, it had been redesigned and strengthened in partnership with other health providers.

“However, the impact of this, combined with the challenges of the pandemic, has not significantly reduced the high numbers of children and young people who are awaiting a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”…

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

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